In This Economy, Who Spends $35 for a Cheese Grater?

As I was walking out of Williams-Sonoma this afternoon I stopped to look a display full of cheese graters. An employee, who was stationed by the door, informed me that there were other graters in the back of the store and suggested that I take a look there. I thanked the woman and asked her how business had been this season. While I was inside the store I noticed only a handful of shoppers. She told me the store had been extremely busy the day after Christmas but other than that it had been slow season.

I looked back down at the grater and said, “I can’t imagine too many people are willing to pay $35 for a cheese grater in this economy.” She laughed and said, “This is Williams-Sonoma. People that come into this store know they are going to pay a lot for a quality item.” Although I completely understand paying more for a quality item I cannot imagine too many people are shelling out $35 for a cheese grater these days. I’m sure there is a food connoisseur out there somewhere that can tell me why a $35 cheese grater works better than a $10 cheese grater, but for my purposes the $10 model will serve it’s purpose just fine.

The employee, who probably cannot afford to buy a $35 cheese grater herself, quietly pulled me aside, and recommended that I try a less expensive store in the mall. She admitted that it a select clientele was shopping in Williams-Sonoma these days and then quietly provided me with the name and location of the other store. I thanked her for her time and wished her a happy new year. Upstairs in the store she recommended, cheese graters were selling for less than the half of the Williams-Sonoma price.

7 thoughts on “In This Economy, Who Spends $35 for a Cheese Grater?”

  1. *nods*

    A grater is a grater, to be honest. I’d be more on shelling out for a pan or a pot rather than buying a cheap one that I’ll have to toss and create more waste.

    I guess we all have to make choices about what a good cheese grater is (looking at quality), but $35 is outrageous!!!

    It better grate my cheese and make the dish for me too šŸ˜›

    Fabulously Broke in the City
    Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver…

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  2. I don’t think graters need to cost so much that you have to insure them:)I think I paid something like 3 dollars for my grater at Ikea.

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  3. I’m quietly chuckling because I think I have a WS cheese grater in my drawer, bought during my more frivolous years. šŸ™‚

    Now, I am all about paying for quality on some things, but I agree with you that I’m not sure a cheese grater is one of them. Especially since I am rather lazy, and tend to buy shredded cheese if it’s needed. šŸ™‚

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  4. She’s right though, regarding the people who would shop there. You don’t go into a WS expecting to pay a few dollars for something; you know that you’re paying for the brand/location. A good many of those people who are at that level aren’t really impacted to the same extent as some others.

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  5. Yeah, I think $35 is a bit excessive.

    My mantra is usually to not go for the cheapest but something mid-range and something that looks like it won’t break in a day and a half of use.

    Usually I get at least my money’s worth and mostly I get a lot more worth than buying either the cheapest or the most expensive.

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