The price of toasters

Posted by: jlfrs on 03 February 2006

My toaster packed up this morning and I've had a look on the net and simply cannot believe how much they are.

Three years ago the average cost of a DVD player was over £150.

I can now buy one that works fine and have change left over from £20 and there's every sign that prices will keep falling.

Three years ago I bought my toaster and paid £20. If I want the same toaster now it's still £20. The same goes for irons. Tesco are making a big deal out of flogging a £5 iron - going on the comparative price of microwaves, DVDs and t.v.'s why is this such a big deal.

How can this be explained?
Posted on: 03 February 2006 by Ioniser
Simple - dvd players are the subject of fierce competition, which drives prices the the current low levels. There are also loads of new competing 'brands' out there with no presence or reputation to worry about, hence Verytacki industries charge £20 for a plastic cased player of the absolute minimum quality, and Joe Public thinks it's a great bargain.
Toasters, kettles etc. have to contain at least a few tough metal parts, and whether it costs anywhere near that or not, £20 is still relatively cheap, and people will pay a premium for Breville, Kenwood etc.
Posted on: 03 February 2006 by i am simon 2
DVDs are a bad example to compare with toasters. DVD players are an emerging technology, they have only been availible for 10 years or so and they started very exspensive for two reasons.

1. When they were new, there was a high demand and people could be forced to pay big bucks.

2. The R and D had to be paid for, and most of this is collected up fornt by the high prices, also costs of manufacture come down as the technology develops.

Toasters have bee around for a long time, and I bet in their first ten years of sale, the continued to fall in price, they have now found their residual price, and will probably track inflation from now on.

Simon
Posted on: 03 February 2006 by Mick P
Chaps

Buy a Dualit and you will never buy one again because they last forever.

Also they really do make toast like toast should be.

Buy some cheap rubbish toaster and you will buy another toaster again and will be eating rubbish toast in the meantime.

Regards

Mick
Posted on: 03 February 2006 by garyi
Buy a Dualit and you will never buy one again because they last forever.
Posted on: 03 February 2006 by Mick P
jlfrs

Here is the website.

http://www.dualit.com/content.asp?page=/catalogue/produ....asp?categoryCode=15

For goodness sake do not buy any tat from Tescos.

Regards

Mick
Posted on: 03 February 2006 by nicnaim
Another vote for Dualit here. Stylish and practical, worth the investment. A bit like buying Miele products.

Nic
Posted on: 04 February 2006 by manicatel
Yep another fully paid up member of the dualit fan club here too. Ours was a wedding present 11yrs ago, gets used by between 3-5 people every day,& doesn't go wrong. I suppose it seems like a lot of money to do something as basic as toasting, butit works.
matt
Posted on: 06 February 2006 by Occean
I recently went through the toaster buying process, and was seriously considering a Dulit - I bought a 4 slice for my sister the other year for xmas and yes it is robust etc etc.

Some sudden mountain bike upgrades sucked up my toaster fund and i bought a half price (£15)Tefal from Robert Dyas and it toasts evenly each side and I have no complaint and am actually glad I didn't outlay on the Dulit (though this may change if it dies in a years time!)

And at the same time I bought a kettle (again tefal and half price) - and it is by far the most user friendly kettle I have ever used (I would not recommend the upright Dulit as it can burn you hand with steam very easily - I lived with one for two years...).

For a change - I am glad I spent less money! That’s a rarity. Normally I buy something cheap and wish I’d bought the better model!