3 ms·

This trope was a slight exaggeration then and is basically false now. It exists in the modern world mostly to validate purchasing decisions of the middle class

This trope was a slight exaggeration then and is basically false now. It exists in the modern world mostly to validate purchasing decisions of the middle class. In an industrial world where most things made in volume are quite cheap relative to incomes quantifiable results per dollar plateau very quickly and beyond that you're mostly for emotion, brand, signaling, etc. People default to cheap not because they're stupid but because "buy the cheapest thing that will work" delivers very good results when applied to all of one's purchasing. It's the index fund of personal finance. You can do better with specialist knowledge or techniques but that doesn't scale.

chairmansteve 2y ago
Usually true, I agree. But there are a few quality brands. Lexus cars, for example, go forever. Struggling to name another quality. Maybe some technical/ outdoor clothing brands. Anybody got any suggestions?
- rsanek 2y ago
  Toyota and Subaru are just as reliable yet much cheaper https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-satisfaction/who-makes-the-most-reliable-cars-a7824554938/ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-s...
  - 0cf8612b2e1e 2y ago
    I was going to say, I would really need to see an examination that a Lexus was more cost effective option over a car lifetime vs a Toyota.
- whartung 2y ago
  I got 10 years out of my most recent Orvis jacket. That said, I had in to the tailor a couple of times to clean up some tears in the fabric lining. I wear that thing every day, 9-10 months out of the year. That one replaced an earlier Orvis jacket, daily wear (even through one cool-ish summer we had down here in So Cal). The jacket is fine, the cuffs are a bit worn. I could have probably had a tailor trim them with leather and got several more years out of it. My current jacket is identical to the previous one. I managed to find a "new old stock" version of it. I really like the jacket (as you can guess). It's a "ranger" style, nylon shell, fabric liner, big pockets on the outside, with hand inserts as well, big pockets on the inside, other little pockets I don't use (what do folks put in those shoulder pockets?), zip up hood, jacket has zipper and buttons and a waist draw tie. It will keep the wet off, but soak through in driving rain, which is rare enough to not be an issue. If it's really cold, I have another long term jacket from LL Bean, or I could just layer under this thing. The LL Bean jacket has not seen substantial wear like the Orvis one has. My Jeep Grand Cherokee is over 10 years old, and I'm of the mind to keep it as long as I can get parts for it vs buying a new one at $60-80K. I love this thing. It's in excellent shape. The interior controls are all in great shape. Most anyone can keep a motor running and such, it's the interior comforts that drive folks away and are costly to fix. Mine are good, all the buttons button, knobs knob, etc. Jeeps are not renowned for their liability ratings, but many Jeep owners keep them for a long time. Though I did just notice my cargo cover has some rubber that's likely disintegrating (it IS 11 years old...), so I may try to hunt that down and replace it.
  - relaxing 2y ago
    > Jeeps are not renowned for their liability ratings, but many Jeep owners keep them for a long time. Textbook survivorship bias :)
insane_dreamer 2y ago
I disagree. There's plenty of cheaply made stuff that doesn't last very long, and other brands that focus on lasting quality, where stuff lasts a very long time. This is mostly evident in items that get a lot of use.
- chongli 2y ago
  Yes, and it doesn't just apply to durable goods. Try doing comparison shopping between Costco and a dollar store. I guarantee you pretty much everything at Costco will be cheaper on a per-unit basis than the dollar store. So why do people shop at dollar stores? Because they can't afford the bigger up-front prices of buying at Costco! Oh, and pretty much all of the durable goods sold at Costco will be much better quality and longer-lasting than the crap they sell at a dollar store, so that stuff follows the Vimes law as well.

chairmansteve 2y ago

Usually true, I agree. But there are a few quality brands. Lexus cars, for example, go forever. Struggling to name another quality. Maybe some technical/ outdoor clothing brands. Anybody got any suggestions?

rsanek 2y ago
Toyota and Subaru are just as reliable yet much cheaper https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-satisfaction/who-makes-the-most-reliable-cars-a7824554938/ https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-s...
- 0cf8612b2e1e 2y ago
  I was going to say, I would really need to see an examination that a Lexus was more cost effective option over a car lifetime vs a Toyota.
whartung 2y ago
I got 10 years out of my most recent Orvis jacket. That said, I had in to the tailor a couple of times to clean up some tears in the fabric lining. I wear that thing every day, 9-10 months out of the year. That one replaced an earlier Orvis jacket, daily wear (even through one cool-ish summer we had down here in So Cal). The jacket is fine, the cuffs are a bit worn. I could have probably had a tailor trim them with leather and got several more years out of it. My current jacket is identical to the previous one. I managed to find a "new old stock" version of it. I really like the jacket (as you can guess). It's a "ranger" style, nylon shell, fabric liner, big pockets on the outside, with hand inserts as well, big pockets on the inside, other little pockets I don't use (what do folks put in those shoulder pockets?), zip up hood, jacket has zipper and buttons and a waist draw tie. It will keep the wet off, but soak through in driving rain, which is rare enough to not be an issue. If it's really cold, I have another long term jacket from LL Bean, or I could just layer under this thing. The LL Bean jacket has not seen substantial wear like the Orvis one has. My Jeep Grand Cherokee is over 10 years old, and I'm of the mind to keep it as long as I can get parts for it vs buying a new one at $60-80K. I love this thing. It's in excellent shape. The interior controls are all in great shape. Most anyone can keep a motor running and such, it's the interior comforts that drive folks away and are costly to fix. Mine are good, all the buttons button, knobs knob, etc. Jeeps are not renowned for their liability ratings, but many Jeep owners keep them for a long time. Though I did just notice my cargo cover has some rubber that's likely disintegrating (it IS 11 years old...), so I may try to hunt that down and replace it.
- relaxing 2y ago
  > Jeeps are not renowned for their liability ratings, but many Jeep owners keep them for a long time. Textbook survivorship bias :)

insane_dreamer 2y ago

I disagree. There's plenty of cheaply made stuff that doesn't last very long, and other brands that focus on lasting quality, where stuff lasts a very long time. This is mostly evident in items that get a lot of use.

chongli 2y ago
Yes, and it doesn't just apply to durable goods. Try doing comparison shopping between Costco and a dollar store. I guarantee you pretty much everything at Costco will be cheaper on a per-unit basis than the dollar store. So why do people shop at dollar stores? Because they can't afford the bigger up-front prices of buying at Costco! Oh, and pretty much all of the durable goods sold at Costco will be much better quality and longer-lasting than the crap they sell at a dollar store, so that stuff follows the Vimes law as well.