Metatalktail Hour: Brand Loyalty

May 20, 2017 4:40 PM

Good Saturday evening, MetaFilter! This week's prompt is from lyssabee, who has used Cherry Chapstick for 30 years: What brands are you extra loyal to? Remember, they're conversation starters, not limiters, so talk about whatever's on your mind!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) to MetaFilter-Related at 4:40 PM (215 comments total)

I am particularly loyal to Diet Coke, although it may be more addiction than loyalty. I also prefer my apples to come from Michigan, although I guess that's only barely a "brand."

We're celebrating Mini McGee's birthday this weekend (multiday extravaganza), so today for "feast" he got to pick the menu, etc. He wanted to use the fine china, and he asked for pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes, caesar salad, green beans, apples & onions, and rolls. Plus he wanted "something with cantaloupe" because he loves cantaloupe, so for appetizers we had cantaloupe, proscuitto, and red grapes speared on little sword toothpicks, which he assembled himself. (He was SO EXCITED about the sword toothpicks.) He then carried them around the living room offering them to everyone, and then he and the other kids stabbed each other with the swords until dinner time. I also made an agua fresca with honeydew melon which was pretty good -- basically you cut up a honeydew, run it through the blender in batches, and then mix one part melon mash and one part water, refrigerate, and serve very cold over a bunch of ice, with raspberries floating in it. It was very good! It'd be better if it were 90 degrees and sunny, but even cool and rainy it was tasty. (The baby liked it so much she cried when she finished her cup.)

And then of course birthday cake, which he insisted have Roman numeral candles, because I got Roman numeral candles for his dad because after a certain point it's silly to have dozens of candles and Roman numerals seemed funny, but now I'm like stuck with Roman numerals maybe forever.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 4:53 PM on May 20, 2017 [12 favorites]

L.L. Bean Scotch Plaid Shirts. I wont wear any other plaid. I have 6 of them in different tartans. I just don't find other plaids to be... plaid enough. Also the shirts last forever and are very durable and washable. I am aware I am a walking queer stereotype and I don't care. Just love me some L.L. Bean Scotch Plaid Shirts.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 5:13 PM on May 20, 2017 [4 favorites]

Well, I live in Ireland so Kerrygold is my religion (obviously) unless we are using unsalted butter for a specific reason, in which case vive le France. I'm pretty loyal to Dove soap; I love the smell and in fact asked a question on Ask once about what real perfumes I might buy that smell like Dove.

I'm actually now pondering what brands have been in my life the longest. My spouse has been wearing Docs for 30 years; I don't think I have a completely monogamous brand relationship of that longevity with anything except Kraft Macaroni and Cheese which is obviously The One True Mac.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:19 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Our birthday party today, for a cousin, included 10 kids under the age of 7. Someone brought inflatable bang-sticks because of course you do. That and the toy karaoke machine have me now nursing a chai tea latte.

Extra loyal to:
Crest toothpaste
French's mustard
Kraft peanut butter
posted by pixlboi at 5:19 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm loyal to a ton of brands. It comes from growing up poor and my parents trying to pretend we weren't. Knock-off Barbie to knock-off Jordache jeans to knock-off shampoo. If it could be found at a discount store, we had it.

I only use Dove soap. I ONLY use Q-Tips. The rest of those cotton wads on a plastic stick can go die in a fire. Canada Dry Diet Ginger Ale. It's super refreshing. Propet or Na'ot shoes. They don't cause me to get blisters.

It's hot as all fuck in Burbank today. I'm tired and wish I could do something productive, but after it gets to 100 degrees, productivity ends.
posted by Sophie1 at 5:21 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

Oh yeah, Best Foods Mayonnaise is the only mayo.
posted by Sophie1 at 5:21 PM on May 20, 2017 [6 favorites]

Doc Martens
Toyota
Nature's Valley granola bars
Kaukauna spreadable cheddar
Nintendo
Apple (less so, recently - used to eat, sleep and breath all things Mac and had industry certifications)
posted by porn in the woods at 5:22 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

When I think about it, I'm not generally very loyal to any brand. I've had a dozen cars over the years and I think that Pontiac is the only brand that I've owned two of. The only thing that I can think of that I buy consistently are the Nun-Bush black oxfords that I get every year whenever the last pair wears out; I wish more durable shoes were as comfortable. Also now that I think about it, I buy the same giant bottle of cheap shampoo every six months but I can't actually remember the brand name. I have so little hair that it hardly matters.

In general I just grab whatever's cheapest at the supermarket of any category.

I am loyal to local service providers though. I've had the same dentist for almost thirty years and car mechanic for almost that long.
posted by octothorpe at 5:24 PM on May 20, 2017

I don't think I'm typically that brand loyal, but I always buy Tide laundry detergent. It's what my mom uses, and I suspect this was programmed into me before I could read the label.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:27 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

My preferred brand is Trader Joe's
posted by bq at 5:28 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

Oh wait, now that I think about it I don't think I've ever bought anything other than Hellman's mayonnaise.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:28 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

(He was SO EXCITED about the sword toothpicks.)

I believe that is a Universal Constant for all boys.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:29 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

Also, Mini McGee has good taste in food.
posted by Greg_Ace at 5:30 PM on May 20, 2017 [4 favorites]

Mostly guitar stuff: Fender guitars, D'addario XL electric strings, Elixir Nanoweb acoustic strings, Wegen picks, Shubb capos.

Also that Dove "unscented" antiperspirant they keep changing the name of every couple years. Go Sleeveless? Yeah, I guess I can see changing that.
posted by Lorin at 5:36 PM on May 20, 2017

It's not exactly loyalty, because the stuff's expensive and you don't see it in most stores, but I have a superstitious belief in Crabtree & Evelyn's jojoba oil soap. As a teenager, I once stayed in a hotel room that came with little bottles of shampoo, soap and lotion from the line, and my skin cleared up in a matter of days. I've never been able to get this to happen just that way again, but the stuff certainly does no harm, and smells gentle and tropical too.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:38 PM on May 20, 2017

Yeah, I'm trying to think, I'm sure there are plenty but I don't even think about them, it's just what I buy. I'm definitely loyal to Johnsonville bratwursts and just skip brats if they don't have Johnsonville at the store. Palmolive dish soap, probably just because it's what my mom used and it "smells right" to me. Campbell's ABC Vegetable Beef soup, which apparently has been discontinued???? This is the second time Campbell's has ruined my life by discontinuing a favorite soup (Fiesta Chili Beef, which is part of the base for a very rot-gut chili I used to make and yes, I can replicate it from scratch thanks to the internet, but it is not the same.)

"Also, Mini McGee has good taste in food."

Food is very important to him. One time when he had four teeth, so under a year old, I handed him a peach, turned around for fifteen seconds to get a glass of water, and by the time I turned back all that was left was the pit. I have pictures of him when he was about 9 months old shoveling curry in his face with both hands and getting a flaming rash on his sensitive baby skin from the spice, but he refused to stop because he liked the taste so much. I thought he picked kind-of an autumnal menu, but hey, when it's your birthday, you can have autumn foods in May if you want to!
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 5:40 PM on May 20, 2017 [7 favorites]

• Intel > AMD
• Samsung > Apple
• Icee > Slurpee
• Pepsi > Coke
posted by Fizz at 5:43 PM on May 20, 2017

I was never particularly loyal to any brand of sneakers, until I bought a pair of ASICS. They were about five times more comfortable than any previous pairs of shoes I'd owned and since then I haven't bought any other brand.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 5:48 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm not a brand-loyal person at all. For almost everything, I'll buy whatever brand is on sale. The only exception I can think of is mayonnaise - Duke's or nothing.

Oh, also computers. My first computer was an Apple II+ bought in 1982, and I've had Apple products ever since.
posted by Daily Alice at 5:51 PM on May 20, 2017

So is it that everyone is loyal to the brand of mayo they grew up with or what? Ours was a health food brand called Community...whatever health means in the context of mayonnaise. Now I'd say my loyalty is to the most similar available product, Spectrum Organics. That or Chipotle Vegenaise. Don't let the vegan part discourage you.
posted by Lorin at 5:55 PM on May 20, 2017

I have literally never bought mayonnaise.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 5:57 PM on May 20, 2017 [13 favorites]

I think that we just had store brand mayo growing up and now I mostly just buy Trader Joe's Mayo just because the store is next to my office and that's what they sell.
posted by octothorpe at 5:58 PM on May 20, 2017

I have a feeling I'm wasting money on needlessly high quality mayo considering I really only use it for making grilled cheese sandwiches, but they are damn good.
posted by Lorin at 6:01 PM on May 20, 2017

Warner bras. Every however often I go into The Bay and buy one in every colour they have that year. And a bunch of Jockey brand undies.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:01 PM on May 20, 2017

I generally buy house brands or what's on sale, with the exception of ketchup--it must be Heinz.
posted by bookmammal at 6:01 PM on May 20, 2017 [8 favorites]

Between misterussell and me, we've come up with the following list:

> Dawn dish-washing detergent - preferably with the duckling on the bottle
> Tide laundry detergent
> Philadelphia cream cheese
> Heinz ketchup
> Jockey slipshorts
> Pilot precise v7 pens
> Yoplait yogurt, but probably because it's one of the few non-Greek varieties of yogurt left where I grocery shop.

This week I traveled to Las Vegas for work and took my mother with me, because now she's retired and can travel at will. We had a blast! Mom bought us tickets to see Donny and Marie and hoo boy was I reluctant about that but it was a fun show. Really! She's a gluten-free eater and we had no problems finding food she could eat. Bringing this back to brand loyalty, her drink years ago was Ketel One with club soda and a splash of lime. HAD TO BE Ketel One. Wouldn't you know it, that drink is popular again except with Tito's. She tried it with Tito's and loved it.

"We can come back to Vegas someday, right?" she asked as we were on our way back to the airport.
"Absolutely."

It is the strangest thing when the parent/child roles reverse.
posted by kimberussell at 6:02 PM on May 20, 2017 [9 favorites]

Not sure I have too many brand loyalties. I have brands that I like and I buy but I'd change in a second if something of better quality came along.

I'm on my second Subaru, and I like them but I also like Toyota and Honda so I may switch when it's time to go car shopping again.

I like L.L. Bean as a company and own a lot of their clothing and products, both for casual stuff and outdoor use. Same with REI. I think both companies do a lot of good, they're responsible, and they make and sell good products. That's pretty much all I need in a company.

I used to really like Craftsman tools, and I still like the ones I own, but oh boy is Sears a depressing, miserable store to walk into these days. I know the brand was sold off but we'll see if the quality holds up.

Lego. Lego is a brand I am loyal too. My son has outgrown the "playing with Lego" phase but once in a while if there's some neat set like the Mars Rover set or the upcoming Saturn V set I'll buy one for myself and build it with him. We also have a father's day tradition of getting a good-sized set and spending the day building it together. I think we'll still be doing it when he's 30. At least I hope so. Anyway, I think the Lego Group is a great company who makes some of the best quality products ever made. I also admire the way they embraced adult fans and hackers back when other companies were shutting them down. They're smart. I like smart.

For food I tend to buy Barilla pasta over any other brand, though that's probably just because I like the shade of blue they use in their packaging. I use Aquafresh toothpaste and any other brand doesn't taste right to me. I like Lays potato chips and Oriville Redenbacher popcorn. Get your damn microwave popcorn away from me, I like the real stuff.

I'm partial to Oban single malt scotch but if you throw a glass of Lagavullin or a Laphroaig at me I won't complain.

I like Jack's Abbey beer mostly because they're a local company and I've enjoyed watching them start up from nothing and grow the way they have. They make some damn good beer, too.

I'm an Apple guy. I bought my first iBook years ago and never looked back. iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Macbook Pro, iMac... I think I have one of everything. I've been a bit less impressed with them since Steve Jobs died though so if their quality and design doesn't hold up I'll move on.

MSR backpacking stoves. Outdoor Research products. Vasque hiking boots. Sorel winter boots. Marmot outerwear. Big Agnes Tents.

Darn Tough Socks. There is no better brand of sock.

