Buy quality to begin with, you'll save in the long run!

[Herd]

Just a thought to the youngsters, buy good stuff and save money. Good pair of shoes, say a $100+, or el-cheapo for $19.99. What do get/save, last longer, fit better and look better or fall apart fast, uncomfortable/bad for feet, look bad/cheap, this applies across the board.

I was a poor kid but my mother worked for several well to do folks when I was little so she took me with sometimes and although we were dirt poor, I was exposed to the life. As I grew up I had the taste for good things and would always save up for a pair of Florsheims or Freemans over the K-Mart specials. I did this across the board, clothes, electronics, whatever, I got to enjoy the difference and also noticed the lasted longer/worked better and saved me money. Now many years later (I'm 66), not rich, but been retired since 60 and loving it, I look back and think how lucky I was.

 

[Mick]

I was told a long time ago by a retired Colonel regarding collecting:

"Always buy the best example of what ever you are looking for as you are far better off to pay too much for an exceptional example than to settle for one in inferior condition and still be looking for a better example of the same item. One exceptional example will cost you far less than several identical items in average condition"

This has always stayed with me and I always search out the best of the best in what I am looking for regardless of the cost.

 

[Johnsebesta]

There's alway someone that can do it for less.

Not cheaper. .... For less.

 

[rxonmymind]

That's what I tell my wife whenever she balks at something she wants that's expensive. Buy quality once and you'll not regret it and don't ever look back. I don't mind paying a bit more for proven quality items that will last.

 

[Legion]

I was told a long time ago by a retired Colonel regarding collecting:

"Always buy the best example of what ever you are looking for as you are far better off to pay too much for an exceptional example than to settle for one in inferior condition and still be looking for a better example of the same item. One exceptional example will cost you far less than several identical items in average condition"

This has always stayed with me and I always search out the best of the best in what I am looking for regardless of the cost.

This is excellent advice, and something I have not done through my life, unfortunately. I'll always end up with several of the same thing, and eventually buy the one I should have bought first. I am trying to modify that behaviour.

 

[Phog Allen]

I think the OP makes an excellent point. I would add only these ideas. It also depends upon whether you are using said items professionally or personally. Professionals should be using the very best tools for the jobs. An old proverb goes something like this; By the tools you will know the craftsman. Two of the most common areas this comes up is professional hand and power tools and photography equipment. If you SnapOn guys think you are spending a lot per item, and you are, I suggest you look at photography equipment! It scares me to death and I don't own any of it. Every so often you run into an economical item for your work or favourite hobby that simply works out best. Rare but happens.

My parents were born in the middle of the Great Depression. You know those old Time Life photos of desolate looking people standing in front of desolate looking houses with no paint in the dust bowl? They could have been in those photos. Not a decent week's wages amongst the lot of them. Yet they survived it and came away with a certain perspective. Foolish baubles were not to be found in their homes. Even later in life. Yet they would hammer it into us to buy the best footwear we could afford. Particularly for work. They learned early on that cheap footwear wore out quickly and worse, hurt your feet and could make you lame. In those days and just after WW2 if you could not physically perform you were going to lose your situation. No paid days off for being 'sick'. So they always told us to take care of our feet. Perspective makes a huge difference. And the budget of a 20 year old college kid will be different than someone in their 40s or 50s with a more settled and advanced income. Still, the OP makes a point I take as a truism. You can pay now or pay again...and again.

Cheers, Todd

 

[OMEN]

I did this with my PC and drum kit. More the PC as with drumming what's "best" is down to the person's ears. I could have bought a PC for £800 but decided to save up for a top spec liquid cooled beast. Cost waaay more but all the best tech went into it and it still shows no signs of slowing down.

 

[Phog Allen]

I say by the best quality tool you can reasonably afford. With that said, there are times where you find a cheap tool works just as well as the expensive one.

There is one main rule I live by regarding cost of stuff: NEVER buy cheap toilet paper or batteries.

Beyond doubt the most salient advise in the thread. And your first sentence is something to live by.

Cheers, Todd

 

[skijor]

I jumped into DE with a beautiful EJ...no regrets!

 

[Herd]

Yes tools especially, was a cable splicer at one time CATV and Telco. Had fancy coring tools and generator (before batt drills), even gas drill for framing poles. I was making $500-$1,000 a day when others where dragging in and only making a few hundred. Sure I shelled out big bucks to start, but I made it back fast, was not worn out like the other guys and was always first pick for the big money jobs.

