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SmplTon t1_j3q2g28 wrote

They don’t make r/BuyItForLife like they used to

1,248

Ddubs111 t1_j3qohbt wrote

Lol maybe my favorite Reddit comment I have read.

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Ill-ConceivedVenture t1_j3q4hf3 wrote

Yes they do, you just have to look harder.

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SmplTon t1_j3q5wbc wrote

I was just being silly, I apologize.

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whatchawhy t1_j3q8zr1 wrote

The new buyitforlife is junk, you should just thrift the old one.

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agent_tits t1_j3skz57 wrote

I actually thought this was a funny response haha.

This is what people (even on here, sometimes!) often say in response to the top comment’s sentiment. “They don’t make them like they used to” … “Yes they do, you just have to look harder/not buy the shittiest brand at Walmart/not just look at the front page”

Swing and a miss perhaps lol

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Kind-Strike t1_j3txkn4 wrote

Apparently the stick you keep up your ass must be buy it for life with how hard you're clenching your ass over a joke

0

-Codfish_Joe t1_j3qthzd wrote

Survivor bias gives it too much credit. This is more like r/lookatwhatifoundingrandmascloset.

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Steak_Knight t1_j3qn5am wrote

Any sub over 1m users goes to shit.

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ronwharton t1_j3r2hlk wrote

Reminds me of r/fitness

-Ron Wharton

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ImYoGrandpaw t1_j3rbc6a wrote

The absolute best example is r/antiwork. Literally not even anti work anymore.

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One-Significance1735 t1_j3sai0t wrote

Literally just people who complain ab the dumbest shit & random “i dont agree with this” posts. It’s so annoying. Anyone who disagrees gets like 300+ downvotes. I’m all for saying fuck the company, but when the company says “you can’t spend 3 hours in the bathroom please” idk if you can reply with “how unfair! Gotta be against worker rights”

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Boogiemann53 t1_j3swah3 wrote

Tbf it's Anti work not "reasonable requests only" or something. If anything they should double down ironically

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One-Significance1735 t1_j3swsr5 wrote

That’s fair! I mean it is literally that. Can’t knock it. But does annoy me. But entertains me as well so I haven’t left lol.

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sprashoo t1_j3w4drs wrote

Maybe the name of the sub is kind of the problem - it’s dramatic and gets attention but in the end is kind of vague and also hyperbole, which means that there are a huge range of possible interpretations about what it means. So internal fighting starts almost immediately and in the end whatever direction the sub (or movement) goes, most people will be pissed off that it’s going off the rails.

Exactly like “Abolish the police” in 2020. Wow, so dramatic! What does abolish really mean though? Queue 2+ years of infighting while every reasonable person who would have supported the movement walks away.

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TurnedEvilAfterBan t1_j3uukb7 wrote

r/antiwork is for burned out people. r/workreform is for people still in the fight.

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ComprehensiveRow4189 t1_j3r4ksv wrote

A lot of new people joined the sub. A lot of people that wanted all the upsides of buying BIFL but none of the downsides (cost and doing research). I think I might just make an actually BIFL sub where you can only post stuff that can be bought currently and is made in the Western world(which includes Australia and New Zealand)/Japan/South Korea/Taiwan.

Absolutely top notch brands like Chicago comb company, Ashland leather, Smith's all natural, Hanks belts, Ernest Wright, Henry Hoover, Seki, Suwada, Karve shaving co., RGM, TiSurvival etc.

And where anything less is not allowed.

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TigerLillians t1_j3sbbb7 wrote

I would totally join that in a heartbeat. It was the main thing I was looking for in this sub, to be able to ask what are good brands for XYZ would be great. It would also feel good to contribute too!

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chefkoolaid t1_j3y5p59 wrote

There is nothing stopping you from posting and asking for product recommendations in this sub. A good portion of the front page of the sub is exactly that. The vintage item posts make the feed but if you actually visit the sub there is a lot of product discussion.

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eSue182 t1_j3rxxfo wrote

My Bombas socks that were gifted to me four years ago still feel like new! I can’t wear Hanes socks anymore. Too scratchy.

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wlcjdkfjdjdbskx t1_j3slmaf wrote

If you do create a sub let us know mate, I think lots of people would join.

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Maleficent_Alfalfa_5 t1_j3uiklu wrote

I sure do hope that Chicago comb company has good mustache combs, I mean is there really any life to buy it for without a good mustache comb?

1

agent_flounder t1_j3ujc6w wrote

Do it! I would join that in a flash.

I don't even mind the "grandma's fridge" posts but I would appreciate a more focused sub, too.

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[deleted] t1_j3q0e4y wrote

Years ago when Digg came over, tbh. Read the sidebar. I think the mission statement may cover it, but so many people here just use the sub to recommend brands they kinda like rather than limiting the sub to items that are truly designed for a lifetime of ownership.

