Expensive sunglasses

[Keith Oates]

I've just seen in Cyclingnews that Oakley have a new pair of sunglasses:

Quote
Highlighting the Oakley booth at this year's Interbike show was its outrageous new C SIX - a US$4,500 pair of sunglasses with a carbon fibre frame CNC-machined from a single chunk of composite.

Unquote

I can't see a queue forming to purchase these "Bargains"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Garz]

Damn right, bit like having a bike costing as much as some peoples cars, you would be afraid to ride it in case it got a scratch!

 

[flatwhite]

Ya also some pics here - not sure the name of these ones:

http://www.cyclingnewsasia.com/index.php/en/photos/category/18-eyewear

Also quite like this site.

What do you think?

 

[ASC1951]

Highlighting the Oakley booth at this year's Interbike show was its outrageous new C SIX - a US$4,500 pair of sunglasses with a carbon fibre frame CNC-machined from a single chunk of composite.

It's faintly depressing that anyone would want to spend so much money to establish their self worth.

Actually this may not be all it seems. Oakleys are only able to charge as much as they do for their 'normal' sunglasses by having some models which are ludicrously expensive to shower stardust on the whole brand. It isn't necessary in marketing terms that anyone actually buys the C SIX - a couple of prototypes for journos to drool over will be enough.

 

[yenrod]

I've just seen in Cyclingnews that Oakley have a new pair of sunglasses:

Quote
Highlighting the Oakley booth at this year's Interbike show was its outrageous new C SIX - a US$4,500 pair of sunglasses with a carbon fibre frame CNC-machined from a single chunk of composite.

Unquote

I can't see a queue forming to purchase these "Bargains"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Give me 3 pair !

 

[yenrod]

...saying that I paid 20 quid for my 5 lens variants

 

[amnesia]

It's faintly depressing that anyone would want to spend so much money to establish their self worth.

Actually this may not be all it seems. Oakleys are only able to charge as much as they do for their 'normal' sunglasses by having some models which are ludicrously expensive to shower stardust on the whole brand. It isn't necessary in marketing terms that anyone actually buys the C SIX - a couple of prototypes for journos to drool over will be enough.

That said, I expect some high profile celebs will be 'given' a pair to promote Oakley.

If you can afford it, why not ? People spend tens of thousands of pounds on watches when a £3.99 Casio from Argos will be just as accurate (if not more so) than an uber expensive mechanical watch. £3k for a pair of exclusive and unique sunnies isn't that much when you earn £millions per year - and plenty of people do.

If people didn't push the boundaries by trying new materials and new processes we wouldn't be riding around on 16lb hyper bikes, would we ?

250 samples will be made...

 

[ASC1951]

If you can afford it, why not ? People spend tens of thousands of pounds on watches when a £3.99 Casio from Argos will be just as accurate (if not more so) than an uber expensive mechanical watch.

TBH I don't mind people spending very large amounts of money on consumer goodies when that money buys you better function. I normally ride titanium frames, for instance.

Where I have an issue is when the money doesn't get you anything better; or even worse, where goods are so expensive (I forget the economists' term for this) that the only reason for spending it is to show that you can afford to waste money.

£3k for a pair of exclusive and unique sunnies isn't that much when you earn £millions per year - and plenty of people do.

Each to his own, but to me paying a huge premium for exclusivity on a standard consumer item says more about the buyer than about the product. Maybe it's a Buddhist thing.

 

[amnesia]

The can is open and the worms are a'wriggling

Not sure spending £3k on a Breitling would give me more function than a cheapo Casio, but I still have an ambition to own one. I wouldn't pay £100 for a pair of sunglasses though, let alone £3k.

Some people will though... and only because they can.

 

[BalkanExpress]

.

Where I have an issue is when the money doesn't get you anything better; or even worse, where goods are so expensive (I forget the economists' term for this) that the only reason for spending it is to show that you can afford to waste money.

.

Conspicuous Consumption is the term you are looking for

http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141023984,00.html

 

[lukesdad]

Lost my bloody oakleys yesterday on aride had em clipped on my cap somebodys been lucky, cheap ones next time