Inexplicably expensive things

Having just been for my eye test and ordered some new glasses…

Frames for glasses; how can they be a couple of hundred quid? It’s three bits of bent metal and two hinges.

(and yes I know you can get dead cheap ones)

See, also, taps.

Curtains.

That is all.

Replacement cleats……

Having just been for my eye test and ordered some new glasses…

Did they see you coming?

Frames for glasses; how can they be a couple of hundred quid?

They’re “designer” innit.

Anything to do with spinning (wool). Recently paid over £500 for a spinning wheel for the OH. She wants a drum carder now – basically a barrel with pins in for separating fibres – they’re the same sort of money. FFS, it’s a wheel and a couple of planks.

Bicycles

Pine nuts.

Coke & hookers

Even as an Oakley collector I have to agree the cost of glasses (and sunglasses) is ridiculous

Frames for glasses; how can they be a couple of hundred quid?

If you wear glasses you’re not going to like the answer:

TL;DR; Monopoly and price fixing. Luxottica.

Glasses are massively over-priced, but it’s largely because people won’t pay much for eye exams etc so the cost has to be hidden in the glases.

You can take your prescription and buy online for much less of course, but you’re playing them system really.

Whilst we’re there – Laser Eye Surgery, perhaps not something you want to scrimp on, but “from £295 per eye” always seems to translate into £3000 please.

the actual material and cost of manufacturing the frames and lenses are minuscule. you are paying for the brand name and a bit of the opticians expertise/training/qualifications or scarcity value.

Read the undercover economist[/url]

Houns – Member
Even as an Oakley collector I have to agree the cost of glasses (and sunglasses) is ridiculous

Wanna buy some Romeo II’s 😉

Houses!
Compare the rebuild/insurance value of the property Vs what it’s market value is. Crazy.

at around £5000 per gallon – printer ink

Anything niche

Bikes – anything to do with them. Components, tyres, wheels etc. You could be into stuff with engines for not much more

Weddings – anything related to this

Bromptons – expensive, continue to hold their value though

Coffee – really expensive for what it is

Houses!
Compare the rebuild/insurance value of the property Vs what it’s market value is. Crazy.

Mine are within 2% of each other, but then I’m in a terraced house in Huddersfield

Anything for use in a scientific laboratory.

And weddings.

a bottle of water. a litre of water is more expensive than a litre of petrol

Broad beans.
by the time you have shelled and split them (and fried with smokey bacon and diced shallots) they work out at something like £35/kilo*. they are piss easy to grow.

*i actually weighed what was left once i had shelled and split a bag from sainsburys.

I’m just waiting to find out how much progressive lenses are going to be….
For my part, I’m quite happy to buy relatively expensive frames from manufacturers who maintain spares or keep frames in long term production – in case of breakage as the frames actually aren’t the expensive bit.

Wanna buy some Romeo II’s

Nope, don’t like them…. Pop them on eBay and ship worldwide, should fetch you a fair amount

Compare the rebuild/insurance value of the property Vs what it’s market value is. Crazy.

So it’s the land that’s expensive then?!

things from yacht chandlers – double the price if not more of the same item from a different shop in most cases !

See, also, taps.

The thing with taps is….. how often do you ever buy them. Generic cheap taps sell if fairly big volumes but anything specialist, particular or fashionable has a lot of tooling costs and sells in pretty small numbers up to the point where fashion leaves them behind.

The small sales volume and the infrequency that people buy them – I’d be surprised if most people buy taps more than two of three times in a lifetime means even even if taps were a 10th of the price they are now people wouldn’t buy more taps than they do.

(I’m 45 and have yet to buy a tap for my own consumption – each of the 17 houses I’ve lived in so far already had some)

Wife works at an opticians. Mark up on glasses is massive.

12T jockey wheels 😯

And weddings.

Just don’t tell anyone its a wedding. My friend got married this summer – hired and outdoor venue, hired marquee, furniture, PA, decorations, flowers, catering, everything. Just never said ‘wedding’ to any of them. Saved thousands.

For my part, I’m quite happy to buy relatively expensive frames from manufacturers who maintain spares or keep frames in long term production

Provided they do.

My current glasses are “Police” brand. The hinge broke after a couple of years. No spares available online, from manufacturer or in opticians. They wanted me to buy an entire new set of £200+ glasses for the sake of a little metal hinge.

I ended up having to buy a second-hand pair of identical glasses from eBay for a tenner and salvage the hinge off them myself.

30L bin liners – seem way more expensive than other bin liners

Sportives

Macadamias, pecans, decent quality dried fruit
– baking is expensive nowadays !

Muesli & granola – ridiculously expensive

Wooden curtain poles. Seems it’s either £15.99 for some horrid plasticy looking thing from Homebase, or £200+ for proper solid wood from Copes or John Lewis. I could buy a wood lathe, tools and materials and have enough cash left for the curtains themselves rather than buying a house worth of poles!

Grahams try a non fashion rebrand frame next time from someone who specializes In frame design and manufacture .

Not a relabeler

Underpants

+1 for glasses.

I will add the ticket to London Bridge I’ve just bought that is inexplicably £4 more than a ticket to Victoria. Thank you RMT.

I wouldn’t have a clue who that would be though trail_rat.
I just pick the frames that I think look relatively acceptable on my misshapen face, I don’t research the manufacturing process.

Plus, as per the video above, it seems most brands are owned by the same company anyway.

Cubic zirconia . . .

It used to be cheap ass tat , now it’s only a fraction less than diamond

Coffee and Tea in cafes.
Hot water, tea bag and some milk! £3 please…
in fact any drink in any public establishment, with any drink the main constituent is water so they are all over priced.

If you think weddings are expensive then you need to try divorce! 🙂

Was watching Babylon5 last night. Looked up the series on Amazon and Amazon Prime – renting all the series on Prime is more expensive than buying the box set (which includes the movies)