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Medical Forum / General / Vision / January 2006I need a nice pair of frames -- good ones -- but at big discount. Where?
Maybe four years ago I got a really nice (pair?) of glasses-frames at costco, for about $100. I think that frames like that went for over $200 at the optician. Time to get new ones -- but costco now has only fairly small ones. What I had were metal, oval shaped holes, and big -- I'm a big guy. And I like a wide field of vision, like I got with my original costco pair. Any idea where to get frames at big discount? (Name brand I could care less about! But I would like some quality, nonetheless. And, again, big.) Any help most welcome. THANKS! David > Any idea where to get frames at big discount? What would you do with the frames -- take 'em to Lenscrafters to have the "glass" installed? It is possible to buy prescription eyeglasses on the Internet at very low prices. But you would not know who made the glasses, or where, and you would not have any way to check to see if they were properly made, or to be personally assured that they fit your face correctly. So what?!, say I. But my eyeglasses are very simple. And I'm a wild and crazy guy with more than one pair of pliers. -- Dicky >> Any idea where to get frames at big discount? > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >made, or to be personally assured that they fit your >face correctly. Agreed with the last point. What I want to do is buy the FRAMES, and then take them in to the local optician (whom I believe excellent) to, yes, put in the glass, fit them, etc. I've done it several times before, with excellent results. Only this time I don't know where to get the *big* (metal) frames, now that Costco seems not to stock them any more. So that's what I ask -- WHERE can one get good frames, cheaply? Thanks, David > What I want to do is buy the FRAMES, and then take > them in to the local optician (whom I believe excellent) [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > So that's what I ask -- WHERE can one get good frames, > cheaply? Estate sales. Really.  SignatureCheers, Bev ================================================================= "The federal government has taken too much tax money from the people, too much authority from the states, and too much liberty with the Constitution." -- Ronald Reagan > ... I don't know where to get the *big* > (metal) frames, now that Costco seems not to stock > them any more. > > So that's what I ask -- WHERE can one get good frames, > cheaply? Sorry, I dunno either. I have a fat face but look really stupid in big frames. Have you asked your friends to tell you how you look in those *big* eyeglasses? There is a lot of stuff on the Internet. Did you check, for instance, http://search.ebay.com/optical-frames ? -- Dicky 2 points: 1) They stopped making BIG frames because they look stupid. You do NOT get any appreciable increase in field of view and certainly not anything that is useful. 2) Is there a problem with paying for a decent set of frames? There is no such thing as a $200.00 frame going for $100.00. It has been discontinued, therefore no parts available if anything should happen to the frame or it was overpriced in the first place (lenscrafters, pearl optical, walmart are all expert in importing generic crap cheaply and inflating the price significantly in the order of 10-20,000%) Do yourself a favour and go get a good set from a reputable optical outlet. If for example, you spent $500.00 on a pair of glasses, over 4 years, this represents 34c per day. Not a huge outlay given the time frame. dr grant > 2 points: > > 1) They stopped making BIG frames because they look stupid. You do NOT > get any appreciable increase in field of view and certainly not > anything that is useful. Big frames do a much better job of keeping the rain, wind and sun out of your eyes. I consider those functions extremely valuable. The tradeoff is weight, of course. > 2) Is there a problem with paying for a decent set of frames? There is > no such thing as a $200.00 frame going for $100.00. It has been > discontinued, therefore no parts available if anything should happen to > the frame or it was overpriced in the first place (lenscrafters, pearl > optical, walmart are all expert in importing generic crap cheaply and > inflating the price significantly in the order of 10-20,000%) The chains aren't the only ones who overprice generic crap. An optician who used to post here said that we'd be horrified at what the shops actually pay for those expensive frames in quantity. I believe him. The 99-Cents-Only store sells lighted Belkin USB cables for 99 cents. I saw the same cables in the same package at Fry's for $29.99. It doesn't seem unlikely that other items can be procured at similar discounts by quantity buyers. My cheap (well, what passes for cheap at the discount shops) frames have those nice spring hinges, last until my prescription changes, and look as good as could be expected. > Do yourself a favour and go get a good set from a reputable optical > outlet. If for example, you spent $500.00 on a pair of glasses, over 4 > years, this represents 34c per day. Not a huge outlay given the time > frame. > > dr grant People rarely get what they pay for. SignatureCheers, Bev =================================================================== Teamwork: A bunch of people running around doing what I tell them. > Big frames do a much better job of keeping the rain, wind and sun out of your > eyes. I consider those functions extremely valuable. The tradeoff is weight, > of course. No they don't. The part that keeps the wind out is directly in front of your eyes and is present in big and small frames. Size has nothing to do with sunlight getting to your eyes and you ca always put on a hat in the rain. There is no credence in this line of arguement or no-one would be buying smaller eye sized frames. In fact, the people who want big, ugly frames and get talked out of them (usually by their spouse) end up happier that they went for smaller frames. > The chains aren't the only ones who overprice generic crap. > > An optician who used to post here said that we'd be horrified at what the > shops actually pay for those expensive frames in quantity. I believe him. You probably believe in santa too. Even in large quantity, you get a discount, but not 98%. Good frames cost money to make, better hinges, better plating, better base metals. This is not cheap. I have to buy and retail frames, the cost I have to pay often has me gasping for breath. > The 99-Cents-Only store sells lighted Belkin USB cables for 99 cents. I saw > the same cables in the same package at Fry's for $29.99. It doesn't seem > unlikely that other items can be procured at similar discounts by quantity buyers. Probably labelled but a rip-off. I do know what stores pay for Belkin cables and it is more than .99c. They may be getting rid of the line or using it as a loss-leader. > My cheap (well, what passes for cheap at the discount shops) frames have those > nice spring hinges, last until my prescription changes, and look as good as > could be expected. Spring quality varies considerably and cheap frames have cheap plating. Sure they may look much the same as they copy all the best stuff from the guys that actually spend money on design and development. The thing is they are not the same as the components are cheaper, the plating is thinner and the base metals are not of the same quality. > People rarely get what they pay for. Maybe where you come from, not in my shop. dr grant precipitously disagreed with Bev as follows: > > Big frames do a much better job of keeping the rain, wind and sun out of your > > eyes. ... [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > big, ugly frames and get talked out of them (usually by their spouse) > end up happier that they went for smaller frames. Big lenses are nice if you are working with power tools, and you like not becoming blind. They are good, too, against wind-born debris if you are riding a bicycle or a motorcycle around town. > Good frames cost money to make, better hinges, better plating, better > base metals. This is not cheap. I have to buy and retail frames, the cost > I have to pay often has me gasping for breath. I am really amazed at the quality of frames of Walgreens readers. I can gasp at how cheap they are. (Mine were $4 on sale. I got another pair from Zenni with a bit of cylinder according to my prescription for ~$31 incl. postage. Well, the hinges are more clever than expensive. Probably will wear out in a year or two. > > My cheap (well, what passes for cheap at the discount shops) frames have those > > nice spring hinges, last until my prescription changes, and look as good as > > could be expected. Bev said that. I am with Bev on that. My spouse is sold an all-new pair of eyeglasses each year or two, ~$300 each time. Last time she also got some "computer" glasses for $175, but they were only single-vision. It is the judgement of the seller that her needs are better met by high quality. Her requirement for high quality is an ethnic condition. > Spring quality varies considerably and cheap frames have cheap plating. > Sure they may look much the same as they copy all the best stuff from > the guys that actually spend money on design and development. The thing > is they are not the same as the components are cheaper, the plating is > thinner and the base metals are not of the same quality. If you were near to here, Mrs. A. would find you. I would like to add this: small-lens rimless eyeglasses can mount closer to the eyeballs and thereby subtend an equivalent, or greater, solid angle than would larger-lens models. Not so good against flying crud and UV, but more cosmetically correct according to some views, and potential equivalent optically. Those come in top-of-the-line models in fancy optical boutiques, but near the bottom of Zenni's line. The wire used for bridge and earpieces can be stainless steel, or Titanium if you are fashion oriented, so plating is irrelevant. -- DickyA P.S. to Dan -- Where do you stand on this, Dan? >Big lenses are nice if you are working with power tools, and you like not >becoming blind. They are good, too, against wind-born debris if you >are riding a bicycle or a motorcycle around town. Goggles? > My spouse is sold an all-new pair >of eyeglasses each year or two, ~$300 each time. Last time she also got >some "computer" glasses for $175, but they were only single-vision. It is >the judgement of the seller that her needs are better met by high quality. >Her requirement for high quality is an ethnic condition. What ethnic condition is that? I'm just curious, as it must be a condition I share with your wife, this demand for high quality. +++++++++++++ Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account... First of all, I don't think I even want to speak to you if you think my words of wisdom constitute "spew". But I will endeavor to accommodate your imperceptivity: > >Big lenses are nice if you are working with power tools, and you like not > >becoming blind. They are good, too, against wind-born debris if you > >are riding a bicycle or a motorcycle around town. > > Goggles? Prescription goggles are expensive. For low speed on two-wheelers around town, cheap eyeglasses can substitute. > >Her requirement for high quality is an ethnic condition. > What ethnic condition is that? I'm just curious, as it must be a > condition I share with your wife, this demand for high quality. What is the geometry of your cranium? Square, perhaps? Are you furnishing your living quarters from IKEA? Here is another thought about geometry: If you have a good pair of reading glasses, you can get along quite well with a 9-inch TV. You will not need a huge screen on the opposite wall and quite possibly see a bigger picture. One day soon, your TV will be built into your eyeglasses, and your computer too. Then $300 could be the right price. -- Dicky __________________ "The Singularity is Near" -Kurzweil >First of all, I don't think I even want to speak to you if you think >my words of wisdom constitute "spew". But I will endeavor to >accommodate your imperceptivity: Touchy touchy. That's my standard newsreader setting, don't feel special. >Prescription goggles are expensive. For low speed on two-wheelers around >town, cheap eyeglasses can substitute. I don't use prescription goggles. I have several pairs of those plastic "granny shades" that fit over my spectacles. Clear ones for work indoors that requires eye protection, dark ones for outdoor activities such as yardwork. And I wear a full-face helmet when I'm on the scoot which obviates the need for special eye protection. >> >Her requirement for high quality is an ethnic condition. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >What is the geometry of your cranium? Square, perhaps? Are you >furnishing your living quarters from IKEA? Oh, I'm a pinhead. If I didn't inherit the antiques or cadge them from relatives I bought 'em at the flea market and did the refinishing myself. IKEA never did strike me as particularly high-end except in pricing. Seriously, what's ethnic about wanting to purchase quality goods? >One day soon, your TV will be built into your eyeglasses, and your >computer too. Cool, though I suspect the supporting hardware might be burdensome to lug around. Where can I sign up for the alpha/beta program? >Then $300 could be the right price. The "cheap" $240 spectacles frames that I purchased last year were wasted money for myriad reasons. My decidedly uncheap $600 frames are still going strong 8 years later. The price is only "right" if the buyer is satisfied with the goods purchased. +++++++++++++ Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account... > [ ... ] > The "cheap" $240 spectacles frames that I purchased last year were > wasted money for myriad reasons. My decidedly uncheap $600 frames are > still going strong 8 years later. The price is only "right" if the > buyer is satisfied with the goods purchased. Zowie! I've never met a wearer of $600 optical frames. Once I knew a lady who wore a Rolex watch, but her contacts blurred her near vision. She was satisfied, however, to know that people knew that she was wearing it. Sometimes, when she saw a person looking at it, she'd ask him what time it was. Good way to start