Why do people buy expensive sunglasses?
What is the darn tootin’ reason one would spend 200 dollars on sunglasses? They’re easy to lose, and reducing glare isn’t worth hundreds of dollars.
This really rustles my jimmies. What’s going on here?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
47 Answers
Same reason people buy expensive handbags. They’re a status symbol.
I don’t buy them, I buy mid-priced ones, but the cheap ones break easier, for the most part. The last cheap pair I bought at Kohl’s and the hinge broke within a month.
They do it to rustle your jimmies.
same reason sh*t like THIS happens; makes me sick
@jca I can understand buying a 7 series BMW, but people don’t notice a logo on a person’s sunglasses, right? Lol.
Maybe they don’t have a 99 Cent Only store by their house like I do. I always keep several pairs in my car and in my purse, just in case I lose one. Because they’re inexpensive, I can have multiple designs. As long as they have the label that says they block 100% UV rays, you don’t need a designer label.
My hubby spends way more than that. He never looses them although our dig ate his last pair of Chrome Hearts.
Status symbol, even if people can’t really tell. Some people like to compete with each other, and (Added:talking about) how much more expensive their things are the way to compete and win I guess. I wouldn’t waste my energy being bugged about it though.
Because it’s easy to dress up but hard to find/forge your true identity.
I know because I’ve been there!
They don’t listen to ZZ Top.
Everyone has their own personal guidelines when it comes to spending money. Some feel that investing in an expensive night out at a posh restaurant is a waste of money, while others spend the same amount on clothes or concert tickets or just tuck it away for retirement that they may never see.
Ask the collective what they would would do with an extra $200, no judgement attached, and you would end up with a wide spectrum of answers.
They say don’t buy anything health related (in a direct way) from a dollar store. Even the ones at the pharmacy which are $10–15 dollars, the pharmacists say they are not meant for permanent or long term use. So, I wouldn’t trust them.
Its not all a status symbol. They are better made, have better lenses for blocking UVA and UVB rays, and polarization is an amazing difference. If you lose things, that’s your issue. But I’ve had the same pair of ray bans for 5 years. I’ve dropped them, sat on them, and they are still going strong. Average it out, and to this point I spent, call it, $20 a year for them. There is more to brand name than just charging more. It’s a better quality product, as long as you can appreciate the differences. And to address your later comment about seeing the logo – I do.
Good answers, thanks guys : )
My normal glasses are 240. The frames are 180. And they look like shit.
I like glasses that don’t scratch when you look at them funny.
I like frames that last more than a month.
I like glasses that actually allow me to see; cheap sunglasses are rarely polarized, and thus negate the purpose of even opening my eyes. (I am rather photosensitive; I cannot even go out during the day without shades, even if it’s overcast.)
I like sunglasses that block out all harmful rays, not just one type.
Now, I don’t care about the logo or the design; I just want glasses that work. And I actually did find a particular brand of $5 sunglasses that worked, but they no longer make those, so it’s back to paying more than I like.
My sunglasses are expensive, but they are prescription. Before I started wearing prescription glasses, I used to wear what was comfortable & very inexpensive.
@Blackberry: But you CAN tell. They have logos on the sides, CC, whatever. Just like people wearing Coach handbags, to show the world they like luxury. My sunglasses are from Costco, made in Italy, about $35. They’re decent, not chintzy, but a lot of people would never wear them because they’re “no name.”
People are buying into the glamour of the brand. It’s all marketing. The style may be unique and trendy but hardly worth paying the premium price they are asking. Here is an article saying they are almost all made by the same Italian company Luxottica.
HAHA! This Q remionds me of a joke; Q – Why did the man cross the road?
A – Why do they do anything?
@Trillian You’re evil. (You know I’m kidding). He crossed the road to help his lady find her way back home.
Because they can. I’d like to know what percentage of them even consider the UVA, UVB part of the deal. I recon it has as much to do with vanity. If someone was to give me a pair it wouldn’t matter how much better they are made, supposedly, They won’t last very long. Either through damage or loss. Challenge me.
I’ll get the cheap one’s and spend the difference on something else, or not.
Because they want to brag about their ability to always throughly look over a seat before sitting down in it.
