The Saturday Paper by Kara Redman

The Saturday Paper by Kara Redman

The Psychology of Scarcity

Why “Only 3 Left!” still works and how to use it without losing trust.

Aug 30, 2025
∙ Paid

Why Scarcity Works (and Always Has)

Scarcity is one of the oldest tools in marketing. We’ve all seen it: “Only 2 seats left,” “Last chance,” “Limited edition.” “Buy our classic pants that sold out 8 times.”

It works because the human brain is wired to value what feels rare. Scarcity triggers urgency, but it also signals quality: if it’s hard to get, it mu…

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