Buy Once, Cry Once

I've heard good arguments for both. I have a tendency to research down to the ground anything I buy, and never buy anything on impulse. As a result, I typically buy the top-shelf gear even if I have to save an extra month to get it; often you do get what you pay for. Reliability, usability, and overall quality are seldom cheap. If you're going to trust your life to it, you may not want the best bargain.

My brother takes the opposite approach. He buys cheap gear more often than not. It may not be the highest quality, or it may break sooner than my gear, but he has twice the number of guns and gear that I have. He points out he can buy 5 Barska red dots for the price of one Aimpoint. If they work, who cares if one breaks? He's got 4 more to replace it.

I'll pay more for good service and friendly companies, I try to buy better food ingredients, and I pay a lot for my gym membership but that should come back to me when I'm old and hopefully not in a wheelchair.

Some of my friends give me a lot of shit about it but when it comes to gear for outdoor activities, I'll happily pay more for better stuff. I have a closet full of Arc'teryx jackets(3) but the damn things are real nice, fit real well, and are nearly indestructible(catch: I buy them all on sale). My buddies that cheap out on jackets and pants are always replacing them or wanting something else and are never comfortable yet I'm the idiot for spending less than half of what they do over the long run.

Some one s long time ago said " I can't afford to buy cheap stuff", meaning buy quality. It doesn't have to be expensive but buying something that will last, and paying more for it is less expensive then buying junk 2 or 3 times.

Buy once, cry once. You took the words otta my mouth.


Whenever possible, I buy the best I can reasonably afford, even if that means saving up. At times, I will pay the interest to put it on something besides the Amex if I think the opportunity will fade, but pay off that charge as quickly as possible with baloon payments.

I apply this to my purchase on glass, stocks, and certain firearms and accessories... What ever I get I make sure that the market for the item won't lose any value. Damn, I should'a kept all my AR's [facepalm]

you'll only cry once... just once.... [Coffee]

Never buy tools from Walmart unless you are only going to use them once.

It depends. If it’s an item that I can’t fully realize the increased quality, then I’ll buy the best for the price. I’ll never practice enough or have enough talent to justify a Olson acoustic, so I play Seagull and Epiphone. However, my hunting gear is Sitka and Kenetrek, since I can tell the difference between these and the less expensive gear.

I do both, I have a many items that are top tier. Not just for reliability but because of function or features. I have also purchased cheap items with the notion of them being limited or throw away items. Perfect example is my parents company. For the guys we used to buy Dewalt and Milwaukee Grinders and Sawzalls. Issue was the guys treated them like crap and would break them often. So for the workers I just bought harbor freight versions that were under $20 verse $200-300 of the high end. So when the guys break them we have plenty of spares and just throw the broken ones out. Now I always had the high end and never had issues so for me the extra money was worth it for a tool that was reliable and worked great, but for the guys that would just toss them around it was a waste.

I am wearing a $9k Breitling watch at the moment and other than the fact that its COSC certified it tells the time just like a $90 watch. Granted a cheap automatic or chronograph probably is not as accurate or reliable but can you say paying 100 times that is worth that? I would say no but it looks great, if I take care of it the value does not go down much (I have gotten such great deals on Limited watches before that even after having them for 6-9 months was able to flip them for a profit or no loss).

Now not everything expensive holds its value or is more reliable than a cheaper item. Plenty of things you are just paying for the name and nothing more. If something is rather expensive you need to ask yourself if the price is worth its value and if you plan to offload it what kind of loss would you take.

Another thing about expensive items is that related expenses are normally also more expensive. Buy a 911 and the aftermarket is much more expensive than say for a mustang. Buy a high end watch and replacement straps/bracelets are also more expensive, same thing goes for servicing more expensive items you normally pay a premium.

Tools, guns, wives and speakers (there are some slight difference between items 3 and 4) are all in the get the very best (for you) category. Other things are more negotiable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DavieD55

Never buy tools from Walmart (or Harbor Freight) unless you are only going to use them once.

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FIFY :)