Do you really get what you pay for?

[Paul7]

Dan Wessons are better made today than a few years ago, hence the higher price. My Valor makes Colt look like a piece of junk.

 

[Jim NE]

As a prime example of this mindset, I'm sure many know of Grey Goose vodka - premium stuff. Expensive. The guy who originally bought it decades ago got the company at a good deal as it was having financial troubles. After he bought it he had a brilliant idea: double the price. The stuff that was having trouble selling before started raking in cash by the fistful after he started charging twice as much because people equated the high price with higher quality.

A few years ago I read about (or saw on TV...I can't remember) a blind taste test of vodkas, and knowledgeable people in the beverage business couldn't tell the difference between the expensive stuff and the inexpensive stuff. The difference between vodkas isn't the same as the difference between wines or different brands of whiskey.

So I guess buying quality really depends on what you're buying. People who are into fine dining usually want some salt on their food, but who goes out looking for the "best table salt available"? Most salt is more or less alike, despite the recent marketing of sea salt as kind of the gourmet's choice. It's more the proper amount than the quality that matters. The best quality vegetables is another matter, though. That's where quality counts.

One thing a side by side test can't measure is longevity. Many guns may be accurate and reliable when new, but after 1500 rounds? These old scratched up Smith revolvers I've been buying have probably had thousands of rounds through them, yet they still shoot great. So quality might not be something that just makes a good first impression.

I still may buy less expensive guns, however, if they're something I won't necessarily be shooting alot (SD shotguns, for example.)

 

[EddieNFL]

Anyone who can't tell the difference between an Infinity and a Camry should definitely buy the Camry.

Uh, the only response that comes to mind is...Amen.

 

[atomd]

There's definitely a point of diminishing return. There's also many cases where someone will not see any return on their investment (except maybe resale value). Someone who shoots a box of ammo once a month won't get appreciate the durability of a gun that will last twice as long. Someone who is shooting soda cans in the back yard at 25 yards with a .22 won't appreciate the accuracy of a top end benchrest rifle.