Spending more can mean ‘value’ when time factors in

Handmade. Made to last. Best of class. Those descriptions are why about a half of my married life ago, in 1994, I read an article about the world’s best toaster and bought a English-made Dualit for my wife, Teresa, as a birthday gift. I’d read an article that said it was the world’s best toaster, and all these years later, it’s proving that article’s point, every day. Teresa makes toast sometimes twice daily, and I was sick of cheap toasters that quit working after a year or two. The Dualit originally cost me $250 at a kitchen store in Twin Falls, Idaho, and it will probably last another 40 years.

In our travels, Teresa and I love that hotel rooms and homes in most of the world outside of North America have water kettles that heat water quickly and keep it warm. Rather than having to microwave water or use an sink-installed hot-water dispenser, we love a kettle that heats water super fast and safely. We found an Aroma model that works great, looks great, is a great value at less than $30 and ranks near the top of all products in Amazon’s Home and Garden selection.

For pet products, our best of class product is definitely the FURminator (embroiled in many patent suits with imitators, according to the Wall Street Journal). I recommend this to most of my clients because I know shedding is the No. 1 complaint of pet owners. I go further and warn people not to buy a knock-off or lookalike product because a) they don’t work as well; and b) they don’t last as long. I have the same FURminator I bought when our Golden, Shakira, was brought home 12 years ago, and it still works great.

For a great value (benefits √∑ price = value) nothing beats a Chuck-It. Both the dog and you get a workout, it’s a great bonding tool, really stimulates the dog to use all of his senses, and allows you to pick up a slobber-slick tennis ball and chuck it, hence the name, like a major league baseball player. Note: They now make a great Chuckit! Indoor LauncherIndoor Chuck-It for inside or winter fun.

What are the products you think have real value over time?