pmiranda
Well-known member
What pisses me off is that because so many people are happy buying cheap **** it's hard to find the good stuff anywhere but mail order.
Why sell cheap ****?
- Thread starter lynnbilodeau
- Start date
MushCreek
Well-known member
A lot of people can only afford the cheap stuff, because the good paying jobs went to China. It's a vicious circle. That, and people want more and more stuff, even though they can't afford it.
pmiranda
Well-known member
If you can't afford to buy something that lasts, how can you afford to buy a slightly cheaper version twice? IMO most people seem to be buying more stuff than they really need and aren't willing to wait until they can really afford it. A month of credit card debt interest for most people would pay for some nice tools.
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-card-data/average-credit-card-debt-household/
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-card-data/average-credit-card-debt-household/
bczygan
Well-known member
I worked in boating accessories wholesaling.
We carried two types of life jackets.
One was a quality and stylish line from Stearns.
The other was cheap orange **** that just barely qualified to meet Coast Guard regulations.
We sold very little of the former, but scads of the latter.
It's the Walmart and Kmart effect. The vast majority of people don't feel they can afford, or really can not afford, the good stuff. So they buy cheap.
There is a good example in furniture. Most furniture stores sell ****. Particle board stuff that soon finds it's way to the curb of bulk trash day. Why do people buy this stuff and toss it over and over? For some, it is a rite of passage when they are young and poor and struggling. But for other portions of society, it is a lifelong method.
It fuels the sellers. If no one wanted ****, there would be no market.
We could look at the same situation with tools, but that may have already been discussed......
Bill
We carried two types of life jackets.
One was a quality and stylish line from Stearns.
The other was cheap orange **** that just barely qualified to meet Coast Guard regulations.
We sold very little of the former, but scads of the latter.
It's the Walmart and Kmart effect. The vast majority of people don't feel they can afford, or really can not afford, the good stuff. So they buy cheap.
There is a good example in furniture. Most furniture stores sell ****. Particle board stuff that soon finds it's way to the curb of bulk trash day. Why do people buy this stuff and toss it over and over? For some, it is a rite of passage when they are young and poor and struggling. But for other portions of society, it is a lifelong method.
It fuels the sellers. If no one wanted ****, there would be no market.
We could look at the same situation with tools, but that may have already been discussed......
Bill
CJ7VFR
Well-known member
I agree 100 percent.
Most people just want the cheapest price they can pay for a product at the moment they are in the store to buy it.
My dad always told me if you are buying something, buy the best you can afford. He said that buying a quality product will last, and you won't have to go back and buy it again in 6 months.
It is amazing that people will go thru all the time and work to do something, and then install the cheapest item, put everything back together, and then in 6 months have to tear everything apart to do it again because the cheap item failed.
And what usually happens then? The person who bought the cheap **** ends up pissed off, and goes out and buys the quality product because they don't want to do the job a third time. So in reality, they have spent way more than they had to, but at that point they don't care. And when it comes time to do another project for fix something else, these same people will NOT learn from their mistakes, and start the cycle all over again.
It is these people who will always buy cheap at first, even though they may have been burned time and time again. These are the people who keep the big box stores going strong.
Jim
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maxpower_hd
Well-known member
Funny. I had both for my boat when I did a lot of boating. I had Stearns jackets for my family and myself for skiing, tubing and Jet Skiing and the cheap orange ones for visitors and spares. I still have all the Stearns ones years later but only one of the orange ones.
I still prefer quality over cost unless it is a one time use item.
I agree with Bill, buy the best quality you can afford, especially if it's something you want to last and use for a long time. In college I knew most of my cookware might get stolen or break, so I purchased cheap stuff. Now that I graduated and can afford nice things I'm saving my money and purchasing the quality items when they go on sale or I find a nice craigslist deal for bigger ticket items.
I received a few tools from my grandpa last week that are all solid metal and made in the USA, I know those will last for a long time.
I received a few tools from my grandpa last week that are all solid metal and made in the USA, I know those will last for a long time.
reader2580
Well-known member
There are a number of items that are not made in the USA at all anymore, or only one company make the item in the USA these days.
A lot of times you need/want something right away and stores only carry the cheap Chinese stuff. Auto parts are terrible. Stores carry mostly **** parts that won't last. Even online is no guarantee of good auto parts. I will probably need new front brakes this year and will do my best to buy made in USA even though it costs more.
Large woodworking tools are no longer made in USA unless you want to pay $7500 and up for a table saw. I try to buy American made tools, but sometimes it doesn't make sense. A Chinese tool was $18 and the American tool was $70. I bought the Chinese as it was a one time use.
A lot of times you need/want something right away and stores only carry the cheap Chinese stuff. Auto parts are terrible. Stores carry mostly **** parts that won't last. Even online is no guarantee of good auto parts. I will probably need new front brakes this year and will do my best to buy made in USA even though it costs more.
Large woodworking tools are no longer made in USA unless you want to pay $7500 and up for a table saw. I try to buy American made tools, but sometimes it doesn't make sense. A Chinese tool was $18 and the American tool was $70. I bought the Chinese as it was a one time use.
gatorxxx
Active member
Why sell cheap ****?
Ask Sam Walton, well you can't....ask WalMart, It works for them.
Ask Sam Walton, well you can't....ask WalMart, It works for them.
upndown
Well-known member
My biggest complaint with Wal Mart is they should have complimentary eye bleach dispensers before you even walk in the store!
pmiranda
Well-known member
re: "eye bleach dispensers" ... I guess you really can learn something new every day 
I'm guessing there's a special room in hell for people that buy cheap knockoffs of good products... The exit door is broken but it looks nice. The food looks good but it's not digestible. The water looks fine but tastes bad. The toilet looks like a TOTO but it won't flush. The furniture, books, and electronics all came from IKEA and are made of particle board.
I'm guessing there's a special room in hell for people that buy cheap knockoffs of good products... The exit door is broken but it looks nice. The food looks good but it's not digestible. The water looks fine but tastes bad. The toilet looks like a TOTO but it won't flush. The furniture, books, and electronics all came from IKEA and are made of particle board.
Empty Pockets
Well-known member
Not only is the quality at Ace usually better, the customer service is as well. I've been doing business with the local Ace of over 25 years, If I want something that they don't have on the shelf, it'll be in on Tuesday.
Usually local is better
There are two things I do whenever I buy something important:
1) Research the heck out of it...read reviews, find out the quality, understand all the details, find all the various makers/competitors, try to see them in person, weigh price/performance etc.
2) Cross shop all the retailers to find the lowest price or use price matching policies to my advantage or wait until a good sale to get the best price.
However I don't care where it's made or usually by who...I just want to spend my money wisely. I don't need to buy a snapon ratchet (just because it's snapon and made in the USA) if a gearwrench will do everything just as well at half the cost but I don't waste my money on the harbor freight one.
1) Research the heck out of it...read reviews, find out the quality, understand all the details, find all the various makers/competitors, try to see them in person, weigh price/performance etc.
2) Cross shop all the retailers to find the lowest price or use price matching policies to my advantage or wait until a good sale to get the best price.
However I don't care where it's made or usually by who...I just want to spend my money wisely. I don't need to buy a snapon ratchet (just because it's snapon and made in the USA) if a gearwrench will do everything just as well at half the cost but I don't waste my money on the harbor freight one.
maxpower_hd
Well-known member
:pmiranda
Well-known member
John Galt moved to Somalia, libertarian paradise
James-W
Well-known member
I think a lot times how much you are willing to pay for something depends on how often you use the item. I have tools I seldom use and for those tools I don't buy the most expensive one around. If it is a tool I use all the time, then I splurge and buy a really good one.
djjsr
Well-known member
Well, getting back to the OP for a minute, I got a set of the rollers in question. They appear and feel like decent quality. It's not a space shuttle, it's a garage door. So I'll install them and like anything else, if they fail I won't buy them again and I'll let you know. If they work long term, I think it's a pretty good deal, regardless of their unknown origin.
OP - Thanks again for the link.
OP - Thanks again for the link.
Why would they want to sell 12 rollers for $20, when they can sell 2 for $8?
The companies are in business to make a profit and that would be $48 for 12 rollers. I didn't know one could wear out a maintained door roller.
Besides, the ebayer probably sells them out of his garage, part time, verses a huge stores with 50 employees on each shift.
If the ebayer's stuff starts selling too well, he'll raise his prices.
The companies are in business to make a profit and that would be $48 for 12 rollers. I didn't know one could wear out a maintained door roller.
Besides, the ebayer probably sells them out of his garage, part time, verses a huge stores with 50 employees on each shift.
If the ebayer's stuff starts selling too well, he'll raise his prices.
Not sure how many here shop at WM, but when I do, I notice that most of the patrons, don't really appear to be well off, as is the case of a lot of people in American any more.
I can assume, that they would probably rather have a nicer, $35 flotation vest, verses a orange $13 model, but in a family camping budget, they have to face their reality, just like everybody else.
People tend to not shop "cheap", when they have the money to do otherwise.
Walton's "save money - live better" motto, is true - to some extent, because people can at least afford to buy something.
djjsr
Well-known member
Besides, the ebayer probably sells them out of his garage, part time, verses a huge stores with 50 employees on each shift.
If the ebayer's stuff starts selling too well, he'll raise his prices.
The seller is "garagedoorcomponents" in Georgia. Looks like they sell just about anything garage door related in their ebay store. Good feedback too. It says they've sold 163 sets of rollers so far on this listing. It's hard to believe they sell these things for 20 bucks.
At 4500 feedback, seems like a nice store, not necessarily a large one. I have considered starting something similar.
They probably get a nice wholesale price, on their items, regardless of whether imported or domestic.
I like it. I buy quite a bit of stuff from small ebay retailers. It the future, of small business.
Stores like WM, Lowes, etc are almost just higher priced conveneinces stores, on man items any more. IMO.
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tcianci
Well-known member
Thanks to the OP for cranking everyone up. Your post just fuels the assumption that everything that's a bargain is ****. You dissed the rollers just because you didn't like they way they felt in your hand, which in actuality, may have no bearing (pun intended) on how well or long they would perform.
You took the low road and you used your conclusions to illustrate your lack of understanding of mass merchandising. "Why sell cheap ****?" Because it gives you a chance to rant a bit about things you don't understand and you get the added bump of having everyone who doesn't understand any more than you do come right along for the ride.
Of course there is a spectrum of quality for every device and service available. But take the time to think critically about something you own and you're also very pleased with, like a favorite car or tool. Every part in it was provided by the lowest bidder. If the guys who designed and built it didn't go that route, no one would ever be able to afford anything.
You took the low road and you used your conclusions to illustrate your lack of understanding of mass merchandising. "Why sell cheap ****?" Because it gives you a chance to rant a bit about things you don't understand and you get the added bump of having everyone who doesn't understand any more than you do come right along for the ride.
Of course there is a spectrum of quality for every device and service available. But take the time to think critically about something you own and you're also very pleased with, like a favorite car or tool. Every part in it was provided by the lowest bidder. If the guys who designed and built it didn't go that route, no one would ever be able to afford anything.
