The Glasses conspiracy

[1984hasarrived]

Saw this video recently which is very interesting and humorous, now in case people think it is just a made up video, there is also a video below by 60 minutes on the same topic, obviously where the first one came from.

Like this guy I never really thought about why a few bits of plastic are so expensive, now this makes a lot of sense.





60 minutes video of the same content

[Mystic Wanderer]

I wore glasses since the third grade until about 10 years ago when I had the lasik surgery done on both eyes.  Yes, they were very expensive!

Off topic, but for those who may not know, they are finding out now this surgery causes floaters to develop in the eyes, which I now have in both eyes. It can be quite aggravating to have your clear vision suddenly interrupted by a big glob of mass floating over to obstruct your vision! 
I only got them in my right eye a few weeks ago. I've had one in the other eye for a couple of years.

My concern now is, how will I know when that "thing" floating by is just in my eye, or a real ghost?

[senona]

Damn, now that was very informative.

That a single company controls 80% of all glasses and sunglasses brands.
Sheesh, talk about having the X on a product just about.


When Jim had cataract surgery a few years ago, do you know his eye doctor told him just to go to Wally World and use those cheapo reading glasses for his up close up work?
So the both of us just use what we like at CVS or WallyWorld.
More affordable, that is for sure. Ha.



This is good information to know however.
What a hell of a mark up!!



Thanks for sharing

[1984hasarrived]

This pricing is feeding off people's vanity - the glasses which basically three bits of plastic or metal (which probably cost a few dollars to make), are being used to feed off people's insecurities.  It is the name you are paying for, if you are stupid enough to do that.

The glasses have to be "cool", seen as a reflection of the wearer's style, or status and of course they must be better if they are a few hundred dollars.  AS the video points out, some frames (let alone lenses) are the same price as an iPhone, which is truly ridiculous for a few bits of plastic and a few screws.

We are screwed by companies on a daily basis, and this is a perfect example - the fact that is is basically a monopoly lets them set the price at any level they want.

[senona]

Being as we work outdoors, we have tried many name brand sunglasses, including RayBan.

IMO, I was not impressed with them at all.
They did not cut the glare as I hoped it would.

After trial and error, we have found the best ones --for us that is-- that really cut down on the glare is from Walmart eye place.
The name of them is 'Caribbean Sun'....polarized and way, way cheaper.

I myself could care less about name brands.
We go by what holds up the best, and many times, the so-called name brands are by far the worst.

So we go by what is affordable and doable.

[1984hasarrived]

I saw a documentary many years ago, which tested various brands and said that sun glasses at a few dollars were just as effective as high end name products, as long as they offered UV protection.

In the last 50 years, the technology of the actual lenses has not really progressed much - what more can they do but reduce glare and brightness?  Not quite like we can upgrade the lenses and have them do new things (unless you consider something like Google glass), and augment reality - then I see a justification for a price hike.

But to keep pumping out the same bits of plastic decade after decade and charge higher and higher prices, that is just insane.

Here was our lineup: Bright orange, rubber-frame child’s sunglasses, bought for $4, at a flea market; jade women’s rectangulars, $4, flea market; black faux-Porsche, $10, Spadina Ave. shop; metal aviators, $20, drugstore, and brown-framed unisex, $60, optician’s shop.

From the display cases at Queensway Optometric Centre in Mississauga, we selected name brands by price range: a sedate Michael Kors, $120; the ever-popular Ray-Ban Wayfarer (think Blues Brothers), $208; a classy Chanel, $358, and a rhinestone-bedecked wraparound Bulgari, $488.

While fashionable shades may help you channel your inner movie star, sunglasses are most importantly a health aid to shield your eyes from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. Consumers are advised to buy sunglasses labelled “100 per cent UV protection” or “UV 400.” The ultraviolet spectrum ends at 400 nanometres.

Sunglass manufacturers follow voluntary industry standards when labelling their products, according to Health Canada. But how can you be sure the label is truthful, especially with the market flooded with inexpensive glasses? A consumer can’t see this important ultraviolet protection. The darkness of the lens has nothing to do with it.

At Queensway Optometric Centre, Dr. Joe Chan passed the nine pairs of sunglasses, both lenses, through the UV meter in his office. All nine registered 100 per cent UV protection, even the cheap ones.

So why pay more?

Apparently, for a less distorted view of the world.

BLT