I prefer the Atari 2600 over Colecovision or Intellivision and I'm partial to TRS-80 Color Computers over the Commodore 64.
posted by bondcliff at 6:04 PM on May 20, 2017 [4 favorites]

And--I don't buy Warner bras (I hate buying bras with the passion of a thousand red hot suns) but I do love Warner undies!
posted by bookmammal at 6:04 PM on May 20, 2017

I grew up with Miracle Whip and after all those years, any regular Mayonnaise tastes odd to me. Tartar sauce for fish? 4 parts Miracle Whip, 1 part pickle relish. And my absolute favorite salad dressing (bottled) is Ken's Steak House Sweet Vidalia Onion Dressing which took the top spot from the same brand's Honey Mustard Dressing. Next down the list are the refrigerated dressings with the Bob's Big Boy brand... the Blue Cheese tastes extra fancy and the Thousand Island is great on hamburgers because it tastes just like Big Mac Sauce (even though the old Big Boy Burger didn't use it!), but they're more expensive and never on sale, so I conserve them.

There are a bunch of things for which Trader Joe's house brand is my first choice, but I haven't gotten out to that store for a while, so the loyalty is not THAT strong.

I grew up with Shasta Cola but switched to Coke when I was buying my own and could afford it. In recent years, it's either been Cherry Coke or Dr. Pepper. Never ever ever liked Pepsi; don't know why.

I love Tillamook - their Cheddar Cheese is the most cheddary that doesn't cost a ton; then they came out with other products available down here in California... their "Udderly Chocolate" ice cream is my favorite, and I was quite into their yogurt until I heard about the racist boycott of Chobani, and switched - it's as good or close enough.

Another "activist loyalty" for me is an "activist un-loyalty" - I avoid Brawny Paper Towels, Northern TP and Dixie stuff because Georgia Pacific is a Koch Company.

I'm typing this on my Nth Lenovo ThinkPad which I bought used on ebay and which works well for close to a year until I've beaten it up and spilled on it enough to reduce its usefulness. I was able to go with Windows XP long enough to skip Vista and go straight to 7, then keep 7, skip 8 and now I'm working with my fingers crossed on 10. My browser has been Firefox for a long time, but I'm currently experimenting with the "improved" Opera.

I've used Trac-Fone's supercheap cellular service as long as I've had a cell and have been quite satisfied with their under $100 LG phones with one-version-behind android; my current one is over two years old and no sign of breaking down.

Well, I've overthought a large can of Bush's Baked Beans (the bacon flavored) here...
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:06 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

My entire wardrobe is one brand at this point - Engineered Garments and its offshoots. I really enjoy clothes, and I've gone through a few phases of sticking with one brand since university, but I can't imagine buying anything else at this point.

It's inexpensive for a fashion brand when you buy it used, and it's wide-ranging enough that I can indulge in fun stuff and still have relatively staid clothes for work.

The entire look is what really sells me, as well as the US-made workwear aspect of it - it feels really solid. I recently took photos of everything I own, which are here.
posted by sagc at 6:14 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

There is such a primal connection to the brands that you grew up with. Any brand of peanut butter besides Jif is bullshit.
posted by selfmedicating at 6:14 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

Wrangler original cowboy cut jeans. Cheap, great looking and last forever. And Carhartt work pants. That's my trouser wardrobe for the last 20 years.
posted by not_the_water at 6:15 PM on May 20, 2017

I'm not a brand-loyal person at all. For almost everything, I'll buy whatever brand is on sale.

This is me up to and including mayo. Though coming from a small town that only has one supermarket for 10 miles in any direction, I have developed some brand preferences because it's what they have. So Teddie for peanut butter because its their only natural brand, for example. And other food because it's the only thing there that fits a category. So Kashi for high-protein low sugar cereal, there is literally only one brand. I wish there were more. I like Fresca a lot but I'll sub in any grapefruitish diet soda if it's cheaper. Same with all bathroom/hygiene/beauty products. I think Cabot makes good cheese but I often won't pay a premium for it.

Loyalty for me is mostly for clothing: LL Beans has guarantees that are good, Carhartt pants don't wear out, Danskos fit my Flinstone feet, Darn Tough socks are as good as they get. I'll look for preferred brands at the thrift store, but I don't know who made any of the clothes I am wearing now except for my Wacoal bra which was a SCORE on ebay. Craftsman made all my older tools but I can't recommend them as a brand now, at all. I really like Camper shoes but wouldn't pay the premium for them, I grab them when I see nice ones on ebay tho. Crocs are better than imitation Crocs. When my faucet broke after I'd owned it for six years, the faucet people sent me a new one which was classy but I don't remember the brand. OXO has done the same. They make good stuff.

I have Macs because that's what MetaFilter bought me and those are the computers I still use. USAA has been a very good bank to me the whole time I have used them (going on 25+ years now) as well as my local in-town bank (10-ish) Northfield Savings Bank. I feel like I am missing or forgetting something, since my dad was such a total Brands™ guy and I've taken over a lot of his stuff but (like the faucet) I'm shruggo on a lot of it.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 6:17 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

I too grew up with Miracle Whip, though we did have homemade mayonnaise fairly frequently. But now I will search out McCormicks Mexican Mayo, which is basic mayo but with lime juice mixed in, which gives a nice tang. When I lived out west it was commonly available but here in NC I have to go to the local Hispanic grocery. It's worth it.

Coca-Cola, of course. Pepsi pfft. Of course I can tell the difference.

Bali bras.

I used to eat canned peas but they had to be Green Giant Very Young Small Sweet Baby Peas (or something like that). No other pea would do.

I like Apple computers. I very miss my 1963 Dodge Lancer GT (we were a Dodge family).

