Should we demand high quality in every product we purchase or is it OK to be content with low quality from time to time and in some circumstances?
The most appropriate answer would be similar to the answer that my psychology professors in college would often give: it depends. If obtaining quality is within reach, even with some sacrifice or patience, it is worth it to forgo a cheap product in lieu of saving up to purchase a higher quality one. The return on investment is simply greater than the higher cost. The amount of enjoyment that you get from it, the durability that you will experience, the cachet that it brings to you, how well it works, are all benefits of that quality.
In conversations with craftsman of high quality goods, we agree that America is going through a small renaissance; a return to its roots. America is tired of junk. We are okay having less, if that less is something of quality. It is better to have a single, high quality belt that you can wear everyday, that improves with age, than five belts that unravel after a year or two. It is simply better to have fewer, high quality goods, than closets full of junk.
As a society, we need to go back to our roots of craftsman designing and building products that endure, and run away from high quantity, high turnover goods. The time has come for us to fully embrace quality, and the hallmarks that represent it.
read more in the Buy It for Life series
Buy It For Life – Part One: Durability
Buy It For Life – Part Two: Aesthetics
Buy It For Life – Part Three: Design
Buy It For Life – Part Four: Cost
Buy It For Life – Part Five: Cachet
Buy It For Life – Part Six: Buy For Life Every Time?
Buy It For Life – Part Eight: What You Should Find In A Long Lasting Leather Bag