Re: Why is Arc' Teryx so damn expensive?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mt Al</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I like the "buy once/cry once" mentioned earlier. Good stuff costs good money. I research user feedback all the time so the next piece of kit I buy is top notch in user feedback, not just price. </div></div>
YES, <span style="font-style: italic">GOOD</span> stuff costs money, hence the Schmit&Bender / Lapua reference earlier. but BRAND costs money too.
You think Abbercrombie & Fitch or Hollister is WAY better than any other high street fashion, just because it costs more??
Negative my friends. It's mostly all produced in the same factory in China. BUT, in the mind of the buyer.....
Most of the comments I've seen in support of Arc'Teryx are "my 10 year old.....blah....." Big question is this;
Yes, their old stuff is good, but what about their new stuff? Where is THAT made? Does it come out of that same factory in China as any of 10 other brands?
Now, I'm not cheap about certain equipment. I pay top dollar for genuine Oakleys, and chronometers, but these are the tools of my trade, and you don't scrimp on the tools of your trade.
But a waterproof jacket? I'll buy surplus (unissued/unused) and risk re-proofing it, as I reckon that the govmnt will spend a shit-ton on R&D, and NOT care about the label, or <span style="font-style: italic">BRAND</span> they are buying. Sure, they'll put it out to tender and the lowest price wins, but they are getting a FUNCTIONAL garment, at a sensible price.
Bottom line is this..... If you like Arc'Teryx, and are prepared to PAY for the BRAND, then go ahead. But consider this...
My buddy runs a gun store, he says that if he puts a "tactical" label on any old Remington 870, he can charge TWICE the price.
Are SEALS running around in Arc'Teryx gear, or are they running around in issue kit? I don't know, but I'd be prepared to bet. I know what the SAS are using.
When something reaches a certain price point, it generates a whole mythology of it's own (Substitute your favorite product/predjudice here). Is it worth it? In the mind of the buyer, probably yes. For the rest of us...? I'm not so sure.
Gear that WAS good 10 years ago may, OR may not be good now, but some gear is living on past reputations.
In the end, check out the gear yourself, look at the alternatives, decide what works FOR YOU, in your environment, and <span style="font-weight: bold">Caveat Emptor</span> (Let the buyer beware!)
N