In your car, at the store, at your work, and in your home. Everyone you go to, you’ll see some form of materialistic items, whatever that’ll be. This is more to compare and contrast and understand why people buy things like luxury clothing, electronics, cars, etc. Rest assured, I am not here to argue if more expensive items are of higher quality because I believe this is true. I’m here to inform readers why people might buy extravagant things instead of their equally functional and cheaper counterparts. 

Clothing brands are my favorite on this topic. Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton are one of the more unique companies that thrive in America. A fair amount of people I see have an LV bag, purse, or wallet. This is somewhat of a shocking sight to someone like me because it always begs the question, why pay for something like that when I know I could have it cheaper? Some say it’s for a status symbol, and some say it’s about the higher quality material. 

A good amount of people simply won’t spend money on something expensive when brands like Levi’s and Converse exist. Not to mention, Converse can easily be bought in the dozens before you could even come near the price of one Louis Vuitton handbag. Mrs. Fritz (S) agrees with this idea by saying, “I don’t see a point in buying an expensive bag if the affordable one works the same.” This is why they’re staples in American society; a mass of people won’t spend money on expensive brands when affordable brands exist. 

The automotive industry is another great example of consumer opinion. Cars in American society are always in need, and there will always be a wave of newfound car buyers. This makes electric cars like Teslas sweeping the nation in full scale. Tesla, the largest electric car company, is revolutionary in their industry, and is an attention grabber for those in the market for new vehicles. This also applies to brands in the luxury class like Lincoln, Mercedes Benz, and BMW, which have all been highly appreciated vehicles in America. Just like those following brands, Honda, Ford, and Chevrolet have been a staple and always will be the car for reliability and affordability. 

These are just some of the many things that can fall in line with the principle of expensive items over affordable, equally functional things within an American and worldwide view.