I write code for a living and I would be glad to spend the extra dough on an ergonomic keyboard and make sure I’ve typed out everything correctly. I have also been using dr grip pen rather than those thinly molded throwaway bic. To me the extra cost of those instruments is justified by their values they provide to me.
This is similar to mechanics using brand name, dependable tools.
Yes, some brands are proven and have high reliability. Our large screen 2008 Panasonic has performed flawlessly and is on 6 hours per day.
Upstart brands like Visio and Hisense need to prove themselves before I would even look at them.
Exactly. For most of the posters here going down to Harbor Freight or Lowes and grabbing a $49 air tool or a $15 ratchet makes sense. It’s just for occasional home use, and will last years and years. But to me, a pro who relies on tools to make a living, Harbor Freight stuff is junk. I have never bought a tool there I have been happy with. On the other hand, I paid $300 for a 3/8 air ratchet from Snap-On in 1996 and guess what? It’s beat up like you can’t believe yet works as well as it always has, never even been sent in for repairs.
Yup. Not to get all sentimental, but my Grandpa used to say “If you’re doing something or buying something, spend as much as you need to and have exactly what you want. And once you’ve gotten the best, don’t look back.”
I watched my current favorite tv show Monday evening – about the Las Vegas Pawn Shop. In this episode Cory gets a speeding ticket. After ribbing Cory about his poor driving skills, the three guys, Rick, Cory, and Chumley, decide to have a driving contest to see which is the better driver. They booked time at some sort of local Las Vegas race track facility, and each got to drive the same Ferrari around the track. I have to say, they all looked like they were having a great time and universally quite enjoyed driving the car. My favorite character on the show, Chumley, the eminent sand-bagger, ended up the winner, beating Cory by 1/10 second. Rick was more cautious in the corners and came in a distant third. I think any of those three would buy a Ferrari if they had more money than they knew what to do with.
I think Chumley stated he had some sort of Masserratti (spelling?) on an old episode of Top Gear I saw where he was a guest. Not 100% certain of the make, but it was some sort of exotic.
We’ve had a Vizio for about 5 years and haven’t had any problems, fwiw. Now that I’ve stated that, it’ll probably crap out.
Most things, I try to buy the “mid grade”. Not the most expensive, but not the cheapest. It would be silly for me to spend the money on Snap On tools for what I do, oil changes and light repair and maintenance on my own vehicles. Would be akin to buying a 3/4 ton diesel as a daily driver. I’d buy the diesel and the Snap On tools if money were no object, though!
On the other hand, the only thing I’ve ever bought from Harbor Freight is a Daytona jack that’s supposedly modeled after a Snap On unit. I’m sure it’s not the same quality, but it works great for me and my once every month or two floor jack needs.
As far as vehicles go, I don’t really have any desire for an exotic car. Just not really my taste. But if a guy wants a Ferrari and has the cash, I don’t have a problem with that either.
@asemaster. We bought an inexpensive Vizio television for our sunroom and the Best Buys house brand Impreznia house brand for our main TV set. Both sets had to have a circuit board replaced in the warranty period and neither set has had a problem six years later. We also have a Samsung in the bedroom that has never had a repair in the 12 years we have owned it. I agree that Samsung is a better set, but it was a lot more expensive than the Vizio and the Impreznia has a much bigger screen for the same amount of money as the Samsung.
Top gear USA on the History Channel, stated he had a Maserati Grand Tourismo and a Range Rover among other cars. A step up from the 1993 Geo Metro that he left on the side of the road, because he wanted nothing more to do with it.
The first Ferrari that i saw in person was when we stumbled across the estate in Hawaii where Magnum P.I. was being filmed (mid 80’s) and we all stood around waiting for the backup car to arrive because the car they had on set wasn’t running right. A college kid with his girlfriend eventually turned up with the car and the crew headed into the estate to begin filming the scene.
The highway the estate is on would be an amazing route to drive a Ferrari or any other exotic since it hugs the coast along most of the island.
Did a little googling. Chumley is apparently well-off $$-wise, $5 M net worth. Maserati, Rolls Royce, and a classic car in his garage. Daily is a Ford Fusion. He earned $25,000 per episode appearing on the show. Pretty good gig if you can get it 
They do. Chumley is a millionaire. I would assume Rick and Corey are worth more.
For sure!
And, like everything else, that episode regarding tickets and driving skills was undoubtedly concocted by a script writer for that so-called “reality” show.
Back in the '80s I’d go to NYC a couple times a year to shop and explore.
In Chinatown the “Rolex’s” could be had for as little as $11 with a little haggling.
Back in the '70s I worked in a couple TV shops; Sony TVs would occasionally come in.
Almost always 15+ years old and almost always a worn out CRT.
That impressed me so later (after the TV shop days) my first new TV purchases were Sonys.
A couple lasted ~18 years, but the last one only lasted 7 years.
This was in the early '90s, and I suspected quality was tapering off.
About that time I had a Sony audio gear that failed sooner than expected.
So I gave up on Sony.
Another fine brand lost its sheen. Just like RCA, Zenith, Sylvania etc.
I’ve got modest tools too, with a few exceptions.
A Snap On 3/8" ratchet, 10, 12, 14mm sockets.
Just those 4 pieces didn’t break the bank, and I use them the most.
More then half the show is scripted.
There is something to be said for “best” in instruments. Or even “better than most.” Back when I still played I upgraded from a ratty old King baritone to a Besson compensating euphonium. There was no comparison. The tone was better, the valve action was better… 100% worth the extra money. But it did make me very happy that I was a euph player unlike my wife, who plays flute. An equivalent-quality flute to my Besson costs… A lot more.
There are things that it’s worth spending more money on. The old story about rich people saving money on shoes is kinda true - if I spend $150 on a pair of shoes that lasts me 4 years, and someone else has to buy a new pair of $50 shoes every year, I come out ahead financially.
But “high priced” does not always equal “good.”
On cars, my mother learned this lesson recently. She’s just a little younger than you and decided she wanted a luxury car for once in her life. I tried to get her into an Acura or a Lexus, but she insisted on a BMW or Mercedes because that’s what moderately rich people bought years ago and so in her mind they were the only brands that were worthy of the “luxury” category.
Brought a brand new X3 home, and immediately started having so many problems with it that she regretted getting rid of her perfectly good CRV. She dumped the car before it was even out of warranty and, this time listened to my advice. Bought an Acura RDX, and she’s completely in love with it. Cost her the same as the X3, but doesn’t have the ridiculous electrical gremlins that BMWs are so good at, came with more features standard, and has a much nicer interior.
@shadowfax. My regular horn just got finished having $650 worth of work completed by a well known horn technician. A friend had her horn at this horn builder as well and just picked up my instrument as well has hers. The horn shop is 60 miles away and I have been too swamped to make the trip
If this horn after the work plays as well as when I first bought it from another friend, I will be happy
If not, I will buy the Alexander.
i put a meter on our plasma tv. it uses 250watts. and we run it 12hrs/day/365. wifey wont let me swap it out for our led in the guest room that uses 100watt. in 10 yrs we have spent almost 1000$ on elec for this pig. though, it is a nice room heater in the winter.
I guess if I really liked driving, I might buy an expensive, fine handling sports car, although I don’t know what make it would be.
Years ago, I liked driving an MG Midget. My neighbor was a salesman for a foreign car agency. He was also in the National Guard and went to camp.one weekend a month. He would leave his demonstrator with me so that I could give it some exercise. I liked the handling and I enjoyed utilizing the gears for maximum performance from the little engine. Now I realize that the MG Midget is certainly not in the class with a Ferrari, but with my limited income at the time, it might as well have been a Ferrari.
I often thought when my income increased, I might buy something equivalent to the MG Midget. I suppose the equivalent car today would be the Mazda Miata. I wouldn’t buy it as a status symbol, but as something fun to drive.
I am really not certain what a luxury car really is. My own definition is that a luxury vehicle should have a passenger side sun visor, arm rests on the doors, carpet instead of rubber floor mats, an overhead valve V-8 engine, and an am radio capable of receiving the station in Nashville, TN that broadcast Randy’s Record Shop at dusk.
@Cavell. I remember seeing a plasma TV on display in the Sears store where our son was employed as a sales rep in the tools department. I am sure this was at least 15 years ago. The price was over $6000. My wife was really fascinated, but I figured the price of a flat screen TV would drop, so we decided not to make the purchase.
I remember seeing a colour TV on display in a showroom window when I was a graduate student. The set was attached to an outdoor speaker and there was a crowd around the window going ape over that television set. I didn’t get a colour TV until 1977. It didn’t have a remote control, but I thought it was a luxury item.
One problem with many luxury items is that they command a premium price when new and then a few years later become an everyday commodity, and with the improved technology, the original luxury item is worthless. I would bet that the $6000 plasma TV I saw at Sears over 15 years ago has long since been scrapped.
I do like driving, so a few years ago I decided to take a look at a Subaru BR-Z, in the showroom. Getting into it was not too bad, but then when it came time to exit from that extremely low-slung car, I wound-up doing the same thing as this guy, who is exiting from a brand-new Aston-Martin that he probably shouldn’t have bought:
