Bulgaria Quote by S. J. Perelman
“A basic ingredient in the manufacture of perfume, the attar-a heavy, pale-yellow oil stored in small metal drums-had been put up as collateral by Bulgaria, in lieu of gold, at the Moscow Narodny Bank, a Communist finance house for East-West trade.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, S. J. Perelman, 1940
A seemingly trivial commodity was used as financial security, highlighting how even low‑value items can become crucial assets in geopolitics.
In simple terms: Small items can become valuable collateral.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden value in ordinary things.
Themes
economics
politics
trade
value
collateral
Mood
pragmatic
analytical
Type
informative
contextual
When to use this quote
- banking negotiations
- international trade
- asset valuation
- resource scarcity
Key Concepts
commodity economics
geopolitics
risk management
Questions to Reflect On
- What everyday objects could serve as leverage in negotiations?
- How does assigning value to mundane items affect power dynamics?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on such collateral can be unstable if market values shift.
![“During college, when I was working full time for my father [the decorator Mark Hampton], I rented an apartment and I just couldn't take time off to paint it. So I went there one evening and stayed up all night painting the place what I thought was a lovely pale yellow. When the sun came up, I…” quote by Alexa Hampton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/809/alexa-hampton-74406_all-night_during-college-when-i-was-working-full-t_3080183.jpg)