I can't even begin to talk about how a lifetime guarantee doesn't have anything to do with the idea behind wanting a buy it for life item. It's a cheat code around the concept that reeks of wasteful consumerism and true product value.

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Boz6 t1_j3qx4un wrote

> so many people here just use the sub to recommend brands they kinda like rather than limiting the sub to items that are truly designed for a lifetime of ownership.

I may be way off here, but with TODAY'S products, meaning products currently being produced, MOST of them haven't been produced long enough for people to truly KNOW whether or not they're BIFL.

And even for products that have been produced for a long time, and are still being produced, how do we as normal consumers know whether or not the product materials or manufacturing process has been recently changed?

I have a desktop radio that I've had and used daily for a REALLY LONG time. But it's no longer available for new purchase. So, so far, it's BIFL for ME, but nobody else can buy one new, so what good would it be for me to post?

Sorry for the pessimism. I just have a hard time knowing what's REALLY BIFL for products that are currently available for new purchase.

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MalagrugrousPatroon t1_j3rtflx wrote

Same experience I have. I have a Boston Acoustics Recepter clock radio which must be close to 20 years old. It's the best sounding music device of its size I've ever heard, and a remarkably excellent radio, but it can only be bought used. Those 20 years are meaningless if 20 years are already used up the moment you buy it.

The opposite is true of the Aiyima A08 Pro. It has amazingly sound quality, but people might reject it out of hand because it's made in China, even though it uses American chips. Worse for this subreddit is it's only a year or so old. So despite the high quality of the device, there is no telling if it has longevity despite its high apparent quality.

And as for production changes over time, Red Wing has come out with cheaper footwear. There are implicit trade offs for the lower price and more immediate comfort of materials like foam, versus more leather for more longevity at greater cost.

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dizzykitty t1_j3skwbh wrote

This is valid. I think the idea is to recognize what trends make for a lasting product and make your best educated guess. For instance, my Ford ranger has a cast iron block and cast iron head. The valves aren't interfering, so if I break a timing belt my engine won't grenade. It is easily serviceable by myself and of the shelf parts are still available. My truck shares a lot in common with trucks of the 80's meaning there has been over 30 years of continuous support for it.

As far as vehicles go, I'd say it qualifies as bifl for now. I would post my truck, make my case and let y'all decide for yourself if it qualifies to you.

That's sort of my 2cents though.

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Pinkfish_411 t1_j3vg7fp wrote

>MOST of them haven't been produced long enough for people to truly KNOW whether or not they're BIFL

This is often repeated here, but it's actually nonsense that flatly contradicts the sub's obsession with "planned obsolescence." The very concept of planned obsolescence implies that it's possible to know how long an object will last on average given the choice of certain materials and construction techniques.

So which is it? Either we can have reasonable knowledge of how long objects will last without waiting around and watching how long it takes them to fail, or else the whole idea that products are designed to fail, like folks on this sub so often charge, is a spurious complaint.

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Boz6 t1_j3vws9c wrote

"The best laid plans..."

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sriracha20002 t1_j3qhw2h wrote

Disagree somewhat, I think any company that has an unconditional guarantee for replacements likely also has a product that stands up to alot of abuse. Otherwise, profits would wane, and they wouldn't be able to stay in business. Thinking of Darntough, arcteryx, and others that I have used for years now and really enjoy.

Doubting the new brands that are trying to create bifl products is part of the reason this sub has turned into a vintage show and tell.

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DaCouponNinja t1_j3qs4is wrote

“Vintage show and tell” totally captures the feeling of this sub now.

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-Codfish_Joe t1_j3qtq1f wrote

Warrantees are to sell products. Lifetime warrantees give the perception of durability, and sell products.

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[deleted] t1_j3s5gmz wrote

plenty of shit products have a good warranty just to compete. Arc'teryx and Darntough are not good products because they have a warranty. They are good products with a good warranty. The difference is everything.

I'm amazed at how many people upvotes such a simplistic opinion. Advertising works far too well, y'all believe it.

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sriracha20002 t1_j3sab43 wrote

You're right, but it's crazy to think that an unconditional warranty has NO bearing on product quality, everyone would offer unconditional warranties if so.

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[deleted] t1_j3se1gy wrote

[deleted]

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sriracha20002 t1_j3sob20 wrote

I'm sorry but this is an anecdote, the original commenter said that warranties were ONLY and EXCLUSIVELY a marketing ploy, and I am saying only that in some cases the warranty is offered because the company believes the product will last and will back that up. I have had my otterbox replaced because of dog damage, which is the only thing that managed to damage this case in the 4 years I have had it.

I would hate to work where you worked, and I dont think it represents the purchasing behaviour of this sub. The WHOLE POINT of this sub is to sus out the products you can buy today that stand up to wear and scrutiny. A good starting point is products with unconditional warranty, then the court of public opinion can also weigh in.

