Online store that only sells products that last a lifetime

[nnls]

Just came across this article about a store that sells products that last a lifetime

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/blogs/website-only-stocks-products-last-lifetime

and the website

http://www.buymeonce.com/

[DesireeD]

Great website.

[misterhorsey]

It's an admirable idea but I think they are selling luxury items but using their durability and notions of craftsmanship as a selling point to charge a premium.

For exampley, they list le creuset enamelled cast iron pots, which are beautiful pices of cookware.

http://www.buymeonce.com/index#/kitchenware/

However, the true beauty of cast iron cookware is that is extremely low tech, wonderfully effective cookware, and also pretty cheap.

It doesn't really need to be a fanceh french brand like le creuset, particularly when there are cheaper options on offer:

http://www.kitchenwaredirect.com.au/Chasseur-Inferno-Red-Oval-French-Oven-w-Lid-27cm-3-6L?sc=7&category=108

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-EC6D43-Enameled-Island-6-Quart/dp/B000N501BK

Or I got my enamelled cast iron pot from Kmart (Australia) for $30.

So I applaud the desire to recommend products that last a lifetime. However, it would be great if they actually did some research beyond brand snobbery and found things that a) lasted a lifetime, b) did not buy into brand snobbery; and c) were a bit of a bargain.

Otherwise the whole concept of 'buying once' becomes a selling point that they charge a premium for!!!

[nnls]

It's an admirable idea but I think they are selling luxury items but using their durability and notions of craftsmanship as a selling point to charge a premium.

For exampley, they list le creuset enamelled cast iron pots, which are beautiful pices of cookware.

http://www.buymeonce.com/index#/kitchenware/

However, the true beauty of cast iron cookware is that is extremely low tech, wonderfully effective cookware, and also pretty cheap.

It doesn't really need to be a fanceh french brand like le creuset, particularly when there are cheaper options on offer:

http://www.kitchenwaredirect.com.au/Chasseur-Inferno-Red-Oval-French-Oven-w-Lid-27cm-3-6L?sc=7&category=108

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-EC6D43-Enameled-Island-6-Quart/dp/B000N501BK

Or I got my enamelled cast iron pot from Kmart (Australia) for $30.

So I applaud the desire to recommend products that last a lifetime. However, it would be great if they actually did some research beyond brand snobbery and found things that a) lasted a lifetime, b) did not buy into brand snobbery; and c) were a bit of a bargain.

Otherwise the whole concept of 'buying once' becomes a selling point that they charge a premium for!!!

that is a good point, it does allow you to submit items to be added to their website. so maybe as it grows it will have more cheaper options

[Sean Og]

I agree on the Le Creuset cast iron pots being "fanceh" but my wife registered for one when we got married and I have to say it's a joy to use.

We also have a Lodge cast iron skillet which I bought and works just as well, although not as good as my mothers but I think thats just a matter of time and years of use!

[Noahjoe]

Also, I don't care who you are, nylon luggage is never going to last a lifetime.

Source: 40ish round trip flights a year for work.

This stuff is overpriced crap. a 20 dollar vanilla claw hammer? Please. Almost any hammer is a lifetime tool, even the 4 dollar one from Harbor Freight.

Just because furniture is made from Teak doesn't mean it's suddenly amazing either. Teak's real power is in its natural rot resistance, which only matters if you're going to live underwater with Ariel and Triton.

[Rural]

The only thing I saw there that I would buy were the Doc Martens, and I won't be buying those because I bought a pair in the early '90s and therefore will never need another pair.

[misterhorsey]

I agree on the Le Creuset cast iron pots being "fanceh" but my wife registered for one when we got married and I have to say it's a joy to use.

We also have a Lodge cast iron skillet which I bought and works just as well, although not as good as my mothers but I think thats just a matter of time and years of use!

Yes, I don't necessarily have a complaint about Le Crueset products - they make nice stuff.  Its just the price to performance ratio is skewed towards extreme LUXE!

However, I do have one slight beef with Le Crueset.  Like any manufacturer of lifestyle goods they are extended their brand into hitherto unexplored reaches of kitchenware. They've left behind cast iron and branched out into enameled steel. I was looking for a big stock pot recently and checked Le Crueset to see the prices, $249 for a stock pot. Crazy.

https://www.lecreuset.com.au/stockpot-28cm-black

I bought an IKEA one for $40, since dropped in price!

http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/80286414/

This reminds me of a freakonomics podcast which illustrated how experts in their field often use storebrand or generic products.

http://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-save-1-billion-without-even-trying-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/

Experts chefs, know that delicious food is made by combining good fresh ingredients with seasoning, and skill and knowledge. Cookware needs to be practical, functional and long lasting. 

Whereas amateurs like me (and some of you) don't have the same skill or knowledge as the pros and so often overcompensate by buying more aesthetically pleasing cookware.

[Holyoak]

Le Creuset was a HUGE disappointment for me.  Had a classic red 5.5 qt Dutch oven, first quality, and the lid was warped like crazy.  Pot was a gift, so I did not inspect it prior to use.  Le Crueset sent another lid that was not a lot better (base was pretty square/flat).  Also, the crappy phenolic knob stripped out, and would never stay tight even when new.  They sent one of those to me as well.  Internal glaze became porous, despite never being machine washed, only hand washed with a sponge and soft nylon brush.  Pot stayed with ex after divorce, and I found a free 5 qt cast iron Dutch oven made in the 40's that is better built.  Lid fits perfectly and is tight, and I seasoned it to perfection after I bead blasted it.

I bought my GF an enameled cast iron dutch oven from ALDI a few months ago, and it is REALLY nice, and not just because it was $29.99...  Lid fit is very nice, the enamel coating inside is flawless and beautiful, the outside finish is very good, with just a few "ooops", handle design is better, lid is internally dimpled (LC is not), and it comes with a stainless steel knob, rated to 500 degrees (LC is plastic rated to around 300). It cooks/handles every bit as nice as the Le Creuset, and is a steal.  IMO and experience, LC is incredibly over priced, even for true first quality products.   

[shelivesthedream]

But the thing about the Le Creuset cookware and the luggage is that they both have lifetime guarantees. That's what this website is promising - buy me once and you will never have to go shopping for another pot or suitcase again because they will be replaced or repaired forever. Some things have shorter guarantees (10 year hoodie) but still longer than one would expect from your average purchase. They're not going to recommend an IKEA pot because they don't *know* that it's a one-purchase item. For example, they have an umbrella brand on there that ranges from £42 to £299. If I weren't a serial umbrella-loser, I would pay £42 to know that I would never have to spend another penny on an umbrella because if the wind ever breaks it I can just have it replaced. THAT'S what you're paying for - the GUARANTEE, not the item.

The thing that ticks me off is that they have items on there that are designed to be replaced, like the bamboo toothbrushes, but are still fuzzy-wuzzy and eco about them. I actually sent them an email about it, saying either they are an eco-goods website or they are a website for genuinely one-purchase items. They cannot be both and the internet has plenty of the former.

[Gone Fishing]

This stuff is overpriced crap. a 20 dollar vanilla claw hammer? Please. Almost any hammer is a lifetime tool, even the 4 dollar one from Harbor Freight.

Ironically, I was at Sears the other day and their "Craftsman" hatchet appeared to be the exact same design as the one at Harbor Freight.  Both were made in India.  The hammer on the website looks remarkably like the one carried at Harbor Freight as well.  Sears is circling the drain. I have a feeling that the ironclad Craftsman guarantee is going to rust out pretty soon... 

[human]

But the thing about the Le Creuset cookware and the luggage is that they both have lifetime guarantees. That's what this website is promising - buy me once and you will never have to go shopping for another pot or suitcase again because they will be replaced or repaired forever. Some things have shorter guarantees (10 year hoodie) but still longer than one would expect from your average purchase. They're not going to recommend an IKEA pot because they don't *know* that it's a one-purchase item. For example, they have an umbrella brand on there that ranges from £42 to £299. If I weren't a serial umbrella-loser, I would pay £42 to know that I would never have to spend another penny on an umbrella because if the wind ever breaks it I can just have it replaced. THAT'S what you're paying for - the GUARANTEE, not the item.

The thing that ticks me off is that they have items on there that are designed to be replaced, like the bamboo toothbrushes, but are still fuzzy-wuzzy and eco about them. I actually sent them an email about it, saying either they are an eco-goods website or they are a website for genuinely one-purchase items. They cannot be both and the internet has plenty of the former.

Is shipping paid for the return?

[stoaX]

A lifetime guarantee to fix or replace an item is only good if the company or store is still in existence to honor it when the item breaks.  And no guarantee would've stopped my Betamax and 8 track player from becoming obsolete!

[misterhorsey]

But the thing about the Le Creuset cookware and the luggage is that they both have lifetime guarantees. That's what this website is promising - buy me once and you will never have to go shopping for another pot or suitcase again because they will be replaced or repaired forever. Some things have shorter guarantees (10 year hoodie) but still longer than one would expect from your average purchase. They're not going to recommend an IKEA pot because they don't *know* that it's a one-purchase item. For example, they have an umbrella brand on there that ranges from £42 to £299. If I weren't a serial umbrella-loser, I would pay £42 to know that I would never have to spend another penny on an umbrella because if the wind ever breaks it I can just have it replaced. THAT'S what you're paying for - the GUARANTEE, not the item.

A lifetime warranty is a pretty impressive promise.  But I guess my point about critiquing le creuset is that you are still paying a significant premium for the g'tee, when the item is a bog standard cast iron piece - where the cheapest item could be g'teed for life as they are that solid.

Ikea has a surprisingly long guarantee on some items.  25 years (in Australia) is not too bad:

http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/40207334/

Who remembers what they bought after $25 years?

In practical terms, the equivalent IKEA is a better buy when it comes to price and value, although I can think of many many other companies that are a better corporate citizen.

[shelivesthedream]

I'm not trying to explain why Le Creuset deserves to be so expensive (we do have one pot, got it at our wedding, we like it and all but wouldn't shell out for another ourselves) but rather why it deserves to be on that website above other pots, because it actually fulfils their stated aim.

[Knapptyme]

The Darn Tough socks seem worth it. And for that, thanks for the link. My wife gets me a new fancy pair for Christmas every year, and it will now be of the Darn Tough variety. I know, facepunch on the splurge once a year. In ten years, I should be able to throw out every other pair of socks ever.

[aprilchem]

I have all Le Creuset cookware - we purchased it when we got married 15 years ago, mostly at the Le Creuset outlet.  I fully intend to use it for the rest of my life and pass it down to one of my kids, assuming they want it.  It was a large purchase at the time, but in the ensuing 15 years my sister (who got married around the same time I did) has had four full sets of cheap cookware that have needed to be replaced and have been thrown in the landfill.  Over the course of our lives I'm fairly sure I'll end up paying less overall. 

I had an issue with one of my pans rusting about a year and ago and Le Creuset replaced it, no questions asked - it was one of the pans we bought at the outlet and it had a flaw in the finish.  I don't think we paid shipping either way. :)