I'm not so brand-loyal any more; I keep up with research and will try new things. And I try not to support companies with whose politics/etc I do not agree.
posted by MovableBookLady at 6:24 PM on May 20, 2017

After some thought:
- Apple products. All my primary electronic devices are Apple, with the exception of my Kindle.
- Heinz ketchup. Which I only use on hamburgers, as I dislike ketchup on all other foods.
- Grey Poupon mustard. I've tried other Dijon mustards. I know that I have probably had way better Dijon mustards. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.
- Cape Cod potato chips.
- Jockey underwear - micro hipsters and slip shorts!
- Fantasie Rebecca Spacer bra.
- Dansko shoes - I have an embarrassingly high number of clogs and sandals from this brand.
- Frye - I also have an equally embarrassingly high number of boots from this company. And a purse. And a wallet.
- LEGO.
- And when I drank soda, it was Coke or GTFO. Alas, I had to give up soda several years ago. I miss the taste so much some days.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 6:24 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Crest toothpaste. I grew up in a Crest Test town, so we were all indoctrinated from the cradle.
posted by worldswalker at 6:27 PM on May 20, 2017

MAC lipstick. Fluevog shoes. Tom's of Maine toothpaste and deodorant. Paula's Choice skin care.
posted by gingerbeer at 6:28 PM on May 20, 2017

Man, I've been buying Levis jeans for my entire damn middle-aged life span, but the last couple pairs tore like wet cardboard around the back pockets after a couple months of wear. Currently wearing Carhartt jeans.

Also--I've got a buddy who I've known since grade school. I hang out with him every Sunday night, and we play video games and eat chips and pretend we're still in grade school. And one of the essential snack items that we've been eating the whole time is... wait for it... Funyuns. Beat that.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 6:37 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Converse chuck taylors. After playing coy for many years I finally had to just face the fact that they are basically the only kind of shoe I ever want to wear. Now I have about 15 pairs in different colors. I love them because they are shaped exactly like my feet: super long, super skinny, and super flat. I call them my chuck army.
posted by supercrayon at 6:45 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

Fluevog shoes.

I don't remember the last time I saw my wife in a different brand.

When our first kid was born, we had trouble with nursing while we were in the hospital and so we were using her breast pump to try to get her milk to come in. We asked the nurses what to wash the parts with and they said, "Oh, I'll get you some Dawn" and brought a little plastic container with a few squirts in it for us to use while we were there. I bought a big bottle of Dawn along with the other coming-home supplies and we used nothing else to clean pump parts, bottles, etc. Now it's just habit and I never buy any other dish soap. My wife sometimes does because she likes to try out different scents, but we always have a bottle of the blue stuff in the house. The baby is going to turn eight in a week - but whenever I squirt Dawn into a sinkful of dishes the smell always makes me think of Baby Peestick.

Converse chuck taylors.

I was all about Chucks in high school and much of college, alternating only with Doc Martens. These days they're not really comfortable anymore because of my own evolving medical crap, but I get a warm fuzzy whenever I see someone else wearing them. For a while there I was considering getting the star logo tattooed on my ankle.
posted by nickmark at 6:49 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

Craftsman made all my older tools but I can't recommend them as a brand now, at all.

Yeah man, classic Craftsman stuff was seriously awesome, for an awesomely reasonable price. I sometimes lusted after Mac tools (not the computer kind), because they looked so sleek and shiny, but just couldn't be bothered to flag down one of their trucks when the tools I had were so solid. (bird in the hand...)
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:50 PM on May 20, 2017

I PREACH THE GOSPEL OF POLAR SELTZER
LA CROIX IS A FALSE PROPHET
posted by dismas at 6:55 PM on May 20, 2017 [15 favorites]

I got Roman numeral candles for his dad because after a certain point it's silly to have dozens of candles and Roman numerals seemed funny

My grandfather (a mathematician and minor prankster) would make puzzles out of the birthday candles for us to solve. There would usually be a row of candles, some lit and some not, and you had to figure out what number each candle represented before you could blow them out. So one year the candles were powers of two; the four and the eight would be lit to indicate you were turning twelve. Another year they'd be the Fibonacci numbers with five and thirteen lit because you were eighteen. Once it was prime numbers, but a couple of the candles were negative primes.

You had two hints: You always knew what they added up to, because it was your birthday (you just didn't know how); and he would stick the burnt-out match in to show you where zero was.
posted by nickmark at 7:03 PM on May 20, 2017 [35 favorites]

I'm brand loyal for pretty much everything I use, from food to cleaning products and toiletries. I'm so brand loyal that I basically unintentionally forced my husband to change all his brands because I think I cared more. I'll try new things and change my brand if I like it, though it doesn't happen often.

But, the important thing is WE GOT A TEENY TINY KITTEN YESTERDAY!!!! She's still partially bottle fed and it is MAGICAL to bottle feed a kitten. Her name is Finley and she is my belated Christmas present and she is so, so snuggle and she is TOTALLY going to be a lap cat and OMG SQUEE TEENY BABY KITTY!!!!!
posted by cooker girl at 7:05 PM on May 20, 2017 [29 favorites]

There are brands I avoid. And brands I buy, but am not 100% loyal to. I was quite loyal to Bass loafers, but they stopped making my size in wide. I always get tomato seedlings from a specific nursery (Broadway Gardens) because they have the best selection. I'd prefer to be able to afford brand loyalty to expensive bourbon.

Really, for clothes, I'm loyal to Goodwill.

Kitten! She is very sweet and Finley is a good name. Squee, indeed.
posted by theora55 at 7:13 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

KITTEN!!!!!
Congratulations on your tiny new family member, cooker girl!
posted by bookmammal at 7:14 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Cannondale bikes. I bought my first one during the first Clinton administration, and I rode that bike until last spring when I bought another Cannondale.
posted by scratch at 7:14 PM on May 20, 2017

As the old saying goes, if it ain't Boeing I ain't going. Which is probably impossible to stick to considering the US airlines' fleet make ups, but I like the rhyme at least.

I have been using Taylor of Old Bond Street shaving cream for years and love it. Smells great, good foam. I go for the lavender as is right and proper. More agnostic about blades, but I've been feeling that Feather has the best sharpness vs durability trade off. Other toiletries are chosen based on sensitive skin needs.

We replaced all of our glasses with Schott Zwiesel and would recommend them to anyone if you're looking for nice glasses. We had a friend knock a wine glass off a table and... it bounced off the floor. Really impressive stuff, and good looking as well.

Several years ago, I bought a new rode bike - a Rivendell. It's been such a joy to ride, very comfortable and versatile. I won't win any speed records on it but it's a beautiful piece of hardware and I can go all day on it; I rode the Pan Mass Challenge on it a couple years ago and all these folks on their expensive carbon frames couldn't understand how I managed. I love this bike so much we pre-ordered a tandem from them back in July, sight unseen. The frame finally arrived on Wednesday and the local bike shop should have it assembled in a few days.
posted by backseatpilot at 7:16 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

Chicago Cutlery - I have a 10" French chef's knife, 9-3/4" after I broke the tip off doing something dumb and had to reshape it, and 6 or 7 paring knives. Diet Dr. Pepper - cherry when I can get it. Lee Rider black jeans - They changed the name to Regular Fit the last time I bought a batch. Corelle dishes. Yamazaki stainless flatware. Farberware cookware, the vintage kind with the aluminum bottoms and the bakelite handles. Pyrex bowls. (I may have to give up on the Pyrex bowls. They're heavy and my hands are gradually going bad.)

I also grew up on Miracle Whip but switched to mayonnaise when the recipe changed to more water than oil (or maybe it was always that way and I finally noticed that it was more water than oil).

I bought a lot of used Starrett machinist's hand tools on eBay for a while, but then the machining hobby faded out of my life and I haven't bought any in years now.
posted by Bruce H. at 7:17 PM on May 20, 2017

Ariat boots and macintosh apples. Til I die.
posted by Grandysaur at 7:20 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't have a great deal of brand loyalty but there are a few brands that I rely on.

De Cecco pasta - the only reasonably priced good pasta out there in my opinion.

Trader Joe's unsweetened gravenstein apple sauce - the perfect blend of tangy and sweet.

Old Spice soft solid antiperspirant - I find it goes on much smoother than the other types

This next one is a bit odd... But I tend to get as much of my fruit as possible from a specific grower (Three Springs) at the local farmers market (Headhouse in Philadelphia). I always go there in preference to the other vendors or especially to supermarket.

Thinking about it a bit more, I tend to have more loyalty to specific purveyors than brands per se. At the farmers market or the Reading Terminal market, there are the places I always go for produce, meat, bread, cheese etc.
posted by nolnacs at 7:23 PM on May 20, 2017

Several years ago, I bought a new rode bike

So you bought it used, then?
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:25 PM on May 20, 2017 [7 favorites]

There are certainly brands I have a preference for, however they are not locked in. There are brands I'm loyal to, but it's too short a time frame.

However on thinking about my home and is contents, there are three brands I have bought with fierce loyalty for at least ten years now.

1) Uniqlo - I am a slender guy who likes plain clothes of decent quality. Their stuff is made for me and long may they reign so I'm not reduced to buying shit from Zara.

2) Sanitarium weet-bix cereal. I was a vitabrit kid growing up, but weetbix are indisputably superior.

3) Ikea furniture. In fact, our whole kitchen is Ikea. If you don't go for the cheapest they make many high quality items way cheaper than many competitors. But also, sometimes you need the cheapest, and they're best for that too.

Ran a half marathon this morning. I do most of my training on a treadmill to avoid aggravating an old injury. I put it on an incline, but still there's no headwinds etc, so you can never expect it to match race speeds. Nonetheless, today, I got absolutely smoked on this hilly course. My nutrition was lacking and I was a full twenty minutes off my treadmill times, missing a PB by a solid five minutes. Those hills will haunt my dreams. Unbridled sadism on behalf of the organisers.
posted by smoke at 7:30 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

I think that for the most part I don't have brand loyalty as much as brand sensibilities. For example, Apple products are good, we get a lot of use-life out of them, and there's a positive network effect in a unified ecosystem. Ikea for certain types of furniture because, again, the network effect -- this time of having bins that fit precisely when moved from one storage rack to a different storage rack. But if there were some good benefits from switching away from Apple and Ikea for a competitor, I wouldn't feel bad about it. So that's basically the thing; not a lot of emotional attachment, more like a consequence of being self-aware about my consuming habits.

Duke's Mayo. It's about the only kind of mayonnaise I can stand (other than made from scratch), and now that we live in the American South it's the only one that makes sense to buy.

Ran-Lew Dairy milk. It has a flavor! Milk hardly ever has flavor any more! This stuff tastes like the milk I drank when I was a kid! It even makes coffee taste better! Also, it's pasteurized but not homogenized so I get exercise every morning shaking the hell out of a half-gallon jug of the stuff. I think it's only available in a small number of stores in Orange and Durham counties in North Carolina.

Tom's of Maine unscented deodorant. I can't say whether it's better or worse, only that sometimes it's surprisingly difficult to find unscented deodorant but when it's available, that's usually the one being sold.

Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencils. I got one and liked it, and then got a couple more so I could have different lead colors handy for diagramming things. What's great about them is they have a little rotational ratchet mechanism that slowly turns the lead while you write, so you don't don't have to turn the pencil by hand to keep a consistent line. It's terribly, horribly geeky.

Uniqlo short-sleeve shirts. Haven't had a lot of success with their long-sleeve shirts, and I'm the wrong build for their trousers and jeans, but their teeshirts and polos have done me well.
posted by ardgedee at 7:31 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

I have a hard time finding tops that fit, so Land's End long-sleeved solid color layering tees. Medium. They aren't all weird and stretchy over my ample chest, they hit me at the perfect spot on my hips, they don't bag around my waist and they are just the right fabric thickness and softness. I literally never wear anything else as an upper-half bottom layer for teaching. A student who I have had for *THREE YEARS* stared at me last week and asked, as politely as she could, "Whoa, do you have, like, just one kind of shirt in a zillion different colors and that green one is new isn't it?? and I just realized they're not some of them 3/4 sleeves like I thought you just usually push them up?" Yes to all of that, kid. If they change the cut I'll just have to go naked.

Also, Wacoal sports bras. And Fage Greek yogurt with the separate fruit thingy because I want it thick and sour and goddammit I want to be able to CONTROL the fruit.