a conversation, she confided. -- Dicky >>First of all, I don't think I even want to speak to you if you think >>my words of wisdom constitute "spew". But I will endeavor to >>accommodate your imperceptivity: > > Touchy touchy. That's my standard newsreader setting, don't feel > special. You might consider changing it to something less childish. "Creative" quoting methods are rarely as clever as their users believe. > The "cheap" $240 spectacles frames that I purchased last year were > wasted money for myriad reasons. $240 for "cheap" glasses? Don't even think of explaining, anything you say would be meaningless. > My decidedly uncheap $600 frames are > still going strong 8 years later. The price is only "right" if the > buyer is satisfied with the goods purchased. Pity that so many people must spend so much to be satisfied. SignatureCheers, Bev ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ All bleeding eventually stops. "Pity that so many people must spend so much to be satisfied." Pity the people that are too cheap to get something worthwhile. You probably think your bike is as good as a Mercedes. Your glasses are no different. Good engineering costs money. Plus, why the need for one pair of glasses for everything? I have glasses for bike riding, glasses for tennis, glasses for driving ( about 15 pairs of sunglasses), glasses for reading and glasses for the computer. They all have attributes for the specific task. dr grant >You >probably think your bike is as good as a Mercedes. Your glasses are no >different. Good engineering costs money. While I, of course, take your point, my bike IS (at least) as good as a Mercedes: http://www.nbeener.com/moots.html :-) SignatureLive simply so that others may simply live Funny about that, but I bet it didn't cost $9.95 at Costco!!!!! grant > Funny about that, but I bet it didn't cost $9.95 at Costco!!!!! The Motiv bikes at Costco -- at least five years ago -- are not at all bad for the price. The guys don't know how to put them together, but that's a solvable problem. While I shopped, one of the Costco guards brought his bike over and asked my husband how to shift it. Husband got out his tools and re-adjusted a lot of stuff. Decent components, nothing to be ashamed of. I think they cost a couple of hundred$ now, and they have fancier ones. Definitely worth while for a starter bike. SignatureCheers, Bev xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." -- Hunter S. Thompson >> Funny about that, but I bet it didn't cost $9.95 at Costco!!!!! > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >I think they cost a couple of hundred$ now, and they have fancier ones. >Definitely worth while for a starter bike. Hmph. Cheap bikes tend to turn people off of cycling--a real shame. Cheap bikes put together by inexperienced, unskilled, underpaid employees are dangerous--another real shame. Visit your local bike shop (nobody's asking, I know) and get fitted for something that you'll ride and you'll like. Even if you wind up buying used, a better bike is a better cycling experience. Otis: your mission--should you decide to accept it--is to turn this into a plus-lens discussion. Go! SignatureLive simply so that others may simply live >>You >>probably think your bike is as good as a Mercedes. Your glasses are no >>different. Good engineering costs money. > > While I, of course, take your point, my bike IS (at least) as good as > a Mercedes: http://www.nbeener.com/moots.html :-) Better than a Merc. Definitely better than a Merc. Very nice indeed. My road bike is a Miyata 912 (I think) with Shimano 600 stuff, which is just as beautiful as the Campy stuff. The bad part is that I need lower gears and replaced the drivetrain with a 6-speed MTB set. That bike was $25. My MTB is a KHS. Rock solid. I've burdened it with a rack, a trunk and several bags, but it doesn't whine or complain, just keeps on going. I had to buy it quickly without haggling because my previous bike, a Trek 830, was stolen the week before. SignatureCheers, Bev xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." -- Hunter S. Thompson >>>You >>>probably think your bike is as good as a Mercedes. Your glasses are no [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >buy it quickly without haggling because my previous bike, a Trek 830, was >stolen the week before. Miyata made a beautiful bike, and if the frame is of the same era as the 600 componentry (mid-80's?), then you done good! Look in here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/pdfs/bstone6001985.pdf 'zat it? KHS also builds a good bike. Sounds like you've got a well-equipped grocery-getter. That's an indisputable /good thing/ :-) We're a seven bike couple. I'm trying to rationalize the eighth right now: a vintage Schwinn ten-speed, to be converted to a single-speed for 'round town riding.... Oh, by the way: box camera. There. Relevant material. SignatureLive simply so that others may simply live >>>>You >>>>probably think your bike is as good as a Mercedes. Your glasses are no [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > 'zat it? Yup, except mine's black with pink lettering. No, not the ladies' model. I <heart> Sheldon "Knows everything there is to know about bicycles and morris dancing" Brown. > KHS also builds a good bike. Sounds like you've got a well-equipped > grocery-getter. That's an indisputable /good thing/ :-) Grocery-getter. GROCERY-GETTER!!!!! Well, actually, I do use it to get groceries and just about every other use for a bike I might have. For a few years I rode it in the Rose Parade. Well, not actually IN the parade -- we used to ride up Colorado Boulevard after the parade just to marvel at the vast quantity of trash left behind by our "guests". More impressive than the parade. > We're a seven bike couple. I'm trying to rationalize the eighth right > now: a vintage Schwinn ten-speed, to be converted to a single-speed > for 'round town riding.... Two years ago we saw a virgin Schwinn Paramount. The guy had his dad's receipt from what, 197x? He'd apparently bought it, gotten sick and died and it sat in the garage ever since. The son wanted $250 for it, and it fit my husband. We didn't buy it because he already has 20 or 30 bikes (I have two) and it would never get ridden because it was too good. I bet it made somebody happy, though. > Oh, by the way: box camera. There. Relevant material. I wear sun(ob)glasses when I ride my bicycle. SignatureCheers, Bev =================================================================== Teamwork: A bunch of people running around doing what I tell them. > "Pity that so many people must spend so much to be satisfied." > > Pity the people that are too cheap to get something worthwhile. You > probably think your bike is as good as a Mercedes. Your glasses are no > different. Good engineering costs money. My bike probably IS the bicycle equivalent of at least a low-end Merc. Its street price in 1994 or 1995 was $1400. I bought it in 2001 with 200 miles on the cateye and a big gouge on one of the cranks for $100. I've put maybe 8,000 miles on it and it's never needed an adjustment. I have given it a new chain and 2 new chainwheels and really should get a new cluster for it, but I'm too busy posting... > Plus, why the need for one pair of glasses for everything? I have > glasses for bike riding, glasses for tennis, glasses for driving ( > about 15 pairs of sunglasses), glasses for reading and glasses for the > computer. They all have attributes for the specific task. Excellent suggestion from a person who sells them. I have a pair of bifocals for ordinary purposes and a pair of single-vision glasses for computer and reading. I tried Transitions lenses for the bifocals, and found them useless. I'd get some flip-up polaroid sunglass attachments for my current bifocals if I could find some small enough to fit -- they only seem to make them in ugly big sizes. When I wear my contacts I use a pair of $5 polaroid sunglasses from Big Five (local sporting goods chain). Sold as fishing glasses with no pretense toward style whatsoever. They keep out the wind and the bugs and the sun, unlike the Anne Klein tinies. SignatureCheers, Bev =================================================================== "If your mechanic claims that he stands behind his brake jobs, keep looking. You want to find one willing to stand in front of them." -- B. Ward > Pity the people that are too cheap to get something worthwhile. You > probably think your bike is as good as a Mercedes. Here we come to the root of the problem. Bev thinks that people rarely get what they paid for. I think that they often do, with significant exceptions. It appears from your statement that you think that how much you pay determines how good things are. My bicycle isn't as good as a Mercedes. It only has two wheels. My Nissan Sentra is just as good as a Mercedes...for my needs. It cost me US$11,000+ about four years ago. I don't know about Australia, but a Mercedes-Benz in the US is advertising hype. They aren't dumb. With the import duty and transportation costs, they can't hope to compete with cheap cars. So they went after the luxury market and convinced people that they were worth the money. People in the US who buy a Mercedes and then go to Germany get really angry. They get out of the airport or train station and see a whole line of Mercedes. They are taxis. A Mercedes in Germany is an ordinary car, not an economy car certainly, but not a luxury car either. SignatureDan Abel dabel@sonic.net Petaluma, California, USA >> Pity the people that are too cheap to get something worthwhile. You >> probably think your bike is as good as a Mercedes. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Nissan Sentra is just as good as a Mercedes...for my needs. It cost me > US$11,000+ about four years ago. My '83 Sentra cost $2000 in 1990 or so and I'd still be driving it if the state of California hadn't decided it needed to be crushed. > I don't know about Australia, but a Mercedes-Benz in the US is > advertising hype. They aren't dumb. With the import duty and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > line of Mercedes. They are taxis. A Mercedes in Germany is an ordinary > car, not an economy car certainly, but not a luxury car either. Wouldn't it be cool if they were also the majority of Tijuana taxis? SignatureCheers, Bev xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death." -- Hunter S. Thompson >You might consider changing it to something less childish. "Creative" quoting >methods are rarely as clever as their users believe. I'm happy with it. Nobody else needs to be. >Pity that so many people must spend so much to be satisfied. We've had this conversation about spectacles in a different group. Your definition of frugal and mine aren't the same, never have been, never will be. I will note that 2005 was an expensive year for spectacles, for me. The "cheap" spectacles can't be made to fit *properly* and the optician can't figure out why the lenses (reportedly identical material to those in my old frames) have weird optics. The optician finally gave up and comped current-Rx lenses for my old frames. The old frames, which per my records cost me $560 (non-taxable), will shortly be eight years old. That's $70 per year amortized, a number which will presumably only continue to fall as I think I'm giving up on finding frames I like as well, that fit as well, and are as durable as these. There is much to be said for made-to-measure titanium frames. If the "cheap" frames were huge-a.s honking things that covered half my face I might offer them to you, Bev, but you wouldn't be happy with the price. As it is they sit forlornly in a drawer... +++++++++++++ Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account... > "Dick Adams" <bad.addr@nonexist.com> spewed forth : > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Goggles? Not easy to wear with a helmet, especially if your head-shape isn't goggle-friendly. Goggles over glasses are miserably uncomfortable, especially if you bump the goggles so that they bump your glasses painfully into some part of your head. >>My spouse is sold an all-new pair >>of eyeglasses each year or two, ~$300 each time. Last time she also got [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > What ethnic condition is that? I'm just curious, as it must be a > condition I share with your wife, this demand for high quality. As far as I know, "gullible" isn't an ethnicity -- it cuts across ethnic lines. While the woman in question may be of sterling character and otherwise wholly admirable, she's been sold a bill of goods about her glasses. SignatureCheers, Bev ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ All bleeding eventually stops. > P.S. to Dan -- Where do you stand on this, Dan? 1. Large lenses - I hate 'em. They were all the fashion, and I wasn't willing to stand up to the optician. I was -10D and -12D at one point, and I suggested that I wanted smaller lenses. "Oh no, you won't be happy with those!" Between the enormous weight, the distance from the eyes, the glare and the reflections, I wore them maybe three or four times. My contacts worked a lot better anyway. 2. Frame price and quality - I'm ambivalent. I just bought some US$97.00 frames from the OD. With my vision insurance, they cost me US$3.00. Can't beat that price. I'm sure they'll last a decade or more. I buy my reading glasses from Costco. They have nice frames with spring hinges. They are three pairs for US$18.99. I haven't worn out a pair yet, although the screws needed tightening after a couple of years. Of course, part of the reason is that my correction has changed over the years. Those +1.25 glasses are worthless to me now. SignatureDan Abel dabel@sonic.net Petaluma, California, USA ... >2. Frame price and quality - I'm ambivalent. I just bought some >US$97.00 frames from the OD. With my vision insurance, they cost me >US$3.00. Can't beat that price. I'm sure they'll last a decade or What's this "vision insurance"? Who from? How much per year? And comments on the idea? Thanks David > >2. Frame price and quality - I'm ambivalent. I just bought some > >US$97.00 frames from the OD. With my vision insurance, they cost me > >US$3.00. Can't beat that price. I'm sure they'll last a decade or > What's this "vision insurance"? It was an employment benefit, like health and dental insurance. My employer (State of California) bought vision insurance for every employee (with some limits, I think half-time or greater and permanent). I paid a copay for yearly exams, they paid a certain amount for frames and lenses, or contacts, every two years. If your correction changed more than 1/2 diopter, they would buy a new lens(es) even if it wasn't two years. > Who from? It was some big insurance company. My OD did a lot of business with them and knew all their little rules. > How much per year? I think my employer paid $120 a year, but don't quote me. It may have been a little more. > And comments on the idea? I recently retired. My health and dental continue for the rest of my life, but not the vision. The person I talked to in HR suggested getting any vision work done before I lost coverage. Both my daughter and I got glasses. I could have continued coverage under COBRA but it didn't look worth it. My health plan covers eye exams (with a copay) but not glasses or contacts. SignatureDan Abel dabel@sonic.net Petaluma, California, USA Thanks for the info. David >Spring quality varies considerably and cheap frames have cheap plating. >Sure they may look much the same as they copy all the best stuff from >the guys that actually spend money on design and development. The thing >is they are not the same as the components are cheaper, the plating is >thinner and the base metals are not of the same quality. I have to get children's frames because I am small and they are much cheaper than adults frames. Is that because they are poorer quality or simply because the shops don't make as much profit on them? Ann > I have to get children's frames because I am small and they are much > cheaper than adults frames. Is that because they are poorer quality > or simply because the shops don't make as much profit on them? I like my HMO. The local optical shop has their frames arranged by price. The cheapest are in the upper left. As you go down the column, they get more expensive. The next column starts where the other left off. The bottom right frames are the most expensive. The cheapest were US$35.00. I went to the optical shop about 25 miles north of here. The local eye clinic consists of two ODs plus other staff. My OMD and retinal specialist are in the clinic 25 miles north. So I window shopped the frames. They don't lay them out that way. SignatureDan Abel dabel@sonic.net Petaluma, California, USA >> Big frames do a much better job of keeping the rain, wind and sun out of your >> eyes. I consider those functions extremely valuable. The tradeoff is weight, >> of course. > > No they don't. The part that keeps the wind out is directly in front of > your eyes and is present in big and small frames. I ride my bicycle up to 35 mph (on a downhill, of course). My old plastic big-frame glasses shield my eyes from the wind, my new plastic small-frame glasses do not. I used to have big wire-frame glasses which were awful as far as wind. Are you arguing just for the sake of arguing, or are you trying to convince people that they'll look stupid unless they buy new small-frame glasses? > Size has nothing to > do with sunlight getting to your eyes and you ca always put on a hat in > the rain. I have some small-frame sunglasses. I can't even wear them for driving because direct sunlight leaks in from above. Are you actually as big an a.shole as you appear to be, or do you just play one on usenet? > There is no credence in this line of arguement or no-one > would be buying smaller eye sized frames. In fact, the people who want > big, ugly frames and get talked out of them (usually by their spouse) > end up happier that they went for smaller frames. You might remember that large frames were ultra-fashionable not too long ago. Anybody think Jackie Kennedy looked stupid or ugly? >> The chains aren't the only ones who overprice generic crap. >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > and retail frames, the cost I have to pay often has me gasping for > breath. Too proud to shop in China? >> The 99-Cents-Only store sells lighted Belkin USB cables for 99 cents. I saw >> the same cables in the same package at Fry's for $29.99. It doesn't seem [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > cables and it is more than .99c. They may be getting rid of the line or > using it as a loss-leader. Possibly, but that doesn't mean it's not a tremendous bargain. Smart shoppers buy loss leaders all the time. Dumb shoppers pay top dollar and are up to their a.ses in debt. I use the cable in question with my printer, and it works just fine. If I'd bought the $30 one at Fry's I might have had a choice of color, but "red" isn't worth 30x "clear". >> My cheap (well, what passes for cheap at the discount shops) frames have those >> nice spring hinges, last