Ran across this quote today, figured it’s worth having in one’s arsenal for the “why pay more? question:
“There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man’s lawful prey. It’s unwise to pay too little.
When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you may lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.” John Ruskin
Replies
I like it
I can certainly relate with that as a value from my more idealistic days.
In the daily practice of life,however, adhering to that kind of a standard is not always practicable.
I've seen that before, speaks volumes
Thanks
Well, do look for the best qualification on the 'product' for medical and dental,
But a lot of times it is not only cheaper, but often even better with a modicum of work on your part. ,
For hard goods, esp. manufactured products, will go with the cheapest 85% of time, as usually redesign, rework it anyway, and used and broken is alo cheaper than new and then you know what fails first and end up with a better product for yourself.
The 15% comprises items where the metal alloy or other 'hidden' attribute is hard to 'fix' without mfg it yourself, but have done that at times.
Though greatly paraphrased, I tell that to almost every customer I meet.
Oscar Wilde's "knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" sums it up neatly for me.
Since I live in Michigan I usually use our world famous roads as an example. "Ya know the road contracts go to the lowest bidder, this is your home."
That's cute but it doesnt hold up across the board.
Ivory bar soap is still the cheapest and it still cleans my butt and floats to boot. No other bar soap is as fun and useful cleaning butts in the lake at camping time.
Ivory just blew a shot gun hole in that theory there Bob. LOL
Tim
Got a call last night from a potential client. A podiatrist. Wife used to work with his wife, so we're casual friends. He's American of middle easter descent, and likes to bargain/barter for stuff.
He wants to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms, and do some repairs. He starts talking about looking at tile and granite samples at HD, and how the HD guys will install ceramic tile for $3/sf. "Can you be competitive with that?" he asked. Straight answer "No". Tried to tell him about that being their basic charge, plus adders for everything, etc. Got a meeting at his house this week to look at what he wants to do. Gonna be interesting.
Right now I don't need the work, so I'm going to quote a decent price and stick to it.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Tim,
I don't think Ivory soap IS the cheapest----so it doesn't shoot a hole in the theory.
Stephen
Really????
All this tme I thought I had been the tight wad !
Tim
Tim Mooney---spendthrift.
you guys and your fancy store bought soap
What you want is some hog fat and some fireplace ashes and a 55galon drum and...................
Stephen
Oh yea , I fortgot about lye soap. damn!!
hahaha
Tim
Bob,
this thread will be even more fun when some of the conservatives learn who John Ruskin was. LOL
My immigrant grandmother used to say:
"We're too poor to buy cheap."
I never forgot it.