Mine are prescription sunglasses, so that’s automatically kind of expensive. The ones I really wanted were outrageously expensive, though, and I couldn’t make myself do it. I got a pair that looks similar (not quite as good looking) for half the price. I never lose my sunglasses (knocking on wood), so if I had unlimited funds I’d have bought the more expensive ones, just because I liked the way they looked on me. I couldn’t care less who makes them, or if the logo is visible, though.
I’ve often wondered this myself. My current pair I’ve had for about 3 years now. They cost me $7.
Stevie Wonder buys his from Walmart…..allegedly.
Some people don’t like cheap, made in china shit.
I bought my nice sunglasses because…well…I wanted nice sunglasses. I’ve had cheap ones before that fell apart quickly, I wanted some nicer ones. It was about build quality and looks mainly for me. Still have them and they’re still going strong :)
Take off your dollar store sunglasses and then put on a pair of Maui Jim’s. Then you’ll understand. This question is like asking “why would anyone buy set of headphones when the iPod comes with a perfectly good set of ear buds?” The difference in visual quality with a good pair of sunglasses is just as profound as the difference in sound quality with a good set of headphones.
As for justification…
I wear my sunglasses all the damn time. If I’m outside then I have my sunglasses on. I don’t like bright light and glare, and I can see better with them than without. Also, to those who say they aren’t bothered by glare, try driving on a sunny winter day in Wisconsin. The glare from the snow is downright painful… but not with a good pair of sunglasses.
I used to lose cheap sunglasses all the time, because there was little reason not to. Think of your cell phone. You wouldn’t care very much about losing your iPhone if you could replace it in five minutes for a dollar. On the flip side, I’ve never lost a pair of expensive glasses precisely because they are expensive. Replacing them will cost me a chunk of change, so I keep track of them.
I like expensive ones more myself. They look better, feel better, work better, etc..
The reason I don’t buy them is, like the OP says, they’re easy to lose. And I lose a lot of them.
Very enlightening. There’s nothing wrong with quality. My jimmies have now returned to their original position. :)
I understand buying expensive bags, shoes, clothing, etc. because think about it- how often do you lose or mess up that kind of thing? But with sunglasses, I would always be afraid I would scratch them, break them, lose them, etc. and would probably never wear them. I understand that many of the expensive brands are of higher quality and have warranties on them if they were to scratch or break, but I’m very likely to lose them.
I personally don’t care so much about visual quality since I haven’t had any issue with cheap glasses. I love the look of many of the very expensive glasses, but I’m just not willing to make that kind of investment. The key to me is to buy cheap glasses that look expensive. I have one pair that I paid $13 for, and the other pair was $20 (even that’s expensive for glasses, to me). I get compliments on them all the time and nobody’s any the wiser. That’s good enough for me!
I never understood until I was gifted some very expensive sunglasses that have lasted me near a decade with minimal scratches. In that time, a handful of quick-buy glasses have cracked, the little metal screws unthreaded themselves and they scratch fast. Sometimes there’s bits of styling that you want to pay for, similar to jewelry or detailing on clothes.
But does it need to cost $200 though for it to be of good quality?
@flo you can find some for $150 lol
Nothing like a great pair of sunglasses.
@flo: Check Costco. Their prices can’t be beat.
As far as this question goes, it’s like anything. Some people feel like a Honda is a fine car for 20k. Some people feel like they must have a top of the line Mercedes. A top of the line Mercedes can be rehabbed and turn into a classic, for a price, but the original purpose of the car is the same with the Honda. Some people feel like a $20 handbag serves the purpose of a handbag. Some feel like it’s got to be expensive with a name brand on it, or they would never be caught dead wearing it. The expensive handbag can be rehabbed and repaired, but the original purpose of the handbag is the same with the cheap one as well as the expensive one. Sunglasses are the same – You can get cheap ones, or you can get expensive ones, it’s up to the buyer.
@jca You make a good point about rehabbing more expensive items. I have many more expensive, “brand name” handbags. I have had a couple of them wear over the years, and all I have to do is send it back to the manufacturer, and they have either fixed it (for free) or given me credit of the amount of the ruined bag for a new one. Most of them have lifetime warranties on their craftsmanship. Same with sunglasses. They will stand behind their product.
Bush and mayor said to go out and shop after 9/11.
@Blackberry – By going shopping to help the economy ;-)
Oh yeah, I got it now. : )
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
