Why do people make fun of others that buy quality things?

Different people are willing to spend higher amounts of money on different things based on what is important to them at that point in their life. Well since you have mold and dust priorities, you will be willing to spend more to take care of it. If your friend doesn't have or doesn't care about mold/dust issues, that $450 bucks might go toward something he cares about. Just buy what you want to buy and forget what other people think.

My mom does a lot of sewing. Once when I was at their place, I saw that my mom had taken a pair of jeans to show my dad, and they had started laughing. I asked her what that was about, and she showed my that my my cousin had asked her to hem two pairs of jeans with $150 price tags. She couldn't believe it.

Then I told her the jeans I was wearing had cost more, and she freaked out. I tried explaining that compared to my cousin's, mine were a great value, considering they were heavyweight Japanese selvedge denim and made in the USA, whereas there was nothing special about hers besides the brand, but even though she was impressed by the thickness of the denim she wasn't buying it.

When I told her it was the only pair of jeans I'd be wearing, so it still came out cheaper than buying a half-dozen cheaper ones that made her happy though, lol.

You have two types of spending, as it was said: show-off/ignorant, and knowledgeful buying.

In a Portuguese forum, I heard just recently that an iPhone 4 (unlocked, from store - we have locked and unlocked, legally) is worth 1300 Euros (1650 usd).

With most (not all, note) Apple product users, you have the first type of spender. Most of them (and that's pretty good marketing from Apple) want an Apple product. Not "a"/the best phone, or "a"/the best computer, or "a"/the best tampon... they want "the" iPhone, "the" iComputer, and "the" iTampon regardless of what they are as machines.

Recently, Acer has presented the Timeline X laptops, and here you can buy a very decent one for 1000 euros. In terms of every single piece of hardware, it beats or matches the iLaptop that costs 1700 euros, and yes, battery time is over 8h. However, it is not a competitor to the iLaptop, because "it" is not an iLaptop.

In terms of vacuuming, your expense was astronomical, I've had a 50 euro vacuum for years now, it still works fine. However, if you wanted that machine for vacuuming and those other things it does, it might have been a bagain. It depends on how you bought the item, rather than for how much.

There are 10 euro cellphones... I have a 100 euro cellphone. It also makes and receives calls and smss. Was it a bad buy? No, because I use and appreciate all those other things it does.

Alot of the quality/price issues will be dependent on use. I've had two cheapish vacuum cleaners in the last 20 years, but then I'm not cleaning every day.

A friend set up a launderette a few years ago and I couldn't believe the price of the machines, astronomical. But then when I thought about the amount of use they get, it would mean a tank like build quality would be essential.

As for the haters, time to find new friends...

The question however is this: is anything really worth its retail cost? Consider people who buy Gucci or Prada shoes at a big- name retailer. They are paying for at least 2 markups: one for the brand and another for the retailer. Now consider that there might be other middle men: there might be a manufacturer that makes the product for the brand who only designed it and stamps its name on it, and there might be a distribution company that distributes it to a certain country / part of the world, and takes a cut.

I happen to know that AE's with retail price of $325 cost retailers $160, which means it probably costs AE $80 or less to manufacture the shoes. The price really is more than anything else what people are willing to pay for items... And less about quality.

I got a great laugh out of "Tiecollectors" stepping Big guy who is saying "Haters are gonna Hate" This is so true! Let others say what they want when you buy quality things. Some people foolishly spend almost a fortune gambling or drinking......That is there choice,just like buying Quality things may be our choice.

Originally Posted by computerpro3

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This is something that has been really bothering me lately. It seems I can't talk to anyone about the stuff that I either own or enjoy without getting made fun of - even when they bring it up!

Even if an item will save money in the long term, is clearly high quality, offers health benefits, or just plain improves the quality of your life, people still don't seem to get it. Perhaps it's just the social circles I walk in, but it's starting to get to me.

For example - I spent $450 on a pre-owned Miele vacuum recently since I have mold and dust problems in my place and the Miele was a quality 100% sealed HEPA vacuum in my pricerange. A friend saw it sitting in the corner recently and asked about it. He eventually asked me how much it cost and I told him that I got it for about half the price or retail since I bought it used. He looked at me and told me I was a complete idiot for spending $450 on a vacuum.

Stuff like this happens to me all the time, ranging from my Thinkpad, to the Glaser bag I'm considering, a quality keyboard for my desktop, my audio system, clothing, etc, etc.

And on the flipside, these people have no problem dropping $400 on a poorly constructed Coach bag or $120 on Kenneth Cole square toed shoes.

It seems like this forum is the only place where people understand that value is not what something costs up front, but what you get from the item long term.

I just don't get it.

Stop telling people about the things you own and are considering buying. If they ask be coy. If they are one of those tools that sarcastically ask you the value of everything just to scoff at how much (or suprisingly little) you paid for them, stop hanging out with them. IF you can't help but deal with these people (family member), simply be coy, if they insist tell them and display your boredom at the apparent humor they find in your answer.

Originally Posted by Jodum5

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Stop telling people about the things you own and are considering buying. If they ask be coy. If they are one of those tools that sarcastically ask you the value of everything just to scoff at how much (or suprisingly little) you paid for them, stop hanging out with them. IF you can't help but deal with these people (family member), simply be coy, if they insist tell them and display your boredom at the apparent humor they find in your answer.
I don't walk around telling people - they ask about it 95% of the time. **** like "Wow, that's a big projector screen you have, how much did that cost?". Or my personal favorite, "Are your speakers Bose? Must have cost a fortune!" And when they find out that they are NOT Bose and that they cost more than Bose - "Man you wasted your money you could have gotten Bose for that price. Can't believe you spent that much on speakers that are so big and take up so much space." I don't even bother trying to explain anymore. . The only depressing thing is that there is literally nobody that I know in real life that appreciates quality.. For example, I have nobody I can talk to about the writing pleasure a good fountain pen gives - the conversation will always devolve into an unfortunate fixation on price.

Originally Posted by Jodum5

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Stop telling people about the things you own and are considering buying. If they ask be coy. If they are one of those tools that sarcastically ask you the value of everything just to scoff at how much (or suprisingly little) you paid for them, stop hanging out with them. IF you can't help but deal with these people (family member), simply be coy, if they insist tell them and display your boredom at the apparent humor they find in your answer.

This.

Some people just can't be happy for their "friends." Especially if they subconsciously think they are your equal or superior.

Look for better, older friends.

People prioritize their spending differently. How is this hard to figure out?

Is this the thread where we pat ourselves on the back for our superior good tastes and then lament about how nobody in our lives "gets it"??? Just checking.

Originally Posted by word

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People prioritize their spending differently. How is this hard to figure out?

This^

Most people have something that they will spend what other think of as excessive to buy. Cars, phones, computers, even coffee. Everyone has something they like.

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

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Is this the thread where we pat ourselves on the back for our superior good tastes and then lament about how nobody in our lives "gets it"??? Just checking.

Yup.

Ive really never run into this problem. Maybe my friends just don't really give a **** about this kind of stuff nor are they nosy enough to even ask. And as mentioned about, look for better friends.