The Vulture Culture
[Frustrated by a decade of insane prices for everything from art to real estate, many Americans see a silver lining to the wobbly economy -- the chance to finally swoop in on some deals. Eileen Daspin and June Fletcher report.]</br></br>With the economy slowing and prices softening, Washington Redskins fan Paul Sawyer has one wish: that things will get just a little bit worse.</br></br>It's the only way Mr. Sawyer figures he'll ever move up the 45,000-name waiting list for Redskins' season tickets. The more the stock market wobbles, the harder he scours the classifieds for down-on-their-luck ticket holders. Not to mention other bargains he's eyeing if the economy keeps stumbling.</br></br>"I hate to prey on anyone's misfortune," says Mr. Sawyer, who has been reduced to watching games on television. But "I won't feel too awful if someone loses their luxury."</br></br>After a decade of watching prices go insane for everything from art to real estate, a lot of Americans see an upside to the economic downturn: a chance to finally swoop in on some relative deals. The result is a kind of vulture culture, as Americans at almost every income level see some potential relief in every hiccup of the stock market. The hopes are especially high for bargains on big-ticket items that saw frenzied demand as the New Economy soared: homes, waitlisted cars, high-end electronics and spa vacations -- the very things that often suffer first in a slump.