I don't buy "things" or "stuff". I buy specific items, and the way I evaluate those items depend on how they are. You say you like "things that are robust and

I don't buy "things" or "stuff". I buy specific items, and the way I evaluate those items depend on how they are. You say you like "things that are robust and last a long time"-- does that apply when you buy tomatoes? I recommend that you narrow your scope substantially, to cover one specific type of "stuff"-- and perhaps in doing so, the appropriate metrics will become more clear.