I had a recent conversation with a friend of mine. We discussed retail purchases and I confessed that I bought a volume of wool socks from LL Bean in a single order.
He was shocked. He thought it went against my philosophy of thrift. I explained: first, when I buy ten pairs of socks from LL Bean, I’m purchasing for the next 18 months to 2 years, at least. I’m going to wear the socks every day, walking the streets of Paris, often in the rain and cold. So the purchase is not a luxury. The socks are thick. They are wool. They are LL Bean. They last.
Furthermore, by buying a lot of them, and wearing them in rotation, I wear them out more slowly. They last longer, and I get more use for my money.
Finally, I’ve lived long enough to have had the experience of having found the perfect product, only to have the manufacturer or retailer stop making it, stop selling it, or change it and make it less perfect. (This is sometimes marketed as ‘new and improved’. It is always one, but rarely the other.) If I have a stock of the original good stuff in my drawer or closet, I can weather this disappointment in comfort for a period of time. I don’t think LL Bean is going to change their wool socks, but one never knows. I am prepared for any eventuality.
So when you find the right product and get the chance, stock up. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.
- BGT