Volume 2, Number 1
January 1, 1996

A column by Ed Rochelle

Lasting Forever? Having just gone through the biggest buying season of the year, I find myself thinking of the most common justification I use with almost any purchase. "It'll last forever" or "They will be able to have it for a long time", has become one of the reasons I use to push the decision making process over to the 'buy it' side. Any product that won't be around for a long time isn't worth buying seems to be the rule that gets passed from generation to generation. I can still hear my mother talking, to anyone who would listen, about how long the purchase she had just made, was going to last. It seemed that the longer a product was expected to last the more valuable it became. She had to get up real early to fool me for I new it was all fodder for the purchase justification mill. It was always something like a $500 item she had just caught on sale for $275. Though she was never able to produce the money she proclaimed she had saved, she held fast to her belief that a saving of money was accomplished. I still don't know if my dad was taken in by her reasoning or he just let her have her little beliefs. Now to the reality. I am still wearing a designer label flannel shirt that is at least ten (10) years old. Part of the sales pitch was that it would become my favorite shirt and that it wouldn't wear out. Well, all of the statements used to induce me to make the purchase came true. Not that I doubted the salesperson, it was my daughter. It felt like a real solid garment and best of all, it felt very comfortable to wear. It has stood the test of time and it is still one of my favorite shirts. So what's the problem? It seems that the people who know me for at least ten (10) years are starting to get tired of seeing me wear the shirt. It started with little subtle hints. Flyers were left in places where I had to see them, proclaiming unheard of sales of new flannel shirts. Some of the items were even circled with marker pencils. When asked to produce a wish list for holidays or birthdays I was always questioned as to why there were no clothing items listed. I always replied that I had enough and what I had would certainly out last me. Those who pose the questions don't seem to get' my answers. The inducement to buy something today because it will last forever or even a really long time, seems to be fading from the culture. I have bought a few $2000 to $3000 purchases over the last few years and have never thought that it would last forever. You know I'm talking about those new computer systems that I seem to get involved buying every time I read some hype about the newest. If it looks like it will last a year or two, that's fine. It's not that they will be rendered useless or wear out. I want something newer and even nicer looking. What a way to decide on purchases of that size! Things I buy don't have to last forever. Though the music that my stereo system turns out is really fine, I think I'm getting tired of looking at the dials' on the receiver. No one ever told me that tastes and feelings may change and things don't have to last forever. HowCome?