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Comment by ppf | Hacker News Reader

Would you rather buy a high-quality item, and factor in its resale value as part of your decision-making process, or buy a cheap item that will be thrown away when you're done with it?

Do you think the purchasers of quality but second hand goods could afford to buy them new?

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I always went with the cheap item. I still do, I hate reselling and buying used. I drive my stuff to the ground whatever its quality is.

When I began to have more money I just started buying more expensive cheap items. So yes, I could afford to buy new more expensive stuff.

In addition, there's been a large shift towards price not actually defining the quality of the item. There are a ton of cheap goods that perform as well or better than more expensive goods of the same kind. And a lot of expensive goods that actually don't perform well at all.

The first example that comes to mind is power tools. I can buy a cheap trim router at Harbor Freight and it'll work as well or better than many of the top brands at Home Depot. Not all of them, but if I can't otherwise determine which is the best, it doesn't make sense to spend the extra money.

IIRC, I've heard people say the same about shoes on HN, too. And IME, My $50 shoes have lasted just as long as the $110+ shoes that I used to buy, and were as comfortable or better.

In addition, like you, I hate reselling things. We had a yard sale a couple months ago and just let everything go really cheap because it wasn't worth the effort to try to get more. At the end of a yard sale, we generally pack the rest up and donate it, anyhow.

That's pretty much my reasoning for not buying more expensive stuff than necessary. I noticed very little correlation between the price of a thing and the value it provides to me.

By design it's hard to work out the cost/performance ratio of many consumer items. Why pay for the brand name item if the consumer knew it's actual value.

Just tracking down what an item really is to find reviews can be hard, and then you really never know if the underling product has changed in the meantime.

It feels so anti consumer.

> I can buy a cheap trim router at Harbor Freight and it'll work as well or better than many of the top brands at Home Depot.

Generally buy cheap first. Odds are it'll will get the job done for what you need.

If you do actually manage to work it hard enough to break it, then you know that it may actually be worth spending a little extra.

What quality but second hand goods are we talking about? Poor people are not buying second-hand designer clothing.

I personally never factor in resale value in my purchases, and I rarely buy second hand, because of the additional risk and additional effort involved. In general, poor people do not have capacity for risk.

Anything. Cars, bikes, electronics, kids toys, furniture.

Personally, I'm able to enjoy the lifestyle I do because I buy second hand. I'm also able to add value by repairing items, although as you say, there is the risk that someone is dumping broken items on you. You just have to be discerning, and possibly experience getting burned a few times.

>>Anything. Cars, bikes, electronics, kids toys, furniture.

None of which I factor resell value in.

I keep my vehicles on average for 8 years or more, to the point where resale nill

I have the same couch I bought almost 15 years ago now, if I replace it the old one will not be worth anything and will be donated or trashed

My current computer is 6 years old, and when I replace it will be recyled or donated as well

I run almost everything I own to fail. Even my home, barring economic necessity forcing me to sell (i.e need to move for a job, or economic depression[1]) I plan on dying in my current home

[1]and face it at the rate of government spending right now a dollar collapse is very possible

I would buy cheap.

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