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[deleted] t1_j3t1ebg wrote

[deleted]

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sriracha20002 t1_j3t1u15 wrote

Dude all I'm saying is that it CAN indicate quality, that's it.

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[deleted] t1_j3t281b wrote

[deleted]

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sriracha20002 t1_j3t2r6u wrote

You're the only one having meaningless emotions in these comments chief lol. Neither of us have done correlational studies on warranties and quality/durability so this is bound to go on forever, I'm down if you're down ;)

−1

tarbender2 t1_j3qdu50 wrote

Is it the sub or the reality of today’s intentional short life cycle goods?

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TOHSNBN t1_j3r9z5n wrote

You can still get a lot of quality stuff, it is just harder to find and more expensive.

And you need to make sure your info is still up to date.

Buying "brand" no longer works, the stuff you want is not really advertised so you need to look for it.

Buying "commercial grade" often is a really good solution.
It does not look fancy or "trendy" but that stuff is made to be abused.
It is gonna last forever in a residential home. Pretty much anything that goes into a kitchen for example.
You get really kickass pans that cost half of your fancy cast iron that are way more sturdy.
Or just a regular wisk, collander, container, you name it.
Get a few polycarbonate combro and you gonna not look at tupperware ever again.
Same for ovens, planchas, burners... whatever. Solid stainless steel is not gonna break.

Also, replacement lids are still gonna be around in 20 years easy, that stuff is standardized.

Dont buy an overpriced dyson, buy the ugly vaccum housekeeping kicks around with steel toes and uses to clean 30 rooms each day.

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xSympl OP t1_j3t4jse wrote

Exactly. I expect, with all things, to spend 4x as much, but receive 10x the reliability and quality. Buying brands is always stupid, look at red wing they were hyped in here for years and now the quality is terrible because they couldn't keep up with demands and pricing.

Meanwhile some leather worker and cobbler in fucking Nevada or something, are putting out $500 boots that will last your life if you properly care for them, but without people talking about them they won't get any business.

Same thing happened in a few clothing specific subs where once it got bigger and the folks who put in hours of research were hidden by low-effort content being 100x more prevalent, they stopped and the quality just got worse.

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thisplacemakesmeangr t1_j3tecwj wrote

I noticed something on here a bit ago, a link to a place in the UK that curated BIFL items with a lifetime warranty. There was another in the states I can't remember but want to use, hopefully someone will comment

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MagicalWatermelons t1_j3vuzpv wrote

>Dont buy an overpriced dyson, buy the ugly vaccum housekeeping kicks around with steel toes and uses to clean 30 rooms each day.

I just got a small shop vac for my home vacuum. Sucks up anything, cleaning is easy, doesn't break, no fancy parts.

Sure it's loud but if noise levels are a concern when vacuum shopping you have too much money to be on this sub.

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carpathian_crow t1_j3uzx2v wrote

I’ve posted things that I’ve had for a while but which are relatively new and told that they don’t fit.

I guess this is secretly r/vintage just wearing a mask

0

IsPhil t1_j3rcpb4 wrote

Unfortunately there are 2 cases that often happen when someone posts an item here

  • Post something old that has survived
    • Can't find it anymore
    • Not built the same anymore
    • Possible survivorship bias
    • How old is too old?
  • Post something that is new
    • People claim it hasn't been around long enough to be properly tested
    • People claim the company hasn't been proven
    • It is against the sub rules

It's tough to decide whether an item really does fit in this sub which is why someone made another subreddit a while ago I believe.

But there isn't necessarily anything wrong with posting old possibly bifl items, but yeah sometimes people do post too much, and sometimes they don't check to see if others have survived.

For example I wouldn't have learned about how good old washer/dryers were compared to new ones if it weren't for people posting about their grandma's kenmore that's been around for longer than I've been alive. That seems like a fair bifl post. You can still get used washer/dryers from the old days. Often people just throw them out. With a couple part replacements you can probably get it running and lasting longer (for cheaper) than if you bought a new machine.

Something that might be a bad post is "look at grandmas fridge from 1940 that's still running". Not only is it gonna be impossible to find that fridge, but it's also an inferior product compared to many fridges today due to efficiency (which is why you can't find extras on the market). But the subreddit doesn't say anything about that being against the rules. It was a product that was "durable, practical, proven and made-to-last".

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Captain_Bignose t1_j3sd81e wrote

Agree, it gets old seeing people post 1980 alarm clocks, razors that are literally just a piece of metal, or appliances from 1950. Same with all the reposts about Stanley mugs, socks, and the like. The most interesting part about this sub is the discussion about what to look for for potential bifl items and overall build quality.

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nionvox t1_j3yyh94 wrote

>"look at grandmas fridge from 1940 that's still running". Not only is it gonna be impossible to find that fridge, but it's also an inferior product compared to many fridges today due to efficiency

This. I inherited a house from an older relative, and thus, had some old stuff in it. The fridge was from '52. It theoretically still worked (needed a new part installed) but would've been incredibly inefficient and expensive to run compared to just buying a new goddamn fridge, which is what we did. It also weighed 330lbs and was no fun to get down the stairs.

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Hollow_Effects t1_j3q3iti wrote

I mean I just stared r/youcanbuyitforlife which is a similar sub for high quality items that can be purchased right now but so far it’s only got thirty members

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xSympl OP t1_j3q4lei wrote

Ok, I'll sub haha

It's just really annoying when this sub had a lot of like, good brands to buy from (Solovair, Red Wings for a while, Pendleton, Patagonia, etc,.) and featured more the "overly-engineered" products, less the "my XYZ has been around since 1795, look!" Posts.

I appreciate a better place, still love this place but after coming back a few years later... Oof.

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Hollow_Effects t1_j3q4yhr wrote

Thanks for the the sub now if you post something I’d be truly grateful lol

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Fruitndveg t1_j3qd0y7 wrote

Excellent idea this. I just really hope it doesn’t become a darn tough/ cast iron/ redwing circle jerk like this place kind of has.

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Steak_Knight t1_j3qni1s wrote

Top post is a Martha Stewart pan made in China. 🤔

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-Chris-V- t1_j3qqoe6 wrote

Do we expect the lifespan of Chinese iron to be less than American iron?

Maybe youcanbiyitforlife can also lean more towards stuf that's more affordable. Just because a $600 blanket is available to be purchased doesn't mean that I can buy it.

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Kall_Me_Kapkan t1_j3ungza wrote

Because that whole sub would either be mass produced items that most people already own (like the Martha Stewart pan).

The reason I bought my Lodge pan is because I appreciate the hard working Americans that put their time and effort to develop a good product.

I don't want to send my money to the CCP

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Steak_Knight t1_j3qr0xe wrote

I’m sorry are we really arguing over whether a Martha Stewart CI pan is an example of high quality and BIFL? Come on. I’m just saying, that’s a pretty inauspicious start for the sub.

−3

sriracha20002 t1_j3stv7i wrote

I think acknowledging that most cast iron is BIFL, and that branding maybe doesn't matter very much, sets a good tone for the sub. What if someone really likes the styling of that specific pan? I'm not going to pretend it is going to break just because the name behind the pan is Martha Stewart lol

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Hollow_Effects t1_j3qorvj wrote

*only post

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Steak_Knight t1_j3qp9qq wrote

Fair. But you said it’s for high quality items.

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Hollow_Effects t1_j3qrp37 wrote

Believe it or not a high quality item can occasionally be made in china. I’ve got years of experience with this pan and it’s done just as well as my four lodge pans.

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Steak_Knight t1_j3qsj15 wrote

I’m not denying that high quality products can be made in China. I’m saying anyone who knows cookware will tell you that is not one of those items.

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Brandbll t1_j3r8dee wrote

Some jackass the other day posted about how they replaced all of their glassware with yeti mugs. I haven't gotten any good tips from this place in a while.

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xSympl OP t1_j3t1btg wrote

That's actually hilarious. I've used the same cups my grandparents have and cups I've bought for 50¢ ten years ago. cups have never been a "is it BIFL?" item to me. Don't fucking freeze them or drop them often and they'll last forever.

Hell I think I have those "limited edition" movie theater cups going back to The Phantom Menace, that still work.

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Area51Resident t1_j3r7i7i wrote

I knew a guy that had a pacemaker in his cheats, that is definitely BIFL. Even if you allow for survivor bias.

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Turbulent-Army2631 t1_j3q0w6i wrote

I'm new to this sub. What's survivor's bias?

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[deleted] t1_j3q1hqq wrote

It’s a general term but on this sub it means look at this appliance from the 50’s that still works, while 99% of the same item have broken. Doesn’t make it a buy it for life item.

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_banana_phone t1_j3qvc3g wrote

Good point. It’s like how people say that about old cars, while neglecting the fact that a lot of old cars clunked out pretty quickly.

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sparkyjay23 t1_j3r0x1m wrote

I think the whole point with old cars is you can repair them. A car from the 60s is repairable by most garage mechanics. A car from today isn't.

The only buy it for life cars today are probably Rolls Royce & Ferrari, cost enough to be fixed regardless of the problem while they actively value their old cars.

1

SloChild t1_j3q1o0l wrote

Thanks for the easy to understand explanation. That helps me, and I hope it helps others.

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BuddingFarmer t1_j3q1joo wrote

Imagine a company made 5000 cast iron pans. In that 5000,many had flaws but a few were near perfect and didn't break over the next 100 years. Only 5 of them still exist unbroken, but no one thinks about the broken ones. So when someone shows off their 100 year old pan, they say that new stuff isn't made to last 100 years anymore. However the truth is that 99.9% of those pans weren't made to last 100 years, they just got lucky with the one that survived.

That's survivorship bias.

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PuzzleheadedLow4687 t1_j3q20rr wrote

It's the same argument that goes "the Victorians built all their buildings to look really pretty and last 200 years". No, they built some of their buildings that way. All the crappy and ugly Victorian buildings have long since fallen down or been demolished.

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-Chris-V- t1_j3qqvud wrote

As someone who live in a very ugly impossible to heat house from the victorian era, I feel heard. It hasn't fallen down yet, but man it's on its way.

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Gnarlodious t1_j3qrgqr wrote

Paraphrasing, most antique cars are Ford Model A. Not because they were built so well or a great value, but rather because more were sold than any other. That’s why I will always recommend the Ford Model A as BIFL.

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Kall_Me_Kapkan t1_j3umyny wrote

Depends who made the pan, a rare Lodge is definately worth posting.

Electric mixers from the 50s covered in plastic is a piece of garbage though, don't care if it's the original robot coup.

1

Dornith t1_j3raeqd wrote

Nothing anyone can explain here with do a better job than this image.

5

Nobody_special1980 t1_j3q3uok wrote

It’s just another term used by “those” kind of people to bitch about something on the internet.

−39

xSympl OP t1_j3q4axw wrote

Lol '"those" kind of people' makes absolutely zero sense outside of an argumentative context. What could that POSSIBLY infer, especially for a rather common and documented phenomenon that's been a phrase for a while.

Seems like you're in here being angry just to be angry, you good?

15

ak80048 t1_j3q14s4 wrote

I don’t really know what that is

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groovy604 t1_j3rnfv2 wrote

But hey look at my indestructible cast iron pan that has surprising not destructed, since it is literally a solid hunk of metal

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hairyboater t1_j3uqm9t wrote

“The beauty of this here do-hickey, is that it only has one moving part”

3

feugh_ t1_j3tin7p wrote

I think a great way to improve this sub would be for people to: a) get a grip when it comes to lifespan vs useage, ie understanding that if it only gets used once every two years and it still works great it might not actually be bifl, it might just be stored correctly b) realise that care and storage are 50% of why things last, ie, stop tumble drying your clothes, and c) letting go of the boring knee jerk anti-China sentiment. there are loads of skilled workers in Asia & there are sweatshops producing clothes in the USA! you might be more likely to get a better quality product if it’s made in the US, but that’s just because statistically more things are made in China! It doesn’t mean that China = automatically bad.

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loud119 t1_j3qpj7l wrote

Is survivorship not a critical metric into whether something is BIFL?

4

[deleted] t1_j3qs18q wrote

Yeah but most of the times, the items posted weren't used enough. I've got jeans I've worn twice a year which are 30 years old (passed down to me by others). I wouldn't call them BIFL because they're barely used.

I'd praise more affordable jeans I've had for 5-6 years which have been worn few times a week and frequently washed and dried in the dryer and are still in great state.

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Albinorhino74 t1_j3qqer9 wrote

Yes, but so many times it is a item that gets used a few times a year. Just about anything will be buy it for life if not used.

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bat_in_the_stacks t1_j3qsars wrote

Only if most of the produced items commonly survive. If one stove happened to be produced on a golden day 80 years ago when all forces aligned to make it indestructible, but the rest of the line has since blown up, highlighting that one good one isn't useful.

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1337Lulz t1_j3rz8m2 wrote

It's not just about how long something lasts, but how good it is. The concept of quality has been completely lost on this subreddit. Your grandmother's 40 year old microwave might technically still work, but it's a massive piece of shit compared to a modern one.

3

Love_Never_Shuns t1_j3raoh4 wrote

Yes, survivorship of the total population of the production run matters when determining the likelihood that any particular item chosen at random survives. So if 50K out of 100k of an item produced 50 years ago are still around and functional, that would tell you something about the products longevity. However, if you just have examples of items that have last 50 years, but aren’t considering or don’t know, how many were initially produced you can’t determine what the probability of survivorship is.

1

8enny8lack t1_j3rqjmz wrote

Can we get a sub where people can complain about how Reddit used to be, and not fkn post it in BIFL?

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xSympl OP t1_j3t07e8 wrote

You must be Italian.

−1

hairyboater t1_j3uqi1k wrote

And you’re gatekeeping.

How about ignoring the stuff you don’t like? There is still meaningful content here.

1

xSympl OP t1_j3uypc3 wrote

  1. This isn't gatekeeping.

  2. Cause you're upsetti spaghetti.

1

hairyboater t1_j3xauvb wrote

I was talking about your post, OP.

