What you consider *superior* products

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kumquat said:
I'm a great fan of "Brand Name" jeans, even if I have to pay a bit more. Mine are always Kirkland.:D
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I recently discovered Duluth Trading Co. jeans. Carhartts and Lees (@ $20-$25) always wear out for me after a couple years -- the knees usually split or the fabric starts to disintegrate. Duluth "Ballroom" jeans (they have a little extra space built into the crotch) use denim that's obviously heavier than the name-brands mentioned. Wear points like pockets and cuffs are lined with canvas.

I've had these jeans for about a year and they show no signs of wear. They're about $50 a pair, but worth it to me if they last. So far, so good.
 
Mr._Graybeard said:
I recently discovered Duluth Trading Co. jeans. Carhartts and Lees (@ $20-$25) always wear out for me after a couple years -- the knees usually split or the fabric starts to disintegrate. Duluth "Ballroom" jeans (they have a little extra space built into the crotch) use denim that's obviously heavier than the name-brands mentioned. Wear points like pockets and cuffs are lined with canvas.

I've had these jeans for about a year and they show no signs of wear. They're about $50 a pair, but worth it to me if they last. So far, so good.
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Had some for 3 years, they do not change. Check out their 'no plumber crack t - shirts'. Best you'll ever find, 3" longer cut makes everyone happy.

MRG
 
travelover said:
I think that it is all factored into the price. I tend to buy things at Costco / LL Bean and (formerly) REI because I knew that it was no risk. So, over the years they have made a lot more off me than they would have otherwise. Multiply that by the customer base and employee "shrinkage" is probably a much bigger loss than customer returns.
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+1

Sounds pretty rational to me.
 
travelover said:
I think that it is all factored into the price. I tend to buy things at Costco / LL Bean and (formerly) REI because I knew that it was no risk. So, over the years they have made a lot more off me than they would have otherwise. Multiply that by the customer base and employee "shrinkage" is probably a much bigger loss than customer returns.
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If its factored into the price then that pisses me off even more. :mad: I don't mind sharing the cost of legitimate replacements (I have had a number of those myself on LL Bean products) but I don't care to subsidize the bozos who abuse the generous return policy as a result of normal wear and tear.
 
pb4uski said:
If its factored into the price then that pisses me off even more. :mad: I don't mind sharing the cost of legitimate replacements (I have had a number of those myself on LL Bean products) but I don't care to subsidize the bozos who abuse the generous return policy as a result of normal wear and tear.
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Maybe -- but at the same time, I think part of the point is that a generous return policy may encourage more sales, and they may make more in extra profit because of extra sales than they lose because of abuse of the return policy.
 
pb4uski said:
If its factored into the price then that pisses me off even more. :mad: I don't mind sharing the cost of legitimate replacements (I have had a number of those myself on LL Bean products) but I don't care to subsidize the bozos who abuse the generous return policy as a result of normal wear and tear.
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Unfortunately all businesses have to budget for "wastage" such as theft, bad debts and gratuitous litigation. Unless they are the Mafia….
 
ziggy29 said:
Maybe -- but at the same time, I think part of the point is that a generous return policy may encourage more sales, and they may make more in extra profit because of extra sales than they lose because of abuse of the return policy.
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I can see what you say but if the incremental profits on higher volume covers the cost of a generous return policy then there would be no need to "factor it into the price" as was previously suggested.
 
pb4uski said:
I can see what you say but if the incremental profits on higher volume covers the cost of a generous return policy then there would be no need to "factor it into the price" as was previously suggested.
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What I should have said rather than "factored into the price" is factored into the business model - as has been suggested, more sales mean more profits to cover the few that abuse the generous return policy. As I said, I go to Costco first, largely because they will take back anything that doesn't satisfy. I rarely return anything.
 
travelover said:
I think that it is all factored into the price. I tend to buy things at Costco / LL Bean and (formerly) REI because I knew that it was no risk. So, over the years they have made a lot more off me than they would have otherwise. Multiply that by the customer base and employee "shrinkage" is probably a much bigger loss than customer returns.
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Absolutely. LL Bean for example uses its legendary return policy as a smart marketing tool and publicizes some of the returns on its website: https://www.llbean.com/customerService/aboutLLBean/guarantee.html?nav=guaranteelayer

Most people are just not going to return things like the three year old pair of fuchsia bedroom slippers that have been worn everyday and are starting to fall apart but it's nice to know I could. They were not the cheapest slippers I could have bought elsewhere, so likely the cost of a potential return is built into the pricing.
 
A lot of what others said but one I don't think I've seen: high-end custom-made chair mat. After years of going through crappy $40 ones from Staples every year, I plunked down around $300 for a super thick one that was custom shaped for my office setup. It is so thick it has to have beveled edges or you can't roll a chair up on it. There's no cracking, warping, discoloration or indentations after 4 years of daily use.
 
Duluth Trading Co. clothing.

Buckle-less belt
Longtail T Waffle Thermal Crew with pocket
 
Benjamin Moore Exterior house paint is the best I have ever used.

Specifically MoorGlo Soft Gloss 100% acrylic house paint. This stuff costs more than most other brand names but you get what you pay for. The last time I had the house painted was 9 years ago this coming summer. The painter quoted a price that included the paint of my choice. When I told him I liked the Benjamin Moore brand he back peddled and said there would be an upcharge for it. I paided the extra to get the good stuff and I am glad I did. I don't think I will need to paint this year either.
 
Tom52 said:
......... you get what you pay for.......
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My life experience says this is only sometimes true. Some stuff is overpriced crap, some stuff is a great value. But then, I guess that is what this whole thread is about. :LOL:
 
Schwab Banking services. The brokerage is pretty great also, but I think the banking is best in class.
Everything is free and super convenient
 
Last year I bought a Miele vacuum. It was expensive and worth every penny. It works great because we have a combination of hardwoods/rugs and there's a toggle switch on the handle that I hit when I need to go from one surface to another. I can't believe how nice it is. My floors have never been cleaner. It's super easy to use and sucks up dirt better than anything I've ever used before (and we had a nice Panasonic before).
 
Leica cameras.

Anschutz and Larue Tactical rifles.

Dan Wesson pistols.

BMW and Harley Davidson motorcycles.
 
Love the memories of the Duncan YoYo...

I943 in Pawtucket... At age 7, I could take the overhead Electric Powered city bus from Fairlawn to the downtown YMCA ... Junior leadership marching program. After the class, to Main Street where the five and dime stores were... F.W. Woolworth, W.T Grant, and Najarians. War years, and basically before the age of plastic. Two weeks before the event, notices in the store window..

Duncan Yoyo Demonstration... Here: on Saturday the 14th...10 AM to 2 PM...

So Half of the towns kids were there to watch "The Filipinos"... two teen age kids who for us were the Justin Bieber of the day... They were employed by Duncan to give shows... Amazing... they did YoYo tricks that were (to us) the equivalent of Magic... Not just Walk the dog or Rock the baby, or Around the world, but tricks like Rockets away... free flying yoyo's 15 feet in the air, and ending up in "The Filipino's" back pocket. (We had no idea what Filipinos were)...
Stars in our eyes, we would rush to buy a Yoyo in the store.

Now, one small point here... The Duncan motto was "It's a Duncan"... Most of my friends could only hope, some day to own a Duncan. I think they were a whole Dollar, and who could afford a dollar?... The "Duncan" was like the Red Ryder BB gun in "A Christmas Story"... The Duncan was polished wood, smooth, and... IT COULD SLEEP. Gordon Annon had one, and lorded it over us poorer kids. We had the W.T. Grant special for $.25... it was rough wood, and the string was fixed, so it could not sleep. (sigh)

After the show, over to Planters Peanuts... where "Peanut Man" was out front, giving away tiny bags of peanuts. The game was to go back several times to get additional free bags. Didn't work... Mr. Peanut was adept at remembering faces.

Back to the bus to go home... we were pretty smart, even at that age. When we got on to go down town, we'd buy a transfer... regular fare $.05, transfer $.02. The transfer was supposed to be used to continue the ride on a connecting bus, but we'd cheat and save $.03... using it on the trip back home. Three cents would buy one Double Bubble gum and 2 three foot licorice whips at Mr. Lee's store.

Sheesh.. thanks for the memories... Maybe some one can bring up something to do with the War... so I can recall the time that Kate Smith sang God Bless America at the War Bond Drive, at the end of our street.

Now, let's see, what was the subject?:blush:
 
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