What luxury items are not worth it?

[bjl584]

A survey from people who work in luxury brand industries were asked this question.
Here are some of their answers

High thread count sheets. Most industrial weaving machines top out around the 450TC mark. Anything more is using thinner yarn to achieve more thread count

Ace of Spades champagne is a relabeled cheaper brand

Ultra luxury bottled water comes from the same tap as normal bottled water

Frames for glasses. The ones branded as "made in Italy" are actually made in China and just shipped to Italy for final assembly

Most high end designer loungewear is rebranded Puma

A lot of so called high end cabinetry and furniture is made from cheap MDF and not solid wood

Most designer clothes and items is priced highly because of the label on it and not the quality or craftsmanship

[ua_guy]

Worth of these things is all in the eye of the consumer, I think. The exclusivity of and access to luxury products can matter as much or more than actual quality when it comes to luxury goods.

People like us on here who are more frugal and place a higher value on things like durability and function aren't likely to deem many luxury goods as "worth" it. But most of us would agree sometimes spending a little extra to get something of higher quality can be a better bargain than going cheap.

I understanding wanting to pay more for a specific alcohol, to a point. I understand wanting to fly first class simply for comfort. A luxury car? Hard to say, but there are some really nice cars that are set apart from economy cars. Clothing? Sure, to a point. Food? So much of it depends on taste, the rest is about nutritional value.

[disneysteve]

Most luxury items in most any category aren't "worth it" if you're talking about quality vs. less costly items. There is generally a huge difference between bottom of the barrel stuff and mainstream stuff, then a smaller but still very significant difference between mainstream and premium, but after that it typically becomes more about status.

[myrdale]

Rolex watches.

Looking at their website, the cheapest is around $8k with the most expensive listed at +$100k.

I'm not arguing that as far as watches go, they are top notch. What I am arguing is that they aren't worth that price to me.

I think my Fitbit was $100. I could see me spending up to, say $1000 on a watch (I won't). But there are so many other things I could do with $8k beyond look at my wrist to know what the time is.

[disneysteve]

Rolex watches.

Looking at their website, the cheapest is around $8k with the most expensive listed at +$100k.

I'm not arguing that as far as watches go, they are top notch. What I am arguing is that they aren't worth that price to me.

I have a friend who is a jeweler. I spent a few days with him in Vegas recently for his birthday and the topic of luxury watches came up since every hotel is a shop from every luxury brand. He said that Rolex is a very good watch but highly overrated. There are watches in the same price range and lower that are far better watches mechanically speaking. Rolex just has the premium cache name recognition. People are willing to wait months to get their hands on one just to say they own one. That's a perfect example for this thread.

[Fishindude77]

i like bourbon and have found that once you get beyond around $40 per bottle it really doesn't get noticeably better.
I will spend premium money on tools / equipment as the cheaper stuff doesn't seem to hold up for long or work nearly as well. Same with firearms, I really like high quality firearms plus they hold their value long term.

Automobiles don't do much for me. I'm as happy driving a nice late model pickup as I would be in a Lexus.
It pays to buy good quality clothing and outerwear if you use it hard.

Flying first class is definitively worth it for a long flight, if you can afford it.

[disneysteve]

i like bourbon and have found that once you get beyond around $40 per bottle it really doesn't get noticeably better..

I agree with the sentiment but not the price point. Bottom shelf liquor is down there for a reason. It tastes awful. Mainstream entry level offerings are acceptable. They're good for mixing cocktails but not great for drinking neat. For that, you need to go up a step or two to one of their better offerings. That puts you more in the $60-80 range generally speaking around here. The $40 bottles are usually 2-4 years old which is very young for whiskey. If you're making a bourbon and Coke, you may not notice the difference between that and a 9 or 12 year old whiskey but you definitely will notice if you're drinking it straight. Since we generally drink our whiskey straight, it matters.

All of that said, we have had the opportunity to sample whiskeys costing as much as $7,500/bottle. They were all very good but there's no way in hell we would ever spend that kind of money. We didn't think they were dramatically better than whiskeys costing a fraction of that amount. The most we've ever paid for a bottle is in the $150 range and at current prices, I see no reason to pay more than that unless you're talking specifically about Scotch and those can get very pricey and there is a significant difference in the product. There's just no comparing a 12-year-old to a 30-year-old Macallan, for example. Still, we wouldn't personally pay for the 30 but we do recognize and appreciate the difference.

[Jluke]

Joe Boxer underwear

see eBay thread

[disneysteve]

Joe Boxer underwear see eBay thread

LOL. Though that hardly qualifies as a luxury item.

[kork13]

I think above mid-high end for just about everything, you get a rapidly dimishing return as you go up the scale of luxury. But for those who appreciate & desire & can afford the luxury things, go for it.

[Drake3287]

"Rolex watches.
Looking at their website, the cheapest is around $8k with the most expensive listed at +$100k.
I'm not arguing that as far as watches go, they are top notch. What I am arguing is that they aren't worth that price to me"

Actually, they tend to be great investments if you can find one for sale. My current Rolex is worth nearly twice as much as what I bought it for even as used. I'd buy a second one but it's nearly impossible to find a popular model even available. Obviously Rolex is great in their marketing. I admit I was a little scared paying for such an expensive watch but years later I'm glad I did and that's not because of the investment value, I just enjoy wearing it.

[Fishindude77]

I agree with the sentiment but not the price point. Bottom shelf liquor is down there for a reason. It tastes awful. Mainstream entry level offerings are acceptable. They're good for mixing cocktails but not great for drinking neat. For that, you need to go up a step or two to one of their better offerings. That puts you more in the $60-80 range generally speaking around here. The $40 bottles are usually 2-4 years old which is very young for whiskey.

Don't know what you consider good, but my main go to stuff is; Four Roses single barrel, Basil Hayden, Woodford Reserve all of which I can buy around that $40 mark. I'm also good with Makers Mark or Buffalo Trace which is a bit cheaper. Stepping up in price around $50-60 would be Blade & Bow or Angels Envy (a buddy of mine drinks this stuff) which I don't consider to taste much better. Lot's of good bourbons out there that won't break the bank.

Hard no to mixing with Coke.

[ua_guy]

Funny to watch people snub their noses at each other's booze. DH and FIL go round and round on that one. FIL drinks Canadian Mist mixed with Pepsi. His favorite from his days of partying and drinking after work with the railroad crews. DH likes himself nice whiskey, have had a couple $1k bottles floating around depending on the occasion, but usually Jameson or Johnny Walker for casual occasions. He also gets into Scotches. FIL (lovingly) calls him a booze snob. DH says he doesn't drink "swill". And we all manage to get along somehow.

[disneysteve]

Don't know what you consider good, but my main go to stuff is; Four Roses single barrel, Basil Hayden, Woodford Reserve all of which I can buy around that $40 mark. I'm also good with Makers Mark or Buffalo Trace which is a bit cheaper.

All of those are solid choices for cocktails. The only one I’d drink straight is the Four Roses. But Woodford Double Oak or Makers 46, which are just a notch more expensive, are significantly better for straight pours.

I agree 100% that there are plenty of great choices that aren’t costly.

[ua_guy]

Arcteryx clothing (their jackets) are something I don't think is worth the spend. It's very exclusive, distribution is limited so when you want one, you find it and pay the price. Are they worth $400-$500 more than a perfectly good Columbia or Patagonia jacket? No, not for keeping you warm or dry. It's like The North Face on steroids, remember 25 years ago when those were all the rage? They're still nice, but as a middle-upper class symbol of athleisure clothing, they're much more common now.