For my husband, it is Skippy Extra-Crunchy peanut butter and Hebrew National hot dogs. He is unable to explain either of these to me but there are Rules About Peanut Butter. That's pretty much it for our household.
posted by charmedimsure at 7:34 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

Worcestershire sauce (because I am from Worcestershire).
Durex.
Nintendo, and specifically Animal Crossing.
(tea is too complicated to discuss)
Andrex quilted (I demand comfort for my ass and so should you).
Ikea blueberry jam.
Amtrak.
Not a brand, but the easiest way to seduce me is to pour tea from a teapot made in Staffordshire.
Most of my food comes from Marks and Spencer.
Jaffa cakes.
Asparagus from the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire.
Harvard referencing style.
posted by Wordshore at 7:42 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

EEEEEEE KITTEN!

"Corelle dishes."

Oh, man, yeah. I love my Corelle so much I was just on Replacements buying replacement dishes for my Corelle (Replacements is mostly for fine china) so I'd have 12 complete place settings (I'd broken two bowls and one salad plate in the past fourteen years of daily use.) I was suckered into buying a Corelle pie plate in my pattern while searching through Replacements because I get so much use out of my Corelle serving dishes, and I thought, "Hey, I can use that for pies AND baked potatoes AND corn on the cob ..." but I think mostly I just like having more Corelle.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 7:44 PM on May 20, 2017 [4 favorites]

Puch
Speed Queen
Cray
Blood Axe books
Chevrolet
Burma Shave
posted by clavdivs at 7:49 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

and red baron pizza, the twin packs.
posted by clavdivs at 7:49 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

- JetBlue
- Sakura Pigma Micron and Gelly Roll pens (I also like Muji's pens)
- Hand Book Journal Co.
- Burt's Bees baby shampoo and bubble bath (the scented kind)
- Crazy Rumors lip balm
- Nivea creme
- Birkenstock and Olukai sandals
- Asics running shoes
- Fiestaware
- Addi Turbo knitting needles (Signature needles are nicer, but too much $$ for me)
- Little Debbie is way better than Hostess

Most of these aren't completely exclusive, but things I keep coming back to over the years. I buy other pens, but I always have Gelly Rolls.

For some things, like beauty products and clothes, I'm the opposite of brand loyal; I like trying new lines and having a variety to choose from.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:03 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

I was totally loyal to TreSemmé's Naturals line (lower sulfate shampoo and silicone-free conditioner), until they discontinued it. I stockpiled it as soon as I found out, but most of the bottles I found were of the conditioner, so now I'm experimenting with other shampoos. I think they have a new "Botanicals" line but the ingredients (and claims) didn't seem quite the same...

... Amazon will sell you a bottle now for $90!
posted by invokeuse at 8:15 PM on May 20, 2017

I don't consider us super brand loyal, but when Mr. gudrun and I did some inventory, we came up with more than we thought, mostly food/beverage related.

Coke* (me), Pepsi (Mr. gudrun), Diet Dr. Pepper (me), Heinz ketchup, Heinz Tarragon vinegar, Hellmann's Mayonnaise, Grey Poupon Dijon mustard, and for grainy mustard Pommery. Dove soap, Scott toilet paper, and Kleenex tissues.

I've converted my entire office, and any number of visitors, to Papermate Sharpwriter Mechanical pencils, because you twist to advance the lead, instead of clicking, so you can really control the length, and we only use Dixon Ticonderoga pencils for the kind you sharpen.

*When I was little, my parents did not let me have soda, and we were living abroad so it was not that hard for them to just not have it around. Then we came back to the States, and one very hot day my aunt and uncle were driving me somewhere or other, and we stopped at a gas station and my aunt bought me a coke from a coke machine. I still remember that it was in the old glass bottles and it frosty cold, and tasted sooo good on that August day.
posted by gudrun at 8:19 PM on May 20, 2017

(I don't mean I don't buy mayonnaise in a hipster way where I make it at home and your storebought mayo sucks, I just never had it growing up, and now I don't like mayo very much, so I have never bought it, and I wouldn't know which one to buy if I had to. I do like the spicy mayo that some restaurants have on sandwiches, tho. But, weirdly, not plain mayo at the same places.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 8:30 PM on May 20, 2017

Oooh, I love that Pommery grainy mustard, and I never see it in stores around here. Maybe I'll order it from Amazon!

I'm pretty loyal to Uniqlo short-sleeved t-shirts, which are definitely the best t-shirts for women with narrow shoulders. I'm also loyal to Burt's Bees tinted lip balm in rose or red dahlia.

I wish there was a brand of undies that I was loyal to, because I have yet to find undies that meet my undie needs.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:33 PM on May 20, 2017

I'm adverse to more than a few brands, but loyal to hardly any. Years ago I favored Jones New York and Liz Claiborne for work clothes, mostly because I could buy without trying them on, i.e., size 6 always fit, saving time and hassle (I hate clothes shopping). Nothing re food, but I tend to cook from scratch, including mayo, pizza, most bread, and all desserts. I'm loyal to Trader Joe's when I live near one—these day's, I'm loyal to Aldi.

I don't drink a lot of soda, but when I do, it's Coke.

And when I wear perfume, it's Chanel No. 5.
posted by she's not there at 8:36 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Out of curiosity I tried making mayo at home once I bought an immersion blender, but to be honest it wasn't better enough than the decent name brands at the store that I didn't see the point in bothering. Not that I use a lot of mayo anyway. Although there are certain things I like dipping in a mix of mayo and Sriracha sauce, and aioli is good (which isn't strictly speaking mayo-based, though I'd call it a related sauce).
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:38 PM on May 20, 2017

I don't have any brand loyalty, I was exposed to Adbusters magazines at the impressionable age of 18.

But! I can consumer with the best of y'all! KIDS WATCHES!!! So I'm on the tall side of things and haven't been able to fit into children's clothes since some point during puberty. Watches don't really fit me. The band flaps around because I'm using one of the two holes closest to the watch itself, and the face takes up my whole wrist.

But today! Today I was at a neighborhood cleanup and tried on a broken kids watch. IT FITS!!! Never occurred to me to try kids watches because, well, I'm too big for that. EXCEPT FOR WATCHES, WOOT! Super excited about the whole new world of watches-that-actually-fit that just opened up to me.
posted by aniola at 8:39 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

I don't drink a lot of soda, but when I do, it's Coke.