until my prescription changes, and look as good as [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > is they are not the same as the components are cheaper, the plating is > thinner and the base metals are not of the same quality. If it looks OK and doesn't break that's all I expect. I don't pay for "fashionable" design that I don't want or need. Development? You mean the next generation of frames will be USB-compatible? >> People rarely get what they pay for. > > Maybe where you come from, not in my shop. > > dr grant If you sell +2.25 reading glasses for more than a buck and tax, your customers are paying a lot more than they need to. Lest you quibble about the lens quality, my optician checked them over and asked me where he could get some. While waiting in the Sears optometrist's office for a copy of my prescription, a woman brought in a pair of glasses in designer frames that she had paid over $300 for the previous week. She dropped them and the frame broke. She was told that she should have opted for the optional insurance plan. SignatureCheers, Bev ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ All bleeding eventually stops. Grant, I should have warned you. DrG > Grant, I should have warned you. Hey, he's a big boy and even a real Doc, right? SignatureCheers, Bev ========================================================== "The last thing you want is for somebody to commit suicide before executing them." -Gary Deland, former Utah director for corrections LOL Greg. You can't argue with someone who thinks a $2.00 pice of junk is in any way related to a good pair of frames. Anyhow..... grant > People rarely get what they pay for. Bev and I have had this disagreement before. I think that people often get what they pay for. There are some really significant exceptions, though. I've never studied marketing. However, I have a degree in economics, and some marketing is based on that. My econ teachers would sometimes talk about the application of econ to marketing. It's a fact that some people are willing to pay more than others for the exact same product. This is the whole deal with haggling. Everybody pays a different price for the same thing. Most of the taco trucks around here have no prices on the menu posted on the outside of the truck. I know what that means. I went down to the soccer field a few weeks ago. They have a lot of Hispanic games, and there are always some food vendors. One has a van. I wanted a mango. They put them on a stick, peel them, spray them with lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and hot chile powder. I asked how much. She didn't know. She asked the guy in back of her. He looked me over carefully and gave me a price. It changes every week. I got the mango. Mostly in the US, things sell at a fixed price. Some don't. I understand that some ODs will "match the price". Big ticket items are more likely to be subject to bargaining. Two cars with the identical same sticker price might sell for different amounts according to how well the customer bargains. Still, vehicles are weird. I bought a full sized truck a few years back, a Toyota Tundra, made in Indiana. At that time, all the Tundra trucks came on the same chassis. There were two different bodies, two engines and two transmissions, but the same chassis. Sticker prices varied from US$16,000 to US$29,000! Frankly, I thought the more expensive trucks had a less functional body, but that was just me. Almost everybody bought the US$25,000 version. I guess they didn't want to seem cheap. I don't care, I *am* cheap. I paid US$15,200 with air conditioner but not much else. It was just what I wanted. It had a long bed, a slightly more fuel efficient V6 engine, and a 5 speed manual transmission. When I go camping, I sleep in the back (I bought a fiberglass shell for it). ObVision: My truck has a little slot in the door where I keep my spare reading glasses. SignatureDan Abel dabel@sonic.net Petaluma, California, USA >> People rarely get what they pay for. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >I've never studied marketing. However, I have a degree in economics, Did you read _Freakonomics_ yet? I just finished the audio edition. Neat stuff! >and some marketing is based on that. My econ teachers would sometimes >talk about the application of econ to marketing. [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] >transmission. When I go camping, I sleep in the back (I bought a >fiberglass shell for it). I'm having a hard time believing--with all of this new info--that you didn't know how much a '67 Buick cost ;-) >ObVision: My truck has a little slot in the door where I keep my spare >reading glasses. Good thought! SignatureLive simply so that others may simply live |
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