Such angst, Tony Macaroni!

1

xSympl OP t1_j3ycp9f wrote

That isn't gatekeeping. Do you, like, understand the word?

1

ZionBane t1_j3qoivt wrote

How do you know it's Survivor Bias?

I mean if you just want to talk about what you think are the best brands, then just start a sub for something like r/RedwingBootsLovers or something along those lines.

The thing is, how would you know something is a Buy It For Life, if you only had it a month?

I bought 3 pairs of Red Wings, one lasted me 6 months, till the souls wore out, one has lasted me 3 years and going, one got hit by a chainsaw, and while the steel toe protected my foot, the fact that I cut the front of the boot all up and it would no longer stop the elements that well, it lasted me 2 weeks till I needed to replace them.

Just like I have an old Black-n-Decker Drill that is, around 30 years old. Take care of it, and they can last you forever, I have burned through 2 DeWalt's in the last 10 years. Now, I would say the DeWalt was an over all better quality drill, smoother, stronger, drill, and I used them in the commercial sense, the BnD was my fathers little home drill.

What is the metric here, if you just want confirmation bias, like "Oh this product that I think is the best, is the best" and can't handle it when this is challenged, because some other products have lasted longer, so you write them off as survivor bias, maybe this is not the sub for you in a overall sense anyway.

I wish you well on some other sub.

2

Captian_Kenai t1_j3r4pln wrote

The product bias is definitely present here. I had posted my two pairs of RSQ (Tilly’s brand) jeans I’ve had for 7 years now that have withstood almost weekly washes and near daily wear.

I got downvoted because it’s “a cheap brand” and “not real jeans that’ll last a lifetime”

8

Love_Never_Shuns t1_j3rb6xl wrote

For me the metric this sub should be striving to promote is engineering and materials.

4

ZionBane t1_j3rinn3 wrote

eh.. not going to lie, but, that does not work, until you wear them and put them to use so seeing old, used, stuff, should be what we expect here.

The goal of course should be, the best products are still made. Always a pity when you see a good quality product that no longer gets made.

But at the end of the day, if you are going tell me something is going to last, I should rightfully expect you to have one that lasted. I think that should be, a benchmark at least.

Just to use an example, I've bought a pair of $150 Caterpillar Boots that only lasted as long as my $50 Brahma's I normally buy from Walmart. Overall, the Caterpillar was a slightly better boot, a bit more comfortable and felt tougher, but they simply did not last.

Legit, I have burned through dozens of Brahma boots, I know about how long they will last me, and, harsh truth is, most other boots, don't outlast them under the same working conditions.

So I would be tossing money at a product that really will not give me a better ROI. Now I am not about to go run around here pissing all over them, or praising Brahma, they are boots, they last about as long as I expect my boots to last, so, nothing amazing, but nothing that bad either. I would not put either of them up as BIFL, but at the same time, they do their job, and do it well enough that there is no reason for me to say they won't do the job you buy them for. They are boots, and they do their job as boots.

But if you look at this site, everyone would tell you, that Redwings and Caterpillar should outlast cheaper boots, I suppose you could say, I just got a bad pair of boots from Caterpillar, which, you know, could be the be case, but doesn't that defeat the idea of it being BIFL, if I can get bad ones, and that just ends up being Survivor Bias by the people that swear by them?

So really, I like seeing or at the very least, hearing someone tell me they had something that endured, that they put them to work, and they held up, and then say "This is a good product"

I really think that should be the baseline of this site.

Again, always a pity when a good product ceases to exist, shame really when that happens.

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xSympl OP t1_j3t32qi wrote

You say overly engineered and high quality shouldn't be a metric then give examples of poorly engineered low quality products. Plus, boots last a long fucking time if you take care of them. Are you rotating your pairs and taking care of the leather? You can't wear a boot several days in a row and expect it to last, just rotating through even one other pair and making sure the other pair can dry out properly after use can extend the life dramatically in many cases.

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ZionBane t1_j3tow1h wrote

First Point: I have a spatula that I bought at Walmart, just a generic pressed metal blade, with a plastic handle, so damn cheap it does not even have a brand or logo on it, paid something like 5 dollars for it, bought it at a summer kick off sale, had to glue the handle back on a few times over the years, but at 5 years old, of daily use, still holds up great, gonna use it again in about half an hour to make dinner.

Second Point: As for the boots, lets get something clear, not only can I wear the same boots all week straight, I do. Now I am not about to get into a pissing contest on boots with you, you wear your boots your way, I'll wear mine, my way. Regardless of that factor, I expect if I buy a higher quality boot, they should last longer then a lower quality pair under the same situation and usage, if they do not, what's the point of saying they are better, when, they aren't for what I need.

Anyway, might add my spatula to this site, just to brag on it, might piss you off, but I think it can still be bought at Walmart, during the summer when they are putting out all the cheap grilling stuff.

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chefkoolaid t1_j3y6t3q wrote

ya need to let boots rest and dry out for them to last. improperly cared for yeah, any boot will get destroyed quickly by daily wear

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xSympl OP t1_j3umm0d wrote

You're pissed off I told you literal basic fucking boot care lmao. You need help and a checked ego, lol. I'm not going to keep arguing with someone who is literally mentally unwell.

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ZionBane t1_j3vx0xq wrote

Nah bro. You wear your boots your way, I'll wear them mine, if you think that it being mentally unwell, you have issues.

Which might be why you also have issues with this site, I wish you well somewhere else.

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xSympl OP t1_j3w1onc wrote

you're just proving my point with every reply

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ZionBane t1_j3w7kmo wrote

Your Point Being: That you don't understand that, if you make the claim that something is BIFL, that you should, at the very least, have a working example of it's longevity under your care?

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xSympl OP t1_j3wg2r3 wrote

Bro you think the government is using us for fucking batteries, you're just an old argumentative loser who wants to cherry pick his replies to ignore the actual information while being upset over something never said.

It's sad, and it's pathetic. You call yourself a prepper but don't know basic boot care!? You use hostile language then act like the boots are what I'm calling out to begin with!?

I take solace in the fact you clearly are either on the spectrum or schizo-afflicted. I hope you're healthy one day, but you are a scourge that doesn't deserve to exist. You're a fucking walking loot drop in an actual SHTF scenario and your unhinged mentality and attitude mean you'd just be wasted and scaved in a real scenario lmao.

You genuinely need help, but I'm positive you're on a government list. Knowing you are factually mentally unwell and not me just being a dickhead makes me genuinely sad because I wasted, and am continuing with this response TO WASTE, effort on someone who never has or will have a stable thought in their life. You make me sad, congratulations.

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ZionBane t1_j3wj4tq wrote

Wow, look at that drooling, insane, all over the place personal attack, over... boot care,

You, have issues.

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xSympl OP t1_j3ydn4m wrote

You regularly post to /conspiracy and /prepper. You continue to act like this is over boot care.

You're the insane one. I'm just going to block you and hope you finally get one some meds for the schizophrenia and paranoia. Maybe if SHTF I'll find you and turn you into a loot drop too<3

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breakdancingcat t1_j3uf907 wrote

My redwings boots are still going strong 4 years later. But the brand offers a bunch of styles with varying levels of sustainability or quality. Certain styles might be bifl right? Like foam or squishy rubber soles aren't going to last even if the brand is well liked. Trying to understand if you mean redwings suck as a whole because some styles are garbage?

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ZionBane t1_j3ulxyl wrote

Redwing are perfectly serviceable footwear, so are Caterpillar, Wolverine, and Brahma.

My feelings are thus when it comes to BIFL, If you are going to claim something is BIFL, you should be able to back that up, ideally with the thing you think has longevity, actually having Longevity under your care.

Seems reasonable No?

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Sathaea t1_j3r6byv wrote

I mean, how rigorously can we test if something is buy-it-for-life without personal anecdote? Survivor’s bias is always going to be a factor because we just don’t have every other sample to compare it to. So what if someone shows off a thing that‘s been working longer than projected, if it’s buy-it-for-life for them, I’d say it still counts. I’ve got a diesel f250 from 30 years ago still going strong but many others are in the junkyard because they weren’t taken care of, but my Ford is still buy-it-for-life because the engine has been running for longer than I’ve been alive without issue and aside from a little rust, the rest of the truck is in good shape. I’m sure there’s more in the scrapyard than on the road because these were fleet vehicles and work trucks, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t lifetime quality when cared for right.

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xSympl OP t1_j3t1wmk wrote

Over-engineered, high quality materials, and a good reputation from the company . . ? This isn't rocket science it's going "oh the thin jackets being sold at Walmart are terrible quality, here's a jacket that uses actual high grade leather or waxed canvas from a company with great reviews and the stitching is 2-4x more than standard".

Like it is possible to tell a quality item from a poor item

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andyman171 t1_j3ujx1z wrote

Could it be that there really aren't any products that are truly buy it for life anymore and so when people see something last they ignore the possibility of survivor bias

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klbstaples t1_j3rm3qg wrote

r/GoodValue is one of my favorites. Their goal isn't BIFL, but I often can't afford BIFL versions of things, so I get something good for the money. Just kinda tangential to r/BuyItForLife

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harda_toenail t1_j3rv1q7 wrote

I think the problem is that Reddit has progressively gone to shot in the past 4-5 years.

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manfredmannclan t1_j3seg33 wrote

I get the critisism. But how much do we actually know about theese products, if we dont look at the things that has survived many years. Some of the things that is endorsed on here has some really mixed reviews quality wise.

