Gardening Prices! Why!

[DannyK]

I looked at the rest of that site.

Rather reminiscent of what travellers leave behind for free but at sky high prices.

Fools and their money....... Poseurs

[gardening_gal]

I've spent "silly money" on things when I really like them - and if I like them, the money isn't "silly". Its only "silly" if you buy things you don't want.
I'm happy to pay more for craftmanship and individuality and I'd rather buy fewer things of good quality than lots of cheap tat.
As ever, each to their own!

I'm not a lover of cheap tat VC, I much prefer quality over quantity given the choice. I have in the past paid over the odds for things for that very reason.

However I still think there comes a point for most people where the scales tip a bit and it's less easy to justify an expensive purchase when it seems (to me) the price is quite inflated in relation to production costs.

I think that's what irks me, I believe in the case of the planter, the price is inflated because of the perceived demographic being marketed to and not simply down to production costs.

However as you pointed out earlier, people can vote with their feet and simply not buy.

[Miss Mousetrousers]

As I found out with an expensive set of pans, a 10-year guarantee means absolutely nothing. A lot of building timber used to be seasoned, now it's just tanalised and doesn't last anywhere near the same time. I got quite an expensive greenhouse many years ago because I live on flat land near the coast where the winds can really howl at times and it's done me proud. I also bought a lovely teak bench when I retired, treat it with teak oil every year, and it's still as it was when I got it. At the same time I've made do with what I have until I could afford better and there's a certain sense of achievement when it works just as well as something more pricey. Some things are just gadgets (like seed sowers), some are "must-have" fads, some look good but will probably disintegrate in a short time, and some are just silly money for those who like to show-off.

[nickdub]

£500 seems a heck of a price for a wooden planter. If it was made of stone and would last forever I could see the point.

Re secateurs, I seem to lose mine so often I would be scared to pay £40. There must be a stash of my secateurs somewhere, all piled up with the missing teaspoons and socks.

I was wondering where all my spare secateurs were coming from. :-)

[Aberdeenplotter]

I make my own if I want and don't like the price. Sometimes from second hand timber. Make do and mend style

[bikermike]

Like gardening girl has pointed out she thinks the cost is too high and surprise surprise I agree with her, irispective what price is put on goods it is relevant to what companies can screw out of the customer, as an example if you go to other country's you can purchase a lot of goods cheaper than what is charged in Britain, and yes I know some things might be more expensive, but compare the different prices between aldi and lidl and the British owned companies

https://www.theguardian.com/business...tain-shopping#

Mainly by having around 1/3rd the number of items in stock. Which is great if you want the things they stock. Want something like soap powder that doesn't bring you out in a rash? Then you are stuffed...

[Squingy]

Locally made and FSC certified is, and should be more expensive but £499 could pay some people's rent for a month! They've even got a financing option! It's thick but there isn't any artwork or decoration to say it's particularly labour intensive and there is a 10 year structural guarantee, I suppose that means it won't fall apart but nothing on the paintwork etc?
In that context unless it's got gold in it it's really overpriced.

Companies try to screw people over and charge excessively, especially through commission, look at the PPI business. They try to normalise these prices, expect people to behave like sheep and tell themselves "things are expensive nowadays" and meekly fork it out.

I recall going in for a bathroom update the person there wanted to swap the loo and sink when he was done with me the installation costing three or four times the bathroom features itself and two of the staff just nodding politely at me saying it's such a good deal.

My first time doing a mountain hike I foolishly paid around £400 for travel insurance for two, I could just kick myself the commission the company must've charged. First big adventure I didn't know better :-(

[Squingy]

OK I have to ask this question - How many people would pay £24.99 for a pot with a water reservoir at the bottom and a three tier cage for growing tomatoes in the back garden or a balcony. It is made from recycled plastic and looks good granted but would it be worth £24.99 each?

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If it reached high up, like to my hip and I had my own apartment home with a patio, balcony or paved area yes I would buy a few if these (maybe 4 or 6). The real value is the attached saucer as a clip own it could move the whole thing around easily without leaking all over and same goes for the trellis part, assuming it won't easily fall over sending soil everywhere. Looks like an indoor/urban solution. I know it's sometimes hard living in an apartment and you desperately want to garden

That said I'd wait for it on sale, £10 maybe £15 or try to get some cashback or discount. Assuming I haven't spent the budget already on seeds or compost.

[rary]

https://www.theguardian.com/business...tain-shopping#..

Thanks bikermike I note in that bit of information where it states 7% the highest in the world, just shows what we put up with

[DannyK]

https://www.theguardian.com/business...tain-shopping#

Mainly by having around 1/3rd the number of items in stock. Which is great if you want the things they stock. Want something like soap powder that doesn't bring you out in a rash? Then you are stuffed...

Just seen in this month's "Which?", that rashes may not be down to whether or not it's bio but the perfumes and additives. I get mine from Costco in industrial sizes, which saves a lot but need a lot of cupboard space!

Must read that article.

It'll be interesting how M & S remodels and maybe reprices itself. I can remember when they were the only shop whose pies had any discernible meat in them. Some were almost vegan!

[Nicos]

We only have Aldi south here in France and it's absolutely dreadful...appalling in fact compared to the Aldi north you have in the UK.
Pah.

Just saying.

[Babru]

Just thinking again about the £500 wooden planter....maybe it's on sale at this price for x days, so they can 'reduce it' to 'half price' in a couple of weeks. Just a thought

[mrbadexample]

Try building one yourself and see what's involved.

I saw this and thought it was laughably expensive and rather shoddily constructed:



So I went home and made this from a scrap door and a few other scavenged and foraged bits:



It cost me less than £3. Six years on it's still going, although I don't think it'll last too much longer.

I did subsequently make another for my Dad using bought, pressure-treated wood. It cost about £50 for the materials, and after the time I'd spent I did start to think it might not be such a terrible price after all, although mine is far better quality both in materials and construction, even if I say so myself.

[mrbadexample]

I then had to buy in food and beer and had to cook my brother dinner to make up my design I'm not sure I had a bargain at the end

Speaking as a brother, our "free" work tends to be quite expensive.