The Second Best
 

The assumption is that the 'Best' one on the market will cost you extra because it is the best. The one you want to buy is the Second Best, right?

You don't want to buy something that is obsolete. You don't want to buy the econocrap version....you've learned that lesson. BUT, you want it to be GOOD. so, why not the second best? Is the third best a safer bet?

Let's use wireless routers as an example and be specific about which one to buy.

I just bought the D-Link DL-655. It was near the top of the list but its and others like it in its class have started dropping in price. I'm guessing that they are about to be second best.

Second best has been my methodology for a while now.

I don't know wireless routers from a toaster, but I often use this strategy. It's called cross shopping.

You look at the very cheap, low end item; you look at the very expensive high end item. They you look at the ones in the middle and try to get the best combination of features from the high end, and price from the low end.

you'll wind up driving a hyundai if you do that.




ps, hyundai makes a pretty nice car at this point......just don't try to trade it in before it's 10 years old.

Why, what happens at 10 years?

I had heard they were making pretty good cars these days, so I checked them out, but there didn't seem to be much price diff between them and Honda. (Comparing their econo-sedan to the Civic that is.)

funny, I bought the second best wireless router at the store, mainly since I thought my computer would be too old to realize the benfits of the latest and greatest.

I also bought a Hyundai and at 94k miles in 4 years, no problems at all. Plan to drive it all the way down though, and not trade in. We also got a screaming deal from a dealership which was extremely bloated with '04s at the end of August '04. They had something like 600 cars to move before the 05s arrived.

Sonata GLS out the door at 15,800. I think the sticker price was something like 21,000.

I shop for some things by ranking the prices from low to high. Starting at the low end, I go up until I find a product that meets my requirements. I don't know or care what the higher-priced products do, if I found one that meets my needs in the bottom 25%.

Pop always said, go for the next to the top model. All the features, without the bling.

OK, I'm paraphrasing. :D

What requirements were on your "wife" list?

I was just reading recently that manufacturers know that people often pick the second banana - so they make a super duper top (that they don't expect to sell a lot of) so that you pick their real top of the line.

drat, they're ontah meeee.

or is dar a corporate shill?

I like it when companies provide you with a list of what is better per each model, and that way you can figure it out easily. "Lessee, they took the base model, and then on the next one they upgraded the motor, and then on the next one they give you the 4 additional wash cycle choices -- and then on the top one you can delay start of wash for up to a day. Hell with that, let's go with the second-best one."

1. Breathing
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You're right, that really was the number one thing. I mean, I didn't even consider dead chicks.

And we're all so proud. :thumb: