RobertBirnie: I rarely, if ever, put my jeans through the dryer. I find that the slight shrinkage they get from a warm wash loosens up in about 10 minutes of wearing.
My jeans last a long time too, but I tend to be tough on them and tear/wear holes pretty fast.
These are J Crew jeans (bought at the outlet no face punches!) and I've found they are quite durable.