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edwardianpug t1_j3srthk wrote

What do you mean by survivor's bias?

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xSympl OP t1_j3t53p0 wrote

100 items are made 80 of them break within five years 10 more within ten years 8 more within twenty years

Now there are two out of one hundred that are still working today, the person who owns one posts about how high quality and long lasting it is. It isn't, it's just lasted longer.

Survivors bias generally correlates to like, old people saying "back in my day nobody died of XYZ" because they didn't know anyone who died of it, that meant it didn't exist" etc,.

But it generally reders to, in this context, something made that just happened to last forever but it was an outlier, being praised as if it was the standard.

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SkyPork t1_j3v0fhu wrote

I lost faith in the mods on this sub when they refused to stop the vintage bullshit.

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bbrd83 t1_j3v4uyg wrote

This is what happened to Digg right as Reddit came in and swooped up the usership.

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xSympl OP t1_j3v7wk4 wrote

I wish I had been around to know more about Digg. I was in highschool when everything crashed and thought reddit was just another 4chan type thing that all the weird kids used. Didn't help having the basement dwellers ask if you liked mudkips or knew when the narwhal baconed.

Me, being the weirder/drug kid, used Galaxy Social Network on TOR lmao, and only started using reddit around 2015-2018, when some dudes I did videos with got to the front page a few times.

What was Digg actually like? Did I really miss anything?

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ParadoxFoxV9 t1_j3vpppv wrote

In this economy?

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xSympl OP t1_j3vq9a2 wrote

I mean, any quality counts if you don't plan on living very long too...

^^^don't ^^^tell ^^^my ^^^therapist ^^^I ^^^said ^^^that

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bad-monkey t1_j3yjkp1 wrote

honestly i've been internet shopping so hard for the last 3-4 years i don't even have anything left to buy or money to boot lol

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chefkoolaid t1_j3y5bzt wrote

this sub has been the same for years. with people complaining exactly like you are

0

xSympl OP t1_j3ye9eo wrote

Funny how the post is just genuinely asking for advice on a better sub, and somehow your ego still got hurt enough to respond like this.

Imagine taking emotional damage over someone not exactly liking a fucking reddit sub. Gives off hard "if you don't like America just leave" vibes.

Anyway, have fun with the hurt ego lmao. Sub used to be better but I guess you had to actually be here when it was young.

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chefkoolaid t1_j3z3wqd wrote

lolol you have literally no idea how long Ive been on this sub. its been quite a while and ive seen these same complaint posts the whole time

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xSympl OP t1_j3z80bk wrote

And you still bitch about them? That's just sad. Ignore them like you want me to ignore the shitty posts here, clearly I'm on to something with 400 upvotes and only about ten people who are severely emotionally damaged by this like some pathetic always-online

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chefkoolaid t1_j3zl2tv wrote

Lololol youre the one that posted an essay because you are so upset as t the state of the sub! Yet Im emotionally damaged and always online

If you have 400 up votes its because there are 400 other people too lazy to click through to the sub and see the actual front page

If you only see what hits the feed the sentiment is understandable but still not at all an accurate reflection of the sub

I like replying to these posts because its a chance to poke fun at laziness and stupidity. Something I always love to do

Ill keep on pestering you all day if it's going to be this entertaining.

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xSympl OP t1_j3zsb34 wrote

Lol my post was a sentence but triggering the upsetti spaghetti lil kids is just hilarious. Been fucking with the four no life's who cry about this shit since I posted and it's been endless entertainment for the ADHD side of me

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Muncie4 t1_j3qnxj1 wrote

Ah...the old circle jerk by people who think they know what this sub should be. This happens every two weeks here, where people who have never taken a statistics course apply their Dunning–Kruger knowledge and dismiss everything as survivorship bias sans data. And further lament that since there is no ebay, etsy, facebook marketplace, thrift stores, goodwill or yard sales that one cannot buy survivorship bias products so why speak to them?

The sub that better matches this is you putting your product in the search engine and taking notes with pen and paper. Unless you are searching for someone super esoteric like a wallpaper seam roller, the product has likely been spoken of 30 times a year for 5 years.

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xSympl OP t1_j3t3fhv wrote

Imagine being angry but also wrong when trying to insult someone. That's low-key hilarious, do you do shows nationwide or are you just starting your comedy career?

1

Muncie4 t1_j3u40xw wrote

My show is worldwide and one day you be 2% as gifted as I with the written word. Stay in school.

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xSympl OP t1_j3umg0h wrote

That's why you made so many mistakes in that sentence, right? Lmao you're clearly schizzo or something, get help my guy.

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Muncie4 t1_j3vpzm3 wrote

Please diagram the sentence in question and show me teh English.

1