6 ms·

I agree with some of your points, but what about the frustration when someone breaks their nice & expensive umbrella by accident, or has it stolen from them? Wh

by nickff 2y ago

I agree with some of your points, but what about the frustration when someone breaks their nice & expensive umbrella by accident, or has it stolen from them? What about the inconvenience and anxiety of not wanting to lose it? What about not having a spare to lend (but actually give) to a friend or loved one?

kstrauser 2y ago
Those are valid concerns, but I've found I keep my nicer stuff way longer than the cheaper things they replace. I'm happy if I make it through a couple months with $30 sunglasses. I've had the same nicer ones for more than proportionally longer. For me, the difference is that I'm more watchful of the nice things. I'm not about to take off my good sunglasses and leave them somewhere that I'll forget about them. I know where my nice (not expensive, just nice and functional) water bottle is. I've kept the same pocket knife for many years because I'd go back and get it if I forgot to put it right back in my pocket after using it, which I wouldn't do, because it's nice and I subconsciously keep track of it. However, I'm not dogmatic about this stuff. I want to own my stuff and not have it own me. There's a half-empty six pack of dirt cheap portable umbrellas over next to my shoe rack so I can dole them out to my kids who'll inevitably lose them at school.
- bch 2y ago
  >> I swore off buying junky stuff a long time ago. Life’s too short to be surrounded by crap that’s going to break the first time you look at it wrong, student projects be damned. > For me, the difference is that I'm more watchful of the nice things. Or, the items come to integrate themselves into personal rituals. Like you said, you want to own your things, and not vice-versa, so its nice to not stress over them, but have them joyfully integrated into your life.
  - kstrauser 2y ago
    For sure. Everyone here who doesn’t carry a bag knows the routine: you stand up to leave and pat your pockets to make sure they’re all filled with the expected things. I also have a glasses case that’s always holding either my regular glasses or sunglasses. My umbrella goes right to the umbrella holder. Huh, spelling it all out that sounds similar to my ADHD rituals, for good reason. I’ve done so many things until they’re automatic habits.
hcarvalhoalves 2y ago
Insurance. The ability to quickly and more broadly insure any item, that would actually be a great economic incentive for higher quality goods. What the manufacturer doesn’t make in sales could be offset with insurance, and being a purely financial product doesn’t generate an impact in energy use, residues, etc… in addition to being a steady revenue, something companies today are trying to get with all sorts of membership plans.
- seventytwo 2y ago
  Zero people are going to insure an umbrella.
  - labster 2y ago
    Corporations are people, my friend. Homeowners insurance already covers household items, making it an umbrella policy.
  - hcarvalhoalves 2y ago
    There’s a company around here that offers a membership plan, allowing you to grab one umbrella on the automatic dispensers around the city. This sounds like insurance business model with extra convenience. The cost of just one month is already the price of an utilitarian umbrella, but you get a sturdy umbrella with UV protection.
  - TeMPOraL 2y ago
    If it was a lifetime-durable one and I knew the insurance wasn't total bullshit[0], I definitely would. -- [0] - Customer trust in the whole enterprise is always an underappreciated factor.
    - saalweachter 2y ago
      It used to be a feature of some manufacturers/sellers -- Tupperware, Cutco, Land's End (or was it LL Bean), you could return damaged items even decades later and have them replaced.
chihuahua 2y ago
Many years ago, I used to like expensive pens. Over the years, they were either stolen, lost, or damaged, so I realized the futility of expensive pens. Now I'm used to disposable pens, where I don't have to worry about whatever happens to them. At the same time, I have a lime-green plastic mechanical pencil that I got from a Microsoft printer room, and it's probably about 8 years old by now. This one never gets stolen, lost, or damaged.
- kstrauser 2y ago
  My ideal pen price point is about $20. That’s where I can get good ones I enjoy using (Lamy Safari etc.) that I’ll keep track of. It also wouldn’t ruin my day to lose one.

by nickff 2y ago

kstrauser 2y ago

Those are valid concerns, but I've found I keep my nicer stuff way longer than the cheaper things they replace. I'm happy if I make it through a couple months with $30 sunglasses. I've had the same nicer ones for more than proportionally longer. For me, the difference is that I'm more watchful of the nice things. I'm not about to take off my good sunglasses and leave them somewhere that I'll forget about them. I know where my nice (not expensive, just nice and functional) water bottle is. I've kept the same pocket knife for many years because I'd go back and get it if I forgot to put it right back in my pocket after using it, which I wouldn't do, because it's nice and I subconsciously keep track of it. However, I'm not dogmatic about this stuff. I want to own my stuff and not have it own me. There's a half-empty six pack of dirt cheap portable umbrellas over next to my shoe rack so I can dole them out to my kids who'll inevitably lose them at school.

bch 2y ago
>> I swore off buying junky stuff a long time ago. Life’s too short to be surrounded by crap that’s going to break the first time you look at it wrong, student projects be damned. > For me, the difference is that I'm more watchful of the nice things. Or, the items come to integrate themselves into personal rituals. Like you said, you want to own your things, and not vice-versa, so its nice to not stress over them, but have them joyfully integrated into your life.
- kstrauser 2y ago
  For sure. Everyone here who doesn’t carry a bag knows the routine: you stand up to leave and pat your pockets to make sure they’re all filled with the expected things. I also have a glasses case that’s always holding either my regular glasses or sunglasses. My umbrella goes right to the umbrella holder. Huh, spelling it all out that sounds similar to my ADHD rituals, for good reason. I’ve done so many things until they’re automatic habits.

hcarvalhoalves 2y ago

Insurance. The ability to quickly and more broadly insure any item, that would actually be a great economic incentive for higher quality goods. What the manufacturer doesn’t make in sales could be offset with insurance, and being a purely financial product doesn’t generate an impact in energy use, residues, etc… in addition to being a steady revenue, something companies today are trying to get with all sorts of membership plans.

seventytwo 2y ago
Zero people are going to insure an umbrella.
- labster 2y ago
  Corporations are people, my friend. Homeowners insurance already covers household items, making it an umbrella policy.
- hcarvalhoalves 2y ago
  There’s a company around here that offers a membership plan, allowing you to grab one umbrella on the automatic dispensers around the city. This sounds like insurance business model with extra convenience. The cost of just one month is already the price of an utilitarian umbrella, but you get a sturdy umbrella with UV protection.
- TeMPOraL 2y ago
  If it was a lifetime-durable one and I knew the insurance wasn't total bullshit[0], I definitely would. -- [0] - Customer trust in the whole enterprise is always an underappreciated factor.
  - saalweachter 2y ago
    It used to be a feature of some manufacturers/sellers -- Tupperware, Cutco, Land's End (or was it LL Bean), you could return damaged items even decades later and have them replaced.

chihuahua 2y ago

Many years ago, I used to like expensive pens. Over the years, they were either stolen, lost, or damaged, so I realized the futility of expensive pens. Now I'm used to disposable pens, where I don't have to worry about whatever happens to them. At the same time, I have a lime-green plastic mechanical pencil that I got from a Microsoft printer room, and it's probably about 8 years old by now. This one never gets stolen, lost, or damaged.

kstrauser 2y ago
My ideal pen price point is about $20. That’s where I can get good ones I enjoy using (Lamy Safari etc.) that I’ll keep track of. It also wouldn’t ruin my day to lose one.