You get what you paid for

[MaterDei]

True or false?  The reason why I'm asking is because mtnbkr's post on shoes got me to thinking.  I happen to think that when it comes to shoes you usually get what you pay for...usually.  I used to work with a guy who wore Gucci shoes.  In addition to looking kind of gay, they are very expensive, somewhere in the $400 range.  In his case I don't think he got anything but $100 worth of shoes and $300 worth of behind the back giggles.  Nevertheless, this cheapskate thinks that spending $100 or more on shoes is a good investment compared to buying $20 shoes at Payless.

Other good candidates for 'you get what you pay for' (feel free to disagree):

Guns
Real Estate
Livestock
Belts
Computers
Furniture

Some things that you don't get what you pay for (feel free to disagree):

Clothing
Food
Automobiles
Watches
Entertainment (Movies, musis, etc.)
Hair Cuts

What has life taught you?

[Guest]

I'd disagree to a certain extent on clothes.

If you buy something solid and well made, like anything else, it will last years. That doesn't mean paying for a label. It means good material, put together well, in classic style.

[cfabe]

I've found that on clothes, I usually dirty them up or rip them or burn them welding or something like that before they wear out, even the low quality stuff. So mostly I'll go for low quality clothes, and not worry when i get paint on my "good" $10 jeans.

Furniture I agree, you get what you pay for. My girlfriend recently bought some furniture for her apartment from walmart, and it's junk. I've also bought some cheap floor lamps which have literally fallen apart within 6 months.

Computer Printers. There's lots of cheap ass junky ones out there, and my mom just bought a $100 all-in-one scanner copier fax which is a total POS and won't load two sheets of paper in a row.

[grampster]

I'm with Barbara on the clothes.  Well made duds that you pay a bit more for usually will give a lot of use unless you wreck them by staining, burning, ripping etc.  I think good well made shoes fall in the same category.  I have some boots that I got from Wolverine World Wide.  They were made in Rockford, Michigan.  I have some of their shoes as well, made in China.  Both are from the same line.  The Michigan boots are better made.  Furniture:  Better quality in the higher end lines.
Having said the above, there is a line that gets passed at some point where you begin to pay for "label" and the quality does not match the "label".  I can get a 1/2 lb greasy hamburger at the Choo Choo restaurant for $5.00 and not have to eat for 2 days because it tastes soooooo good and is so much food.  Or go down the street to the 1913 Room, 5 diamond restaurant and pay $150.00 and have to go to the Choo Choo and get a piece of pie after to satisfy your hunger as the the 1913 meal wouldn't sustain an anorectic.

[Standing Wolf]

You don't always get what you pay for, but you never get what you don't pay for.

I used to believe the more you pay, the more you get.

[Strings]

Hmmm...

good candidates for 'you get what you pay for' (feel free to disagree):

-Guns
Yep... prefer the value involved. Not many things today have the same cost/value ratio

-Real Estate
We're on a land contract for our fist house right now, so I can't really say

-Livestock
No experience

-Belts
Yep... a good belt is worth every penny...

-Computers
Nowadays, yes. For awhile there though, no way

-Furniture
Oh yeah. I've seen WAY too many pieces of cheap stuff fall apart...

Some things that you don't get what you pay for (feel free to disagree):

-Clothing
Have to argue there. Of course, I only get things like jeans when I can have my wife pick 'em up cheap at work (wearing a pair of Nautica right now: VERY well made, paid lilke $15)

-Food
Depends on where you go. BTW: the BEST steak I ever had was a tenderloin in Thailand. Roughly 12 ozs, $5

-Automobiles
No arguement there...

-Watches
Pretty much. I collect pocket watches though...

-Entertainment (Movies, musis, etc.)
Don't go there... absolute rip-off for the most part

-Hair Cuts
Sorry... against my religion


Musical instruments are another bad value. I remember Gibson Les Paul Customs for $1500 list, and Studio models for $500-$700. Now the Studio models are going for $1500-$2000

[brimic]

Furniture-

Yes and no. I have an Amish guy make some of my furniture: cabinets and dining room set for about the same price as a furniture store would charge for pressboard/veneer crap, or for a fraction of the price of what a high end furniture dealer would charge for it.

Clothes- I pretty much only wear wranglers or carharts with t-shirts unless I'm going to a wedding or funeral.

Real estate- iffy. You get what the local market will offer. A good deal in one location might be a complete ripoff for an equivalent property in another.

Guns- I stay away from 'cheaper' brands. That said, some of my best made guns are nearly 100 years old and cost me a lot less than some of my newer guns.

Automobiles- you get what you pay for if you buy a Rolls, everything else, you're buying planned obsolesense. I can't afford a Rolls, so I buy what I need and nothing more- cars are probably the worst place for a person to put money in to.

Hair cuts- Inever paid mre than $15 for a haircut, and my wife usually cuts it anyhow.

Computers- Today's High end cutting edge processor/chipset/card will be next year's base component.

Belts- nothing's worse than a cheap belt.

And finally...

Shoes- I buy in the $100-150 range. Most stuff that is cheaper will fall apart too soon or fit poorly. I've never had a need for a pair of shoes/boots over $150

[Guest]

"Kid, whad'ya get?"  I said, "I didn't get nothing, I had to pay
$50 and pick up the garbage."

- Alice's  Restuarant

Quality of materials, workmanship and service  are not always indicated by labels and prices.

I cussed and resisted the "planned obselescence" - I finally had to accept - sadly - these were often better quality for the money than the Old Names since bought out and the New owners lessened quality.

Best investments I've made ?  A good dog , shotguns, other firearms, knives,tools, Books,  teaching folks to shoot, Education of my mind, investing in good friendships...

I have Danner boots I guess near 30 years old. My Barbour waxed canvas, Filson and similar would have been, fire cut thier full life expectancy short. Woolrich waxed cotton coat ( replaced the Barbour) about 10 yrs old now, caught  it on after holiday sale for a true 50% off.

I used to have customers in the clothing business/ Still know some-   Same clothing had different Retail pricing - just depended on the label sewn in.

My Copy of Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" in paperback I paid something like $1.98 for.  I still reap dividends from that investment.

[Guest]

Motorcycle gear, you can spend a lot of money and end up with crap, but you cannot spend a little money and end up with something good.

[Strings]

c_yeager, I have to dispute that one a bit. This is my riding jacket. Comparable in the area was $500+. I call that paying little and getting something good...

[Guest]

c_yeager, I have to dispute that one a bit. This is my riding jacket. Comparable in the area was $500+. I call that paying little and getting something good...

200$ is an appropriate price for off-brand motorcycle leather jackets.

Im not sure where your shopping for jackets, but really the only way you could spend $500, even with name brands, is if your all about buying top-end Vanson leathers, and your paying about $100 for the name.

[Strings]

Heh... just about the ONLY thing available in NE Wisconsin is Harley. Should explain some things...

[Guest]

Heh... just about the ONLY thing available in NE Wisconsin is Harley. Should explain some things...

An excellent example of the pay-more for getting less phenomena :-P


Really though, consider that the jacket incorporates dual-density foam for armor. There is nothing wrong with dual-density foam, but it is the cheapest armor available. They have a CE-certified armor upgrade available, which would make the jacket just over $300. This places that jacket right into the exact same price range as other name-brand offerings, which come standard with CE armor. In other words, your paying for exactly what your getting, not that there is anything wrong with what your wearing.

[280plus]

Let me give you my take on what has become my favorite sales slogan...

I come to your house to give you a price on a new furnace. I quote you a nice middle of the price ranmge furnace YOU say, "Oh my, that's SOOOO expensive. Can't you do it any cheaper?" I say sure I can and I proceed to requote you with the brand X POS that's a few hundred bucks less. You think you're saving money, how exciting, "I got such a good deal! I'm such the savvy bargainer!" Meanwhile I think, "Gee, I hope that POS holds up long enough to make it out of warrantee cause I REALLY don't want to have to come back and fix it for free."

In my business, almost without exception, you really DO get what you pay for!

Rule of thumb for the HVAC world. If your HVAC guy lowers the quote for you he can only accomplish that by cutting corners and selling you lower quality equipment. Just because you may THINK you're getting some great bargain in reality you are still only getting WHAT YOU PAID FOR!

[richyoung]

Hmmm...



Musical instruments are another bad value. I remember Gibson Les Paul Customs for $1500 list, and Studio models for $500-$700. Now the Studio models are going for $1500-$2000

ON the other hand, the Fender "Standard" series of instruments assembled in Mexico are an outstanding value for the money.

[Paddy]

Nearly everything you buy depreciates.  If you get a head trip high from overspending, have at it.   That said, there are some legitimate business reasons for wearing Gucci shoes or driving an H2.  If you're dealing with wealthy, gullible clients, for instance.

[Antibubba]

For many people, the value is an intangible, like fashion, or coolness, or anti-coolness.  Even among guns, certain brands are "cool".  Glocks and Desert Eagles come to mind.  There are many in the gun world who cannot comprehend why I'd pay money for a 50 year old rifle packed in cosmoline when I ought to be saving up for that "Bull Barrel Free Floating Picatinny Railed Kevlar Stocked Infrared Laser Sighted Ultra Magnum Tenth Of A MOA" newest thing, let alone get TWO of them!  And I'm glad, because I don't want to pay $500 for a CZ 52 because a Hollywood action hero used it in a blockbuster, and Goofus and Doofus think they're the new "Deagle".

If you shop secondhand, you can get a lot more than you pay for, because some people have no idea what they have.

And what is the value of a book that changes your life, or teaches you a vital skill?  If the SHTF and I have books on herbal antibiotics, distilling alcohol for fuel, preserving food, emergency war surgery, and building windmills, how valuable is that?

[jefnvk]

Computers?  No way.

My Wal-Mart clearance rack no-name laptop has functioned better than any other system that I have owned (HP, Dell, Gateway, Compaq).  Same thing for my current desktop that I built, for less than any of the other systems, and which will run circles around them.