When I was growing up, “Knows the price of everything and t’value of nothing” was a damning comment on folk who only ever considered cost, not quality or other benefits that might make paying more worth it in the long run. It was generally muttered by women with the face and belligerent stance of an English Bulldog, or an old lad with a flat cap pulled down so low it was an early agricultural form of ‘no face, no case’. However Google tells me it was also used by renowned writer, Oscar Wilde, so I think we can assume it translated right across society. It definitely seems to be something we’ve lost sight of in recent decades though and right now it’s directly affecting my work as a bike tester.
So here are some personal thoughts on what price and value actually mean right now and how I’m trying to reconcile the current monetary madness in my reviews.
