Most people think that luxury goods are better than other brands, but that's not always true.
Whether you're looking to treat yourself to something nice or are shopping for the perfect
gift, here are some luxury brands that you may want to avoid if you want to get something
that's actually worth the high price tag.
Louis Vuitton
Has there ever been a more iconic brand than Louis Vuitton?
With a high sticker price, these bags are well-known as an indicator of wealth, but
the markup on Louis Vuitton purses is ridiculous.
In 2000, the New York Times calculated that the production cost of a Louis Vuitton bag
is hundreds of dollars cheaper than what they sell for.
A spokesperson for the company claimed this estimate was inaccurate, but declined to reveal
the real production costs.
The same spokesperson said that part of what you're paying for is
"...the product development that is involved in its design..."
–which is just a fancy way of saying that you're paying for the name behind the purse
more than the purse itself.
"How does an unemployed girl with three roommates afford the patchwork denim bowly Louis Vuitton
bag?"
"It's rented."
Montblanc
While the art of writing things by hand is quickly being displaced by modern technology,
quality writing instruments still have a dedicated band of followers who are willing to drop
hundreds of dollars on a pen.
Well, save the cash for something better.
The high price tag of a Montblanc pen makes this one luxury good that definitely isn't
worth your money.
As long as you're not a US president, a regular pen will do just fine.
"The ever-reliable, virtually indestructible BIC, just twenty-nine cents.
Does anyone know anything the way BIC knows pens?"
Veuve Clicquot
Whether you're ringing in the new year or celebrating a wedding, a champagne toast is
a classy way of commemorating the occasion.
While it might be tempting to indulge in a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, do you really need
to?
It turns out that you can safely save your money without sacrificing quality.
In a blind taste test conducted by Which?, Veuve Clicquot lost to far more affordable
sparkling wines.
Cheers!
"And that's all she wrote!"
Tiffany
Tiffany is one of the most well-known brands there is, but are you really getting what
you pay for?
If you really want the brand name, which many people do, be aware that you're going to be
paying extra for it.
If you're just looking for beautiful jewelry, however, consider a store like Costco that
offers top-quality gems at much lower prices.
Good Morning America went shopping at both stores and found that a Costco diamond of
a quality similar to one sold at Tiffany's was $10,000 cheaper.
To be fair, though, you'll never get much value for your money with a diamond.
Diamonds are nowhere near as rare as we have been led to believe, and the prices are massively
inflated.
"And of course a big, perfect diamond is a rare object.
But, the typical diamonds, half a carat, one carat diamonds, they're available by the billions."
It turns out that diamonds actually aren't a girl's best friend after all.
Rolex
Rolex is another prime example of an overhyped brand.
While the brand is beloved, its overwhelming popularity as a status symbol is a fairly
recent development.
If you want an elegant and timeless watch, look to Rolex's prime competitor, Omega.
Like Rolex, Omega has produced Swiss-made watches for decades and is widely recognized
as a luxury watch brand.
They also tend to be cheaper, so you'll be getting a much better bargain.
Louboutin
Louboutin sells more than half a million pairs of shoes each year at outrageously high prices.
Those red-soled shoes might be iconic, but they're definitely not worth the cost—or
the pain.
Christian Louboutin himself said that his goal is to make stylish works of art and that
comfort isn't even something he prioritizes when designing his shoes.
The designer told Vogue,
"People say I am the king of painful shoes.
I don't want to create painful shoes, but it is not my job to create something comfortable.
I try to make high heels as comfortable as they can be, but my priority is design, beauty
and sexiness.
I'm not against them, but comfort is not my focus."
Basically, the only way that a pair of Louboutins is worth hundreds of dollars is if you believe
the mantra that pain is beauty.
Mikimoto
If you love pearls, you're probably familiar with this brand.
Widely acknowledged as the best cultured pearls that money can buy, even a simple strand of
Mikimoto pearls can cost thousands of dollars.
At the end of the day, though, they're only cultured pearls–which means they're nowhere
near as rare as pearls that are grown naturally and harvested.
In fact, there's really not much of a reason to dish out the big bucks on pearls at all;
most people can't tell the difference between real and fake pearls, anyway.
If you're looking for that perfect strand to complete an outfit, go ahead and buy some
imitation pearls.
Balenciaga
Balenciaga is a designer that likes to take everyday products, throw their spin on them,
and then sell them at ludicrous prices.
In 2017 they debuted a $2,145 tote bag that looks suspiciously like the ones Ikea sells
for just a dollar.
If you don't want to spend that much money on a tote bag, Balenciaga has you covered
with this calfskin shopping bag–which looks identical to a paper shopping bag.
At just $1,100 you're getting a bargain as far as Balenciaga is concerned, but still
paying way too much money as far as literally all of humanity is concerned.
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