I went to Costco today

[petek]

I haven't been for quite some time, maybe 6 months or more and there was nothing that I wanted. Not a thing that even piqued my interest at all. It used to be I'd go in there and see this thing or that thing that was kind of neat or would like to have but nada. As I meandered the aisles it crossed my mind that this must be where they get all the prizes for The Price is Right.
I must have crossed that threshold where I don't want any new stuff anymore and would rather have better made vintage things.

 

[toggleswitch]

Cool---- good for you.

And in my case I have realized too much stuff around does not bring happiness, nor does duplicates!

 

[Kevinpreston3]

Agreed!

I had that same feeling the few times I went to Sam's Club. I am not rich, but I have the means to buy anything in there. You know, I have my compressor, I have most of the tools I need, I don't want super size anything, and I don't need another TV. There is nothing in these stores that you look at and go, Wow, I don't need that, but it's so wonderful, I have to have it! Nothing takes your breath away. I think back on people going in and seeing Predicta TVs, or one of the many washers we see on this site, and amazing appliances. What excitement. What a pleasure to buy an awesome item. What's the most exciting thing out there now? Maybe a KitchenAid mixer, and I already got one.

I think I mentioned this before on another thread, and it's quasi-related.

We have a Duolit toaster like the one in the auction linked here. Over 10 years old and no problem with it. No deterioration, no loss of performance, no nothing. I think if I polished it the unit could pass as new, and I am not kidding!

I would have gone through 4 or more toasters by now (the one we had before this lasted only a year).

Quality is there if you are willing to pay for it. But then, think about it. If you adjusted for inflation, SHOULDN'T a quality toaster cost $100+?

You get what you pay for. I am done buying crummy appliances. I am going to go for either vintage, or very, very high end new.

In our kitchen, we went with all Kitchen Aid (new) but for the counter top stove which was Viking. It costs more, but I bet I won't need new ones in a few years, and that's value.

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[maytagbear]

Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's

These clubs are fine for consumables, if a person has storage space.

Other than that, what's the point?

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[petek]

A couple of the things they were selling that were memorable:

A Bialetti <sp> fry pan about the size of a manhole cover with a handle about 2.5 ft.

A lovely faux hand hammered coppertone portable fire pit on wheels, approximate diameter 4 ft.

Can be yours if "the price is right"

 

[Brneyedgrl80]

The only reason I go there is to buy vegetables and meats and their oh-so-yummy chocolate chip cookies.

I'm the type of person that likes to stock up on all the things I use often that aren't terribly perishable so I don't have to make multiple trips.

As far as appliances and stuff I never see anything I want except these cute stackable, multi-colored, melamine mixing bowls that are almost similar to my Pyrex bowls.

 

[sudsmaster]

I used to spend many $$$thousands at Costco each year. I've scaled way back since then. I still use them for jeans and shirts, as needed, sometimes for bed linens, towels, etc. And of course for bulk foods, and consumables like paper towels, TP, etc. But like the rest, I seem to have purchased all I need in terms of gadgets, yard tools, wrenches, etc. Even have a nice KA mixer from there. I would love to get a big flat screen TV to hang over my living room fireplace, but that is not a necessity and can wait a few more years.

Costco does have some lovely Lenox brand flatware right now... but I can't really justify a third set in the house, especially when I have a made-in-USA set of Oneida still in box, never used. Plus the Lenox, like most everything else in Costco these days, is made in China. Not that I have anything against Chinese made things, it's just that I think the made-in-USA version is usually better.

I think part of the ennui afflicting long-term Costco shoppers is a combination of gadget-saturation, shrinking budgets, and a slowdown in introduction of truly useful new "cool" stuff. I mean, who the heck needs a gadget that turns molten chocolate into a fountain???

At this point, my goal is to reduce clutter in the home... and Costco doesn't help much with that, LOL!