Every year, the weekend after the Thanksgiving holiday, Miami becomes the epicenter of the art world (yes, really). Art Basel, Art Miami and a host of satellite events all around the Miami Beach and Miami showcase and offer for sale a mind-boggling array of modern and post-modern art and design. The main event takes up the entire Miami Beach Convention Center and was the subject of at least a chapter of Tom Wolfe’s 2012 book, “Back to Blood. ” As I write this, it’s almost impossible to get around in the city.

Even though I initially took offense, Mr. Wolfe wasn’t all that far off in his description of premiere night. He talks about ‚Äòblood-crazed billionaires’ zipping between premieres and parties. Apparently a billion dollars changed hands at the Convention Center alone in 2012. That’s a lot of money, but I suspect it’s less than half of the commerce that actually happens in the City of Miami and the Beaches.

I’m claustrophobic enough that after one foray a few years back, I avoid Basel itself. Instead, I tend to go to the satellite events like Art Miami. Two years ago, I was boggled to learn that a mixed media portrait of Steve Jobs sold for $250,000. The price was never put on the piece. This year, a single wide format print of President John Kennedy was offered for sale at $34,500. That’s one of an edition of five. Apparently the price of art is going through the roof, as new and old money alike looks for unique items to put their money in.

As I people- and art-watched through Art Miami’s premier night, I realized that the crowds weren’t all that different than the Thanksgiving Day crowds at retailers like Best Buy and Target. But their motivation was really, really different. There was zero price sensitivity. What there was instead was a passion for the cool and unique. In the art world, price is a lever that only tilts in one direction – Up.

So what does this have to do with retailers and the other 99 percent?

There’s a theory that one reason art keeps appreciating is because each piece is unique. It’s special. You may not like post-modern realism like the sculpture below, but you know there’s only one like it (note: the sculpture is the couple, not the fellow in the Gucci belt staring at it or the security guard in the background).

And there’s the rub.

As retailers and brand managers we just have not been doing a great job creating unique new products that the other 99% would like to buy. Look at Black Friday weekend. We pulled the price lever, and consumers seemed to yawn. Markdown Chicken is a dangerous game. The consumer can outlast the retailer every time. After all, worst case, as shoppers, we just give gift cards to our friends and let them wait for the next great deal.

Look at Target, for example. Its new CEO, Brian Cornell, has acknowledged that the company’s problems were mostly caused by a lost merchandising mojo. The company finally exceeded Wall Street expectations in Q3, and the Wall Street Journal reported the following:

“…The better-than-expected results give Mr. Cornell added traction as he tries to lift Target out of a multiyear funk in which its shoppers became disappointed in its merchandise for no longer having the type of cheap-chic fashions and housewares that gave Target cachet and earned it the “Tar-zhay ” nickname. But he will have to show that he can maintain this quarter’s momentum. “

Target had cracked the code on cheap chic. Then they lost the key. Now they’re getting it back.

Art is appreciating insanely because it offers one-of-a-kind unique “stuff ” that can be shown to friends, relations or on the pages of Architectural Digest. Apparel prices have been depreciating because we offer commoditized “stuff ” that are knock-offs of knock-offs of knock-offs.

Bring back unique products. Let’s put some energy into that. And don’t buy boatloads of it. Think of the Target Missoni offer a couple of years ago. It sold out in two hours. Back in the day, department stores never re-ordered anything but basic product. The message to customers was “buy it or miss it. “

When was the last time you bought anything at full price? If you did, it was either your Apple electronics gadget or a Tesla car. Everything else is always marked down. And at the end of the day, very few people will stand in line for a commodity. Make it unique, and a whole other era of retail will begin.