So, I now own 4 pair of glasses from Zenni Optical.
They have the distinction of being the cheapest glasses I will buy. I could go cheaper, but I refuse to go that cheap. See, for the most part, there are very few actual manufacturers of glasses. Oh, sure, they'll slap different labels on different types, but they're pretty much all made in the same place. So, it complicates things- I know that my Lookmatics are still made by Luxottica, but my Mezzmers as well as the Zennis are made by Asisn upstarts. I honestly cannot tell which one, but I suspect Mezzmer is with Wenzhou, or another really large Chinese firm like Optibiz, whereas Zenni is more obscure- but still likely Chinese. I suspect that the manufacturing process is more "mass" and definitely less labor, and eco friendly than either Lookmatic or Mezzmer, but at least they're not all the way down there with some of the Indonesians- and that's why they are about as cheap as I will go. It's worth noting- and it's absolutely best to know, not guess, where the stuff you own was made, but in this world, and especially when it comes to monopolies, you have to make compromises.
Anyway- so I owned a pair of reading glasses from them, from last year's deal- they had a four for the price of three deal, so I bought three pair for my son, and one pair for me. This year's deal was three for two, so I got three, and my son got three. Here's my Three: "Blue Steel" "Retro Metal" ( AKA "Cory Doctorow") and "Hipster Clown" - Zenni doesn't bother to name their styles, so I've done it for them.
So, what do I think? Well, Blue Steel is very much what you'd expect- super cheap, but not as cheaply made as what you'd think- like most Chinese products. They create the most gnawing guilt- I'm pretty sure they were made by sweatshop labor, because the price vs. quality vs. flaws just fits that profile too well. Retro Metal is actually very comparable to a low-to middle end Luxottica product. I'd put them on par with Oakley. Not bad. Hipster Clown actually is garnering me compliments, and I'm not so self assured that I can completely ignore that. They're still very cheaply made, and that's obvious ( I'd put it at Wal Mart type quality- aka "at least I didn't get it at a swap meet" ), but they evidently look good to other people, and they're the first pair of glasses since my Lookmatic Clubmaster-inspired "Austins" that get remarks of "Hey where did you get those? I want a pair!" So, I'll take it. So, all in all, I'd call it a win. Oh, and total price for my order was about US 160.00- which is what I'd pay for one pair of Lookmatics, with all the bells and whistles that I like ( which still beats the pants off of the 300 to 400 I'll pay, using my insurance, at a brick-and-mortar. Without Insurance, I'd pay more like 500 to 600) so, again, not bad.
Basically, Warby Parker still rules hell, for having the least amount of guilt, coupled with a decent price
(unfortunately they can't quite hit my distance prescription so I just have a reading pair). Mezzmer is a very close second, and Lookmatic might be third, but they win over both for style points. But Zenni still is slightly on the "good guy" end of the spectrum. If they start doing the moral equivalent to "carbon offests" I'll eliminate one of my other choices.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Why I like Junk
I don't like "junk". I don't like the conceptualization of objects as "junk". I think of that as wasteful, and petty, and disrespectful to other people.
But, let me back up a bit. While this same argument can be used about anything from cookware to shoes, I've encountered it the most with leisure purchases. Cars, Guitars, Grills, and TVs. I can certainly see how there are objects that harm the user- Aluminum cookware, lead paint, and the like. Call that "junk" if you want. However, usually, what is meant is " that object is not up to my fine standards, and you should be like me". I object to that. Take cars, for example- I literally ( and yes, I mean absolutely and exactly) drive cars until the wheels fall off, the engines explode, or the vehicle simply cannot be repaired. So, for most of my life, I drive what others would have called "junk"- some rust, some wear, maybe not the most classic of designs, you get the idea. I feel that's a responsibility. The amount of resources that go into a car, from insane labor practices to toxic materials, to the destruction of fossil fuels, means that, to me, it's irresponsible to be the cause of additional cars being manufactured. If you have a car, it's your responsibility to wring every little bit of use out of it as possible.
Another aspect is with Guitars. I have belonged to various online forums for guitar players, and it never fails- some "newbie" will asking about starting, and out come the people to tell them what they should buy. Every single time, the end result suggestions are an over-expenditure. They'll tell them to buy a 500 dollar guitar, a 500 dollar amplifier, and more. And why? Because you don't want to buy "junk". Bastards! Well, I'm telling you it's a flat out lie. My first guitar cost less than a hundred bucks, and I had to learn how to make my first amplifier- but had I purchased one, I would've been happy with an equally cheap amplifier. I still keep a check on my purchases. I'll never be spending more than a paycheck on any piece of musical equipment. You know why? Because I'm not playing to impress 20 people out of the 500 hundred who paid to see me. That's what that extra money goes to, seriously. You know what the difference between an Epiphone and a Gibson is? Pure vanity! They're both made with questionable labor, and parts, with questionable quality control- so don't go telling me about Korea, China, or Tennessee, because I've actually been to both Gibson and Epiphone manufacturing centers. You know why "boutique" manufacturers charge so much? To make you think it's worth it. I know this because they'll say it. And the people who buy into the claptrap- who are the majority, easily, - they'll bully people who disagree. ( So, to get along, I won't exactly "disagree" with them- I'll just fail to agree)
I don't own a manufactured grill- I make them when I need them. So, there's no bragging rights to a campfire. It's a matter of skill versus status, in my mind. If you're skillful enough , the convenience of the machine isn't needed. If I know how to gauge heat and mass and the transfer of caloric energy to transform my raw food into the cooked state I want, I don't need the controls and gauges. It's about mastery versus success. Success is, by and large, in the eye of a beholder- if other people say you are a success, then, you are. However, if you've mastered something, you have made it do what you want.
Finally, I don't have some TV as big as a coffin, that costs as much as a bathroom remodel. I have a 32" Samsung that cost less than 400 bucks. Some would call it junk- it's not smart, 3D, or anything beyond. It's not even up to 1080, like my computer. You know why? Because I get to define it- not the manufacturer. I say it's a visual speaker for a visual HiFi system- more like a Stereo system than a radio, get it? It's there to simply translate the electronic content I'm feeding it, not to interpret it. I like that. I like my objects to do exactly what I tell them to do- and no more.
So, no, I don't like the designation of quality to be in someone else's hands and mind. I don't like "junk" anymore than I like "Fine" or "top quality" ( or "organic" or "gourmet" or "professional" or any other marketing term that people have given themselves over, in an effort to appeal to their insufficient self esteem, and overinflated vanity). No matter what- even if it's buying stuff- I believe in living in my own world. I'm a materialist in the most exacting sense of the word- I believe the physical world is a much better judge than your conception of my perception. So, no I don't like "junk"- I like my stuff.
But, let me back up a bit. While this same argument can be used about anything from cookware to shoes, I've encountered it the most with leisure purchases. Cars, Guitars, Grills, and TVs. I can certainly see how there are objects that harm the user- Aluminum cookware, lead paint, and the like. Call that "junk" if you want. However, usually, what is meant is " that object is not up to my fine standards, and you should be like me". I object to that. Take cars, for example- I literally ( and yes, I mean absolutely and exactly) drive cars until the wheels fall off, the engines explode, or the vehicle simply cannot be repaired. So, for most of my life, I drive what others would have called "junk"- some rust, some wear, maybe not the most classic of designs, you get the idea. I feel that's a responsibility. The amount of resources that go into a car, from insane labor practices to toxic materials, to the destruction of fossil fuels, means that, to me, it's irresponsible to be the cause of additional cars being manufactured. If you have a car, it's your responsibility to wring every little bit of use out of it as possible.
Another aspect is with Guitars. I have belonged to various online forums for guitar players, and it never fails- some "newbie" will asking about starting, and out come the people to tell them what they should buy. Every single time, the end result suggestions are an over-expenditure. They'll tell them to buy a 500 dollar guitar, a 500 dollar amplifier, and more. And why? Because you don't want to buy "junk". Bastards! Well, I'm telling you it's a flat out lie. My first guitar cost less than a hundred bucks, and I had to learn how to make my first amplifier- but had I purchased one, I would've been happy with an equally cheap amplifier. I still keep a check on my purchases. I'll never be spending more than a paycheck on any piece of musical equipment. You know why? Because I'm not playing to impress 20 people out of the 500 hundred who paid to see me. That's what that extra money goes to, seriously. You know what the difference between an Epiphone and a Gibson is? Pure vanity! They're both made with questionable labor, and parts, with questionable quality control- so don't go telling me about Korea, China, or Tennessee, because I've actually been to both Gibson and Epiphone manufacturing centers. You know why "boutique" manufacturers charge so much? To make you think it's worth it. I know this because they'll say it. And the people who buy into the claptrap- who are the majority, easily, - they'll bully people who disagree. ( So, to get along, I won't exactly "disagree" with them- I'll just fail to agree)
I don't own a manufactured grill- I make them when I need them. So, there's no bragging rights to a campfire. It's a matter of skill versus status, in my mind. If you're skillful enough , the convenience of the machine isn't needed. If I know how to gauge heat and mass and the transfer of caloric energy to transform my raw food into the cooked state I want, I don't need the controls and gauges. It's about mastery versus success. Success is, by and large, in the eye of a beholder- if other people say you are a success, then, you are. However, if you've mastered something, you have made it do what you want.
Finally, I don't have some TV as big as a coffin, that costs as much as a bathroom remodel. I have a 32" Samsung that cost less than 400 bucks. Some would call it junk- it's not smart, 3D, or anything beyond. It's not even up to 1080, like my computer. You know why? Because I get to define it- not the manufacturer. I say it's a visual speaker for a visual HiFi system- more like a Stereo system than a radio, get it? It's there to simply translate the electronic content I'm feeding it, not to interpret it. I like that. I like my objects to do exactly what I tell them to do- and no more.
So, no, I don't like the designation of quality to be in someone else's hands and mind. I don't like "junk" anymore than I like "Fine" or "top quality" ( or "organic" or "gourmet" or "professional" or any other marketing term that people have given themselves over, in an effort to appeal to their insufficient self esteem, and overinflated vanity). No matter what- even if it's buying stuff- I believe in living in my own world. I'm a materialist in the most exacting sense of the word- I believe the physical world is a much better judge than your conception of my perception. So, no I don't like "junk"- I like my stuff.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)