I just got back to DE shaving after the Rick Harris commercial about a month ago. Did some research here and other places, Bought a EJ silvertip and Mergress to start, just ordered a Pils 101NL and stand from Pils, they should be shipping in a few days, so I'm excited about that.


Funny I've hated shaving since the ARMY many years ago, but since getting the Mergress, Trumpers and AoS Soaps and stuff, its been fun. Wife loves the new smells and I look forward to the every other day shave. Funny about that too, bought the DE razor because I was only shaving when I got tired of the beard (about monthly) and hated the way the multi blades plugged. Now I'm shaving for the fun of it, lol

 

[Ratpoison]

Buy quality once and you'll not regret it and don't ever look back. I don't mind paying a bit more for proven quality items that will last.

That's absolutely right! The problem with most of the products today is it is made inferior, to wear out in a short amount of time usually. My wife and I enjoy thrift store shopping, flea markets and antiquing. Our entire kitchen is full of vintage Revere Ware from the 50s and early 60s as well as CorningWare from the 60s & 70s. If its possible we will buy vintage most of the time.

 

[Doc4]

I was told a long time ago by a retired Colonel regarding collecting:

"Always buy the best example of what ever you are looking for as you are far better off to pay too much for an exceptional example than to settle for one in inferior condition and still be looking for a better example of the same item. One exceptional example will cost you far less than several identical items in average condition"

This has always stayed with me and I always search out the best of the best in what I am looking for regardless of the cost.

I like his advice in regard to collecting ... but when it comes to stuff that you use on a daily basis, I'd say you are better off looking elsewhere.

My point being, that when one seeks quality ... there eventually comes the "law of diminishing returns". IF it's "saving money in the long run" that one is seeking, you are better off looking for the "sweet spot" where you pay enough to get better workmanship and materials, but not go on and on spending more for the "really really good stuff".

Example: shoes. Yes, a good $200 pair of goodyear-welted leather dress shoes will, with careful care and several replacements of the sole, long outlive a $50 glued-together pair that can't be re-soled. But the $200 pair will likely last almost as long as a $1,000 pair made by the finest makers on the planet.



But then again, one needs also to take the other intangible variables into the equation. If I get a $400 shoe instead of the $200 shoe, will it look better? Is the leather used going to develop a nicer patina over time? Is it simply a more elegant-looking shoe? If so, do these things matter to me? Now, if I compare the $400 shoe and the $1,000 shoe, can I see improvements again in those departments?

What about questions of construction quality and fit ... things that likely only I will ever notice. No matter how closely you look at my shoe, you don't know how it feels on my foot. I probably get improvements here going from $200 to $400, and again from $400 to $1,000.

In all these categories, all the shoes in question will leave the $50 shoe in the dust. The $400 will be a noticeable improvement over the $200, and the $1,000 will be better than the $400 ... but not by such a wide a margin as between the $200 and the $400. So ... if cost is no object, I go for the $1,000 shoe, obviously. But let's say the $400 shoe is 80% as good as the top shoe, but at 40% price ... if I'm watching my budget but still want a really good shoe, I look at the $400 much more favourably.

(This is just a rough example ... there are more factors to consider ... I could go on and on ... but in general terms that's my point.)

I'd say there are four main stages to price-range increases:
1. "I want the cheapest I can find."
2. "I want to spend more to get the most durable ... and therefore the 'cheapest' in the long run."
3. "I want to spend more than that, to get the most 'enjoyment' bang for my buck possible."
4. "I want the absolute best, no matter the cost."

Shades of grey in between those main 4 stages, of course, but it seems to me that those are the main "mentalities" of the buyers.

 

[MrLara]

I paid $200 for a pair of dress shoes back in 2002. They still look great today.

 

[COHunter]

I've started to adopt this overall philosophy more. Particularly with footwear and I've always been this way when it comes to tool purchases. Not every tool I own, but the bigger ticket ones for sure. A screwdriver that I'm going to use rarely and probably abuse anyway I don't need a $20 Klein screwdriver, a $2 Harbor Freight model will suit my needs just fine.

The problem I seem to encounter more often is the cheapening of brands in general. In particular I was always a big fan of Dr. Martens shoes. They lasted seemingly forever, the soles were comfortable yet wore like iron. Now, they're crap. To save a buck they moved manufacturing and the quality went down the tubes. I know they still offer a line still made in England, but my opinion of the company has degraded to where I don't want to spend the extra money for them. Used to just be able to look for the label and know that it was going to be a quality product. Now you have to do much more extensive research to find what was once commonplace.

 

[MrLara]

I've started to adopt this overall philosophy more. Particularly with footwear and I've always been this way when it comes to tool purchases. Not every tool I own, but the bigger ticket ones for sure. A screwdriver that I'm going to use rarely and probably abuse anyway I don't need a $20 Klein screwdriver, a $2 Harbor Freight model will suit my needs just fine.

As an Electrician, i am biased. But i really like Klein.

 

[russhatch]

Interesting view points expressed here - I agree with some, but not all. I believe you should purchase the best you can afford at the time. Like someone said earlier there is a point of diminishing returns, for example, watches - one can spend a fortune on a a number of hand made swiss tiem pieces or 35.00 on a Timex - both will keep, a quarts timex may even keep better time. At some point is is purely aesthetics or a status symbol. Before some one says yes but I can pass down a Rolex or a Breitling - there are several Timex's out there that are 40 - 50 years old, my dad still wears a Seiko he got in 1975. I would say get the best you can afford at the time - maybe later you will be buying it again and hopefully your ability to afford will have increased. My only exception would be tools, if you make your living from tools buy the best you can find - the right tool makes the job easier, faster - time is money so in effect you are saving money.

 

[Legion]

Interesting view points expressed here - I agree with some, but not all. I believe you should purchase the best you can afford at the time. Like someone said earlier there is a point of diminishing returns, for example, watches - one can spend a fortune on a a number of hand made swiss tiem pieces or 35.00 on a Timex - both will keep, a quarts timex may even keep better time. At some point is is purely aesthetics or a status symbol. Before some one says yes but I can pass down a Rolex or a Breitling - there are several Timex's out there that are 40 - 50 years old, my dad still wears a Seiko he got in 1975. I would say get the best you can afford at the time - maybe later you will be buying it again and hopefully your ability to afford will have increased. My only exception would be tools, if you make your living from tools buy the best you can find - the right tool makes the job easier, faster - time is money so in effect you are saving money.

Another factor is, are you prepared to use the high cost item the way it should be used? I have several really nice things that just sit in a draw because I don't want to damage them, or lower their value. Which makes them kind of pointless.

A good example is, I once got paid for a job with a new Rolex. It was the most expensive watch I had ever owned (still would be) and I was terrified of it. I owned it a year, and wore it about twice. Eventually I decided enough was enough and sold it. Since it was like new I got a good price for it, so no loss. I then bought myself an Omega, and pocketed the change. Now that was still more than I would have normally paid for a watch, but because the Omega was so much less expensive than the Rolex I wasn't scared of it and I wear it all the time. It has been knocked, scuffed, and generally treated like an every day watch should. The Omega is made just as well as the Rolex (IMO), so it has lasted and survived just fine.

The key is to see where the money you are paying for quality stops, and where you start paying for brand names and prestige.

 

[binoy]

I agree with a lot of this thread, we bought Ethan Allen furniture 30 years ago and after 7 moves (I was in the Navy for 22 years!) all of the furniture is still in excellent shape. I am confident that if we would have purchased a lesser quality and had to buy new again after a few years we would have actually spent more money in the long run.

When I decided to try DE shaving I did my research (thanks to you guys here at B&B) and I bought good brand-name products, not the most expensive but, good quality. I expect my Merkur 1904/1906 and my Pure Badger brush to last the next 30 years, too. Now, if only I can make it that long!

-Marv

 

[Johnsebesta]

Might be time for my Rolex story. Late 70's decided it was time for a Rolex. Went to see a friend who managed a Jewelry Store for his father in law.
Very good price on a new Rolex . But it was off a little every month. Back to Rolex three times.
Last time it came back the Rolex rep told my friend, the manage, to tell me that the Rolex was a Chronometer; if I want prefect time I should by a Timex!!

 

[fsturnz]

I like the philosophy, and maintain it in most of what I do. But I think some of the comments miss the point. It seems that some may equate price tag with quality. That, unfortunately is not always the case. Ideally. search out the best quality items, and buy what you can afford from that list. In today's sensational, disposable, and ad driven marketing campaigns...more and more people are being duped into spending their hard earned money on disposable merchandise. Marketing has driven prices up by demand, but unfortunately quality has not risen at the same pace. Sometimes the better object costs less than the one that has a million commercials on TV.

Buy quality, my friends...not "expensive."