The Most Interesting Mefite In the World
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:40 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

(Too hipster to make spicy hipster mayo! ;)
posted by aniola at 8:40 PM on May 20, 2017

Oh, I forgot about Clinique Black Honey lipgloss. (Although I might be replacing that with something homemade if I can get the color right.)
posted by she's not there at 8:41 PM on May 20, 2017

Hellman's and Best Foods are the same mayonnaise from different ends of the U.S. (Hellman's, east; Best Foods, west.)
posted by purpleclover at 8:45 PM on May 20, 2017 [6 favorites]

Came in here to say Clinique Black Honey Almost Lipstick! Also Bonnie Bell Dr. Pepper Lipsmackers, Cetaphil Cleanser, and Vanity Fair, Elle, and Glamour magazines. I've been buying each of these for well over thirty years (yikes!).
posted by rpfields at 8:47 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

I'm pretty loyal to Dove soap; I love the smell and in fact asked a question on Ask once about what real perfumes I might buy that smell like Dove.

That's funny to me, because I buy the sensitive skin version of Dove soap partly because it is good on my skin, but also because it smells so neutral to me (which probably means it is carefully formulated to have that precise scent). I find most other soaps to be too perfumey for my taste.

I'm more loyal to categories than to specific brands. Like, I'll only buy "natural" no-sugar-added peanut butter, but I'm not worried about which brand it is as long as the ingredient list is good. Same with yogurt -- I want it to be made from whole milk, not low or zero fat, but beyond that I'm pretty much brand neutral. I guess I'd say that I'm super picky about features and ingredients, but not about the branding, at least in most cases. I'm sure I am a pain to go grocery shopping with because I look at ingredient lists so much.

There are a few brands that I have a lot of trepidation about them someday changing the features that I like, because their competition is noticeably worse. I wear a lot of Carhartt clothes because they have tall sizes and the clothes wear well; if Carhartt changed their fit or lowered quality I'd be bummed because the other choices I've tried don't work nearly as well.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:48 PM on May 20, 2017

Sadly most of the German brands I'm loyal to are not readily available in the US:
- Hansaplast (the equivalent to Bandaids, of course, way better!)
- Tesafilm (scotch tape, just more elegant)
- Pattex (superior household glue - I can't even bring this home from Germany trips because it's flammable and can't go on a plane. Boo.)
- Bepanthen (a healing salve for scratched knees etc)
- Tempo (equivalent to Kleenex tissues that is - you guessed it - far superior. Basically you could use a Tempo all day on snotty kids' noses and chocolatey mouths and to wipe up messes and in the evening it would still be, um, structurally sound. Not that I'd recommend that! Available on Amazon.)

As for American Brands: Heinz Ketchup. Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid. And a lot of Trader Joe's products.
posted by The Toad at 8:57 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

I was a Colgate toothpaste user for my entire life, but my dental hygienist strongly recommended that I start using Crest Pro-Health, so I switched, and it still feels weird. My grandparents always had Crest at their place, so I get weird flashbacks to when I was six and staying with them overnight.

Barilla pasta for everday, DeCecco for fancy. Bounty paper towels. 6-in-1 crushed tomatoes when I can find them, S&W when I can't. S&W for canned beans. Most other stuff seems like habit rather than brand loyalty, really.
posted by lazuli at 9:08 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

Moving out of state helped losen my undying loyalty to Koegel's hot dogs. They're still my top choice if I can get them, but I've accepted that there are other adequate options available.

I also prefer my apples to come from Michigan, although I guess that's only barely a "brand."

Michigan cherries. Partially because I prefer tart, and I've never seen them outside of Michigan.
posted by ghost phoneme at 9:26 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

State Farm Insurance. When I was around 19 a truck hit me on my bike and it was pretty bad - Lifeflight, transport from small hospital that couldn't handle it to a much larger regional hospital hours away, months in the hospital, etc. It took 4 years before I could walk properly again - and there was a time when the docs were warning me I'd be lucky if I ever could, let alone run or hike or anything. I've had (and will have) problems my entire life as a result.

Of course the medical costs in an accident like that add up very quickly, but I never paid a dime. The guy who hit me and I were both insured by State Farm, and due to my car insurance, I was technically covered as it was an auto accident. State Farm was amazing. Really, it was due to my agent, who STEPPED UP. He called my parents the night of the accident (it was a small town, so everybody knew everybody) and told them he was taking care of everything and not to worry until everybody was ready to discuss logistics. He called hospitals personally to make sure all the right info was in place. He fought internally and got funds set up for me for future medical problems. He was with me every step of the way, and even visited me personally in the hospital to go over details of the paperwork.

My agent was the same guy who, when was I was 14 and getting my hardship license (for living in a rural area), made my parents leave the room so he could show me really graphic details of teens in car accidents and seat belt statistics and other things but also said he'd give me a huge break if I got a certain GPA. It made an impression.

Just last week a major hailstorm destroyed our roof and our vehicle. I've been a State Farm customer for almost 25 years now, and even today, when they showed up in their mobile event team to do all the adjustments, I was not disappointed in the slightest in the care we received.

Anyway, long story short - it doesn't matter what I read or hear, State Farm has a customer for life. When I married my husband I was insistent that we keep them no matter how much he liked his insurance company. I hesitate to add up the thousands of dollars I've given them over the years, because they insure everything. But more than anything, it's a huge testament to the impact that one person in a company who not only cares, but is empowered to show that care, can have on brand loyalty and their customers.
posted by barchan at 9:41 PM on May 20, 2017 [30 favorites]

Red Charmin in the largest available roll size
Glad Tall Kitchen Drawstring trash bags
Diet Coke
Puffs Plus With Lotion, Long Box ONLY
Sensodyne Repair & Protect
Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner Clinging Bleach Gel, any scent
Generally only Downy fabric softener
Dawn Ultra, blue

My husband will use only Ivory soap. It scums up the shower surfaces so bad.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:42 PM on May 20, 2017

Since the G3, I have been a solid adherent to Macintosh tower computers. So easy to transport with those handles, so easy to take off the side and slam in more RAM and bigger hard drives. I am BEREFT since they came out with the round "trash can." I no longer feel devoted to Apple, although I would never consider a windows box. So, I've packed as much RAM and HD into my 2012 MacPro and I'll try to make it through the rest of life with that.

(Yes, as graphic designer I feel bitterly betrayed that Apple puts all of its push behind those goddamn phones leaving us heavy computer users twist in the wind.)

And Coke better not ever fuck around with my Diet Coke.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 9:44 PM on May 20, 2017 [5 favorites]

"The guy who hit me and I were both insured by State Farm, and due to my car insurance, I was technically covered as it was an auto accident. State Farm was amazing. Really, it was due to my agent, who STEPPED UP. He called my parents the night of the accident (it was a small town, so everybody knew everybody) and told them he was taking care of everything and not to worry until everybody was ready to discuss logistics."

I'm so glad to hear that. My grandfather got hired as a part-time State Farm agent after WWII, coming out of the service, like they did back then, hiring local guys part-time who could sell to local farmers. (He also worked at a factory and owned a farm; he grew up dirt poor in Chicago.) State Farm paid National Merit scholarships to employees' children that enabled both my dad and his brother to go to college -- first in their family -- and their retirement plan let my grandpa retire very comfortably. I've always had really good experiences with them when I've have fender-benders, but it's good to hear more serious stories going well. I'm not sure what it would take for me to switch to a company other than State Farm; not only have I always had good experiences with them as a customer, but my family would not be where it is without them, giving my grandfather a good (third) job, sending my dad to college for free, and letting my grandfather retire quite comfortably and happily. We would literally not be middle class without them. So my brand loyalty runs a bit deeper than just liking them as a customer. :)

When I met my husband I told him being Catholic was negotiable but being insured by State Farm was not.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 9:52 PM on May 20, 2017 [10 favorites]

- Benetint, by Benefit.
- Oil of Olay.
- Boars Head coldcuts, which totally torpedo the grocery budget but are worth it.

We're moving into the 1904 bungalow in just three weeks. Today we sanded the floors and I am all headachey and I'm coated with talc-fine sawdust and I'm still vibrating from the all-day hum of sander (bzzzzzz) but I'm generally delighted with the progress. We've decided to go old school and wax the floors instead of doing polyurethane, and Pearl (that's the house, she reminds us she's a living thing) has sucked up three coats of paste wax in our test corner like they were nothing. She did the same thing with paint. Slurp slurp slurp. I'm not sure how many coats we'll have to do.
posted by mochapickle at 10:19 PM on May 20, 2017 [3 favorites]

Oh, and Purex Linen & Lilies detergent. It's just heaven to wash sheets in it and fall asleep with the scent on your pillowcase.
posted by mochapickle at 10:22 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

ob
posted by soakimbo at 10:44 PM on May 20, 2017 [10 favorites]

I'm a frugal person who generally tries to buy as little as possible and hates scented stuff. That said:

Oil of Olay, sensitive skin
Ban unscented roll-on
Tom's of Maine whole care
Apple
Doc Martens
Fluevogs
Banana Republic
Timbuk2
Jockey
posted by bendy at 10:51 PM on May 20, 2017

Oh! Tropicana orange juice! Everything else tastes wrong.
posted by mochapickle at 10:51 PM on May 20, 2017

supercrayon: "Converse chuck taylors. After playing coy for many years I finally had to just face the fact that they are basically the only kind of shoe I ever want to wear. Now I have about 15 pairs in different colors. I love them because they are shaped exactly like my feet: super long, super skinny, and super flat. I call them my chuck army."

Ok, so about 23, 24 years ago, I heard a rumour that Converse was going out of business. I have been wearing Chuck Taylors, high black or high canvas since about 1969. When I heard the rumor, this was before Nike brought them and they became some sort of popular stylish brand rather than to wear them to actually play basketball like Coach Taylor envisioned, I went out to a local sporting goods store in Winnetka Ill. and purchased their entire inventory in size 10.5. At the time they cost about $23 per pair. I purchased 12 pair. All they had, high or low, in either black or canvas, size 10.5. I made a deal too. Paid $240 or $20 pair. I still have two in the box pair. One will be opened shortly for my summer wear, a pair of low canvas color.

I was married about a year or so when I made this purchase. My wife was a little scared when I came home to show her my score. But, as soon as we had our first child, a daughter, she got pink high top Chuckie T's too. She is out of college now and still wears pink high top Chuck Taylors so there is that.
posted by AugustWest at 10:52 PM on May 20, 2017 [8 favorites]

I wear a lot of Kuhl pants even though some of them have worn out quickly, they're a great fit for me, and I adore the phone pocket.

I also have always used Crest for brushing up on my teeth.

Bumble & Bumble Sumotech is my Dapper Dan.

I'm pretty married to Canon's camera / lens system. My cousin recently sold all his camera gear (some to me) and switched to another system, which boggles my mind.

I'm anti-loyal to Oxo kitchenware, (even though I'm friends with the guy who came up with their name). I dunno it just seems cheap and lazily designed, and super ugly to boot.

I get band loyalty real bad too. Like it takes way more bad albums than it should before I'll stop buying someone's music. Some of that might just be dumb completionism? IDK.
posted by aubilenon at 10:59 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

As for brand loyalty, I have a few:

-Ford because Bill Elliot drove one and after I got my first F-150, I have been driving them ever since.
-RC Cola (for sugared soda)
-Diet Coke for diet soda
-American Airlines because I am now a Platinum flyer for life. Lots of miles. A real lot.
-Android phones, love my OnePlus.
-Miller High Life beer for American beer. (Old Style at cubbie games!)
-Chicklets for chewing gum
-Bounty paper towels
-Charmin TP
-Carvel soft serve ice cream. No other soft serve will do.
-NY Yankees > NY Mets and NY Giants > NY Jets
posted by AugustWest at 11:05 PM on May 20, 2017

Ivory bar soap.

Genuine Robertson® brand wood screws.

Nikon SLRs

DