Quality

"Even when I was a little girl, I was an incredibly picky shopper when it came to my clothes and things for my room. Every August, my mother would set aside a day for us to go shopping for school. I drove her nuts. I'd spend the whole day trying on clothes and come home with just a bag of underwear. I couldn't buy something just to buy it. I'm still exactly the same way." - Dara Caponigro

I have to admit I did the exact same thing to my poor mother when I was a child. In fact, I still shop this way. Sure my home is bare and rather empty at the moment, but I'd rather take my time and slowly fill it with quality pieces that will last me a life time. And quality pieces need not be expensive, you just need to be patient and search Kijiji/Craigslist, antique shops, and second hand shops to find something within your budget. Waiting for sales and floor samples is another great way to bring home a well built piece at an affordable price. 

When I see people compare a well made piece to a bad knock-off made and sold at a fraction of the price and call it a deal I often have to disagree. Many times the knock-offs only somewhat resemble the original and don't look nearly as beautiful because the scale is off or the finish looks cheap. Or the quality isn't there; it feels flimsy and you can tell it was built to break (planned obsolescence). 

Please don't get me wrong though, I'm not a snob. I do shop HomeSense and other discount retailers for accessories and some furnishings and have purchased several great items. I just don't believe in buying pieces that I know won't last more than a few years or that I plan to replace "as soon as" I can afford an upgrade. We live in a throw away society, and I don't prescribe to that way of life. 

"I think people should buy the best they can. I still have the sofa that I had from my first apartment. It has been recovered a couple of times, but I still have it because it was a very good sofa. Sometimes we spend a lot of money on things that are very cheap because that's all we can afford. Ultimately, because they are really cheap, they fall apart." - Bunny Williams

Here's a perfect example of finding deals on Kijiji…

This Oly bed retails for upwards for $7000

and is being sold for $1800 on my local Halifax Kijiji.

What's your opinion? Have you ever purchased something you thought was a deal just to have it break a short while later?