Re: The Leica of...

["Jeff Segawa" <segawa@netone.com>]

>I have always (as long as I can remember) been attracted to such items.
>Orvis reels, Armani shirts, Fenco pruning shears - the list goes on. Or
does
>it? It seems that there are fewer and fewer items that we can point to
today
>and say, positively, "this is the BEST that the world has to offer.". Not
to
>get completely off the beaten path but what happened to our sense of
>quality? Why doesn't the world expect more from the things that we buy?

I'm glad you asked that, because I was beginning to feel a little out of
place here.

In a nutshell, I think that Americans in particular are too darned rich for
their own good: We want everything, and we want it NOW. If the product in
question does not quite please, that's okay, because we've been brought up
to believe that it's a good thing to "just buy something affordable now,
and upgrade later", so in a sense, we're often buying the same things over
and over again. With a mindset such as this, what does it matter if the
product becomes unserviceable after only a few years? Small wonder why few
folks feel that they have enough money!

Unfortunately, too many of us are asking ourselves "Which product should I
buy?", when the real question should be "Should I buy this at all?". The
very notion of doing without for awhile smacks of deprivation and is deemed
foolhardy, or at best, noble but dumb.

Like many others, I was brought up supposedly believing in the adage "The
best economy is quality". But finding out exactly what Quality is (go read
Robert Persig) took some doing. As an example, I enjoy listening to my hi
fi a lot. Years ago, I set out to build the best system that I possibly
could. It was constructed of the very finest materials available, and the
workmanship was impeccable. I never met Mark Levinson the man, but his name
was well-known around my home. As each component was deeply into the
4-digit price range, this club was certainly exclusive.

Today, I feel I have the  best system ever: It's based on a circa 1968
Dynaco integrated amplifier which features, not Swiss-made connectors or
mil-spec controls, but vacuum tubes. In terms of reproducing the emotion
and the drama of the music, I've heard none better and few as good.  Cost?
I paid $80, and that was on the high side. As a trophy, it won't impress,
but as a hifi, it's terrific. Because I derive more pleasure in listening
to it, I'd say that it's superior to the pricey gear, and of higher
quality, even though it's neither expensive or rare.

Quality, it seems, comes in some unexpected forms, some costly, some not.
Put another way, put away those cameras, and let's see your photos :-)
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