Investors have historically bought this sovereign debt because it has been a relatively safe haven.
Apple has historically bought technology outfits that have resources and talent that it can blend into future devices and online services.
Federal agencies have historically bought computers and software on their own, producing a rat's nest of technology, from mainframes to I.B.M. clones to Wang computers.
Many readers around the country have historically bought both The Journal and a local paper, but experts predict that as readers migrate to the Web and print sales decline, fewer readers will pay for two papers.
People have historically bought tech-oriented magazines to help see over the hill, and the serial apologies that now run through coverage do little to inspire reader confidence in that mission.
Liberty Media, a media conglomerate run by John C. Malone, has historically bought stakes in cable, satellite television and interactive companies, but not in bricks-and-mortar retail - one reason the continued participation of Mr. Riggio, a respected industry veteran for decades, could be a condition of the deal.
One of China's hottest sellers is a nonessential Western luxury product that the Chinese have historically never bought and that has virtually no Chinese cultural roots: perfume.
The company, founded in 1783, operating from club-like headquarters in London's Berkeley Square, has historically been ridiculed for buying and selling companies without gain.
That's in part because public markets are a popular source of financing for clinical trials, and investors have historically been willing to buy shares of pre-revenue companies in the space.
Having the means to buy clothes has historically been a symbol of status and it still remains one area of people's lives where income differences and social status area readily perceivable.
