One issue here is that there are well built quality products on the market; the problem is distinguishing them from the crap. Also, they cost more. Total cost

One issue here is that there are well built quality products on the market; the problem is distinguishing them from the crap. Also, they cost more. Total cost of ownership is typically a lot lower, though. Want a mechanical pencil that will last you through grad school and at least a decade of your career? Buy a RotRing. It’ll be $30, and worth every penny. Tools? Snap-On or Wright. Shoes? Goodyear welt top-grain leather, such as Grant Stone or top end Allen Edmonds. Luggage? Travelpro or Tom Bihn or Goruck. All of those items will be 3 or 4x what a Target ratchet or bag or pair of dress shoes will cost, but they’ll last at least 10x longer and in the Snap-On example possibly 100x longer. Electronics are a somewhat different issue, of course, but even there, my iPhone XR is still going strong, 85% battery health and receiving OS updates.