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Old 01-05-2017, 06:09 AM
 
7,898 posts, read 7,086,556 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NewbieHere View Post
I don't go to high quality men store for woman's pant suit........
Sorry, I made an incorrect assumption about your gender. My sympathies on your clothing buying issues. It seems women's clothing is all about style, fashion, and trends. Compared with men's clothing, it seems that prices are usually way higher and the quality way less. Of course, you do have more choices on fashion and style and trends.
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Old 01-05-2017, 07:36 AM
 
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So why charge so much for quality? Why not build it with quality and sell it at a decent price? is materials and time really that much difference than lesser quality products.
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Old 01-05-2017, 07:57 AM
 
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As another poster pointed out consumers have a choice: low price or high quality. Quality has always been expensive. It costs more to make something high quality than it does to slap together something cheap.

And there were cheaply made things in yesteryear that didn't last. I wonder if part of the reason people *think* items from the past were made better is because the better made items are still around (the cheaper, lower quality items by definition disappeared long ago) giving the illusion that everything in the past was "high quality."

One thing not brought up in this thread is people's willingness (or ability) to take care of things too. The thing that comes to mind for me are cars. I know people who just don't maintain them and then, when the cars have problems, they blame quality. I've always been diligent about car maintenance and my car runs (and looks) almost new. What about refrigerators (as an example that come up in this thread)? Do people clean the condenser coils like you are supposed to? What about the gasket, if it's not cleaned off occasionally, the seal on the fridge is impaired and it doesn't work as well/the fridge has to work harder. Those things can lead to a shorter life for your appliances.
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Old 01-05-2017, 07:58 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2 View Post
So why charge so much for quality? Why not build it with quality and sell it at a decent price? is materials and time really that much difference than lesser quality products.
There is always a premium for quality. Cadillacs cost more than Yugos. An individual may well be able to afford one but not the other. That's life.
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Old 01-05-2017, 08:53 AM
 
Location: USA
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You often have to shell out the bucks and buy a professional/commercial level product if you want something to last or can be fixed if it does break. I got tired of having to buy a new clothes washer every few years, Even the supposed "high end" units are junk. I bit the bullet and bought a commerical washing machine like you can find at a laundromat. Unlike consumer models the parts are easily changed out if need be, and not just throw out the entire unit when it breaks.
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Old 01-05-2017, 01:59 PM
 
3,570 posts, read 2,507,713 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2 View Post
So why charge so much for quality? Why not build it with quality and sell it at a decent price? is materials and time really that much difference than lesser quality products.
The answer is simple, but unsatisfying for the consumer: supply and demand. Every company in the supply chain is trying to maximize its earnings, and the prices charged result from those decisions. Is it only materials and time that cause the price difference? No. It is also economies of scale & customer willingness/ability to pay a premium.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BellaLind View Post
As another poster pointed out consumers have a choice: low price or high quality. Quality has always been expensive. It costs more to make something high quality than it does to slap together something cheap.

And there were cheaply made things in yesteryear that didn't last. I wonder if part of the reason people *think* items from the past were made better is because the better made items are still around (the cheaper, lower quality items by definition disappeared long ago) giving the illusion that everything in the past was "high quality."

One thing not brought up in this thread is people's willingness (or ability) to take care of things too. The thing that comes to mind for me are cars. I know people who just don't maintain them and then, when the cars have problems, they blame quality. I've always been diligent about car maintenance and my car runs (and looks) almost new. What about refrigerators (as an example that come up in this thread)? Do people clean the condenser coils like you are supposed to? What about the gasket, if it's not cleaned off occasionally, the seal on the fridge is impaired and it doesn't work as well/the fridge has to work harder. Those things can lead to a shorter life for your appliances.
There is also a difference in the mix of customer segments that exist in the global market: there is a larger mass of customers today who look for the lowest price good/service that suits their needs, and there is a smaller group of customers with more income/wealth willing to pay exponentially more for a good/service that accomplishes the same essential function but which is built to a higher standard of quality.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pub-911 View Post
Sit-down and upscale restaurants in particular are selling an experience, not just a meal. It's a giant undertaking to get it all right...

"Let the comfortably sophisticated environment, sparkling atmosphere and sounds of live jazz set the tone for an exceptional dining experience. Choose from a varied selection of fresh seafood, or indulge in our critically acclaimed USDA prime center cut steaks. Whatever the occasion, let us handle every detail. We'll do the work. You bask in the glory."

That's about Eddie V's, which is run by the same people who do Olive Garden.
Same analysis applies as above. Even very high quality ingredients & staff, alone, do not "justify" the price difference between Olive Garden and Grammercy Tavern. But customer willingness to pay the premium for Grammercy accounts for the gap.

Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtrader View Post
I spent 10 years in the furniture and appliance business starting 52 years ago. I can tell you, that quality of items has not changed, only higher prices by far. Then as today, there were different levels of quality in both furniture and appliances. Quality cost more and cheap was cheap quality, same then as today. In the 1930s I had toys of course. Some were made in Japan clear back then. Some were good quality and lasted. Some were poor and very cheap quality, and lasted about as long as the cheap ones do today.

I remember the WWII years, and there were no new cars available. The cars lasted back then year after year, and did not require as much repair as some here seem to think, and over 100,000 miles was very common. I turned 16 in 1947, and got my first car by trading an old cow for a 1929 model A Ford. Over 100,000 when I got it, and I put a lot of miles on it. Some say the 1960 and 1970 cars were pieces of junk. I differ on that. Especially in the 70s, when I entered the real estate business as a investment real estate broker in 1972 and stayed in it till I retired. I averaged 40,000 miles a year back then and kept a car an average of 4 to 5 years liking to get rid of them at about 150,000 miles. A lot of my travel would be trips of say 200 miles to 1,500 miles one way. I moved investment property and ranches in several states.

Today you can buy quality stuff, and you can buy junk, depending on what you are willing or able to spend. This ranges from clothing to furniture, automobiles to TV and computers. And everything else. High end clothing with top designer labels are made not in China but in Bangladesh.

What do Armani, Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss All Have in Common? Bangladesh - WSJ

If you don't know where Bangladesh is, see map.

Where is Bangladesh? / Where is Bangladesh Located in The World? / Bangladesh Map - WorldAtlas.com

The thing that is different today, is there is wide variety of quality, depending on the price you are willing to pay. Much more price range than a few decades ago. A pair of jeans can cost from about $10 to $100 at Walmart and much higher prices at high end stores. You get what you can afford to pay for, or are willing to pay.
Clothing is a favorite example. You can go cheap on design and construction. You can go cheap on construction and quality on design. Or you can go quality on both construction and design. Each category has a different price tag to the consumer.

Take a men's suit, for example. Most buyers, by volume, are getting a suit for a special occasion (wedding, funeral, etc.). They will not wear it frequently, and will buy a suit with cheap construction and design, which is probably a good decision, and will likely pay $350 or less. Another category of buyers will wear a suit on a semi-regular basis, and will pay a little more for better design and somewhat less cheap construction. This buyer will likely pay $800-$1200, and this, too, is probably a good decision. And there is another class of customer, who likely wears a suit frequently, and whose suit is a vital part of their daily business. This customer will pay not just for better design, but also for better construction. This customer's minimum price of entry is $1000, but may well reach $10-15,000--at the high-end, the suit will be custom made for the customer. This suit, with good care, will survive for more than a decade. It will look and feel great. And it's price reflects the buyer's willingness to pay more for quality.
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Old 01-05-2017, 02:22 PM
 
4,224 posts, read 2,993,391 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheCityTheBridge View Post
Same analysis applies as above. Even very high quality ingredients & staff, alone, do not "justify" the price difference between Olive Garden and Grammercy Tavern. But customer willingness to pay the premium for Grammercy accounts for the gap.
There is just one "m" in Gramercy, and Eddie V's is much more upscale spot than Olive Garden. They both happen to be part of Darden Restaurants. As I noted earlier, sit-down and upscale restaurants in particular are selling an experience, not just a meal. Top notch food and service are the foundation, but success is built on much more.
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Old 01-05-2017, 02:59 PM
 
Location: City of the Angels
2,222 posts, read 2,334,190 times
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I remember when I could buy an ounce of gold for $16.00
In this country, as a reminder to everyone, it's all about the Benjamin's and you need more and more of them to buy anything as time goes by.
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Old 01-05-2017, 05:02 PM
 
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It also has to do with the overpopulated world we live in. Companies do not have the workforce or machinery or the time to pump out long lasting products to the millions and millions of people. Factories already run 24/7 365 to push out plastic crap to keep up with the enormous demand. During the industrial revolution we weren't overpopulated we now have over 100 million MORE people in this country. Back then production could be slower and more time focused on quality, now there is simply no time for it.
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Old 01-06-2017, 01:34 AM
 
1,901 posts, read 2,020,365 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hitpausebutton2 View Post
. So his concept holds true, the main reason why we build things with cheaper products, is so they break easy and in return we are having to repurchase the item again and again, thus making that company more money.

So what happen to quality work, when it become quantity vs quality?
People vote with their money. They prefer to think short term for most items and buy the cheapest available. Hence plastic and slave labor. Its not some evil plot by corporations to make you buy their product again and again. People buy the cheap chinese imported toy. Those companies stay in business and expand, the ones making higher priced toys fold.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jrkliny View Post
A lot of stuff from the good old days was poorly made.
A lot was also made better with better materials.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jrkliny View Post
Remember cars before the foreign invasion? A 60s or 70s Chevy or Ford was truly junk. You were lucky to have one last for 5 years or 50,000 miles without major repairs. Small repairs were constant.
This is completely wrong. 60s saw a peak in domestic car reliability. Longevity still wasn't there but many many cars were extremely reliable, easy to repair and maintain. There are some legendary imports from that period, known for longevity and reliability. Benz, Volvos and VWs being probably the biggest three.



Quote:
Originally Posted by jrkliny View Post
BTW, you can still buy cast iron pots and pans. Hardly anyone wants them. Too much maintenance.
Not really. Cast iron pots and pans are selling pretty well again. If hardly anyone wanted them you wouldn't be able to find them on the shelves in any store you walk into.

They are really easy to maintain.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jrkliny View Post
Certainly food was better and simpler? No way. Our choices have multiplied many times over and the relative costs are less. The choices today are much healthier.
Choices are more and costs are lower yes. Healthier...not so much. The factory farm model has delivered us meat full of pesticides/antibiotics/steriods and grocery stores where >80% of the products contain corn or corn sugar. Our obesity and diabetes epidemic reflect this.


Quote:
Originally Posted by jrkliny View Post
So I guess we are down to toys.
I guess not.
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