They say our reality is based on the lenses we perceive the world through. But what happens if we cannot trust the people making the lenses. One thing is risking seeing the past through rose-tinted lenses - but what if the present is also twisted by the lens makers!
Last Wednesday a huge surge in demand for eyeglasses and eyewear seems to have coincided with a few new shops opening in Stormwind. The shops seem to satisfy a demand which did not seem to be there the day before. Despite this, the opticians managed to prepare for the unusual high demand that came virtually overnight, there was enough for everyone, even if you had to wait in line.
So, what came first you might ask – the demand, or the shops? to answer that we must first figure out why people suddenly want glasses. Is it a fashion trend? Or was there simply a lot of people with bad eyesight prior to last Wednesday? The Lion's Roar investigates this new trend and puts the looking glass on this glassy industry.
My grandfather turned 90 today, but he still does not need glasses.
He drinks straight from the bottle.
The first step was to get hold of some glasses, being a person who never needed glasses then it was a bit of a surprise to me to find them sold by a small child outside the barbershop in Trade District. Questioning the quality and legality of his products I decided to look elsewhere though, and it did not take me long to find a “pop-up” shop (a bit like a street-food stall, just not for food), but as the woman failed to produce a license when I asked to see one, I decided it was another illegal business and like any good fairy-tale, three times the charm.
The shop was named “The Gift of Sight” and while I swear it was not there the day before then the owner, a gnome woman named Mrs. Snizzo Gogetter, insisted that she has been running the store for years, but besides a few regulars then she has not had much business to speak of.
”That has certainly changed” as she told me while I was browsing her wares. Eyeweares.
Eyewear comes in all kinds of shapes and shades. From double to triple to quadruple lenses put into frames shaped as ducks or just regular circular holes. From a bland metal colour to vibrant mint-green and even checkered. The selection was quite impressive and while I tried out a few of them, I had a talk with Mrs. Gogetter about the recent rise in demand.
Why did the mortician need glasses?
remains to be seen.
H. Lester:
I understand that there was a sudden spike in demand for glasses last Wednesday? anything you can tell me about that?
Mrs. Gogetter:
Nay. Not much big fellah, woke up, went to work and there was a line outside the door waiting for me to open up. All kinds of people, most didn't even need glasses! Well, they did, but they also did not. You know?Article continues after the ad.
H. Lester:
I think I do. They didn't have bad eyesight, but still wanted eyewear?
Mrs. Gogetter:
Yes.
H. Lester:
So the demand surged over night, what about the supply then? if you normally do not sell that many glasses, surely you did not have the sort of stock laying around?
Mrs. Gogetter:
As luck would have it, three of the biggest brands, "1PLUS1", "4Sight", "Glimpses" recently started using pocket-dimensions for their deliveries. Its quite smart. They open a portal to the pocket-dimension at their workshop, put crates of spectacles there, and then they give word to the shopkeeper - ie - me, and we open a portal in our end and grab the supplies. I never ran out of those glasses!
H. Lester:
And this happened to be a new procedure as of when?
Mrs. Gogetter:
It was all sorted last week, we tested it Monday night.
I had many more questions, but I could sense that pressing the lovely gnome lady more would only cause drama and a scene. Thinking I’d need to find my answers elsewhere, I decided to look closer at the displayed glasses, especially the brand names.
The brand names made me think glasses are more of a fashion statement than an actual need for a lot of people, names like “Visions”, “Clear View”, “RadiEyez”, “4Sight”, “Zavi”, “Glimpses”, “New Eyedentity” and “1PLUS1” all reminded me of names I’d expect to see in fancy suits and dresses, but just as I had almost decided glasses was mostly a fashion trend then I spotted a pair of glasses in a thick glass box of the brand “Eye 4 Eye”. Not only was the name catchy, but the small dart dispensers mounted on the side of the glasses caught my interest, and Mrs. Gogetter explained that it was
“Eyewear for the safety concerned buyer”. I admit it had me interested, but not only do I usually not have to worry about my safety, I also do not need glasses, and the price label… well I do not think my journalist wage could even start to cover that.
What do you call a potato wearing glasses?
Spec-tater.
I ended up buying a pair of “Glimpses” – pink shaded sunglasses with no vision correction. I do not need them, but I do. Not for my eyes, or for fashion, but for research. It is clear there is more to this story then meet the eye, and I will have to continue my investigation.
If you know anything about the recent surge in demand for glasses, or about the strange coincidence of the suppliers changing delivery method days before the demand surged then do not hesitate to contact me.
Im not wearing glasses anymore.
I've seen enough