Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

old.reddit.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

621–630 of 829 posts

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#621

Post by thesuitonym »

oezi wrote: post #282
alexey-salmin wrote: post #176

The referenced reply is dull. It's very pretentious but just reiterates common knowledge, it doesn't convey any useful information. For example I wish someone told me about the existence of Miele kitchen equipment before I accidentally rented an apartment of a well-to-do woman. She renovated it for herself but then rented out when circumstances changed. Similarly it took me a long time to realize just how much better…

> Price is 3-4 times higher but it lasts 5-10 times longer The problem is that if an Ikea furniture lasts 15 years then that's enough. People no longer need 50-100 years furniture, because nobody wants to inherit old stuff anymore. Life's circumstances change faster and buying quality often isn't worth it. Maybe a Miele dishwasher last twice as long at double the price. But it will become old after 10 years even so.

Of course nobody wants your garbage furniture that only lasts 15 years. And since I plan to live 50-100 years, I'd like furniture that can last as long.

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#622

Post by 542354234235 »

sunrunner wrote: post #517
toyg wrote: post #438

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would absolutely do that. Having to relearn instrumentation and optionals, how the car handles, dealing with its size, etc etc, is an absolute ballache. If you're not into cars, there is no novelty in having to drive two or three different cars just because you want to be near the sea this week and near the city next week.

If you were that rich wouldn't you just hire someone to drive well for you? But if you liked driving for the sake of it would it not be part of the enjoyment to learn to handle different vehicles well?

Expense? Just hiring a car would not be much more expense but would require more logistics, as you would have to manage scheduling and calling cars. To get a dedicated driver, or team of drivers (to cover 24 hours) and vehicle would be significantly more expensive than a couple extra vehicles. Plus handling the logistics of setting them up to be ready and waiting for you each time you travel would be something else to manage, or would be something to pay a personal assistant to manage. Plus you could still use car services as needed whenever you didn’t want to drive.

Unless you had reached a level where you were having almost everything in your life managed by assistants, and you were the type of person that wanted to give up all that control, then have “your car” ready to go whichever house you were at would be the lower mental overhead solution.

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#623

Post by bluGill »

fragmede wrote: post #461
bluGill wrote: post #444

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of them don't have a contract. And most homes wouldn't want the type of appliance that needs a service contract anyway.

On a thread about what the rich people do, not being able to afford a service contract isn't something the rich do. Ever have a IT person on call for your own house because you're to busy being rich? At some level of rich you want the service contract.

There are a lot of middle class people who buy at restaurant supply stores. You can get some high quality stuff for similar prices to the "wal-mart quality".

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#624

Post by throwanem »

fragmede wrote: post #546
throwanem wrote: post #507

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't say that it wasn't grotesquely flagrant consumption, only that I can follow the reasoning behind it. And I have made no admission of which I am aware.

A lie by omission is still a lie, in my world. You may inhabit one in which it is not, however

Now you've called me a liar. Would you like to try to substantiate that presumptive libel? Or do you simply mistake for virtue the inability you have cultivated to entertain a thought with which you don't agree?

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#625

Post by fragmede »

mrguyorama wrote: post #569
fragmede wrote: post #461

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On a thread about what the rich people do, not being able to afford a service contract isn't something the rich do. Ever have a IT person on call for your own house because you're to busy being rich? At some level of rich you want the service contract.

Eh, that level of rich doesn't care about a service contract. If their hyper-fancy, whatever gadget filled dishwasher/oven dies randomly because it's made like cheap shit and all the features are just checking boxes, they don't care, they can have it replaced within an hour, so the cook will just have to deal with only a single oven until then. Which is why the rich are terribly undiscerning purchasers: the downside…

> If their hyper-fancy, whatever gadget filled dishwasher/oven dies randomly because it's made like cheap shit and all the features are just checking boxes, they don't care, they can have it replaced within an hour.

What do you think a service contract is?

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#626

Post by big_paps »

myself248 wrote: post #487
alexey-salmin wrote: post #176

The referenced reply is dull. It's very pretentious but just reiterates common knowledge, it doesn't convey any useful information. For example I wish someone told me about the existence of Miele kitchen equipment before I accidentally rented an apartment of a well-to-do woman. She renovated it for herself but then rented out when circumstances changed. Similarly it took me a long time to realize just how much better…

My mom worked at a law firm where one of the partners retired, moved to England, and bought a castle. As one does. He told this story while back in the States for a party: Castles are old. And drafty. And need a LOT of renovations to bring them up to a modern standard. So he had immediately set upon this work, hiring contractors, picking out high-end appliances, arranging for the import of Italian marble countertops.…

This is so dandy

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#627

Post by canucker2016 »

song wrote: post #593
pjc50 wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More generally, it can be hard to distinguish between "luxury" products that are primarily more exclusive with very little functional benefit (or in some cases more fragile!), versus products that are Actually Good. The display luxury category: anything by LVMH, Birkin bags, limited edition sneakers, Ferrari, etc The "better product for more money" category: Miele, wood furniture, Lexus etc

> The display luxury category: anything by LVMH, Birkin bags Birkin bags are also actually better products for more money, they can last quite a while with minimum care. They are display goods for sure but there is a qualitative difference between a good quality handbag from certain brands and a much cheaper one. Just as an example, my wife's only handbag is a balenciaga bag that she's had for 12+ years, she's been u…

Here's where the literal gatekeepers separate rich people from the riff-raff/"new money".

You've been jonesing for a fancy luxury item since you first laid eyes on it (Birkin bag, some European watch, a supercar).

Now that you're rich and have enough to pay for the item in cash, you decide to head to their fancy store and treat yourself.

Once you get in the door, you're faced with the cold splash of reality - luxury goods are not available off the rack/off the shelf, even if you can pay for cash on the spot.

You have to prove to the company that you're a loyal customer before you can purchase the object of desire.

How? You have to buy several of their products.

see https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/buying-an-hermes-bag and https://www.wired.com/2014/10/herjavec-ferrari-laferrari/

How hard can that be? So hard that people have sued - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/21/style/birkin-bag-hermes-l...

P.S. The markup on these luxury goods is high - https://www.businessinsider.com/dior-italy-labor-investigati...

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#628

Post by nickd2001 »

vel0city wrote: post #603
nickd2001 wrote: post #472

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I honestly don't know, might be paranoia on my part, but stuff degrades over time right? Maybe less good a seal etc.

A 2.4GHz wave has a wavelength of ~12mm. The concept of blocking the emissions of a microwave oven is to only have small gaps, much smaller than the wavelength, in the metal casing. That's why you can have those 1-2mm holes in the door window without having much leakage; the holes are much smaller than the waves. So as long as the gaps on the doors and panels of the microwave are still aligned right and the door clos…

Thanks for the explanation. :) Hacker news is indeed to place to talk about these things ;)

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#629

Post by toyg »

sunrunner wrote: post #517
toyg wrote: post #438

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would absolutely do that. Having to relearn instrumentation and optionals, how the car handles, dealing with its size, etc etc, is an absolute ballache. If you're not into cars, there is no novelty in having to drive two or three different cars just because you want to be near the sea this week and near the city next week.

If you were that rich wouldn't you just hire someone to drive well for you? But if you liked driving for the sake of it would it not be part of the enjoyment to learn to handle different vehicles well?

> if you liked driving for the sake of it

Most people don't really like it, but find it to be the best option to go from A to B quickly. If you involve other people, be a driver or a renting business, you add complication and cost.

Re: What do wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about? (2015)

#630

Post by toyg »

myself248 wrote: post #487
alexey-salmin wrote: post #176

The referenced reply is dull. It's very pretentious but just reiterates common knowledge, it doesn't convey any useful information. For example I wish someone told me about the existence of Miele kitchen equipment before I accidentally rented an apartment of a well-to-do woman. She renovated it for herself but then rented out when circumstances changed. Similarly it took me a long time to realize just how much better…

My mom worked at a law firm where one of the partners retired, moved to England, and bought a castle. As one does. He told this story while back in the States for a party: Castles are old. And drafty. And need a LOT of renovations to bring them up to a modern standard. So he had immediately set upon this work, hiring contractors, picking out high-end appliances, arranging for the import of Italian marble countertops.…

That's a classic put-down (and a lie).

English aristocracy really knows how to cut someone to size when they feel like.

Post reply on HN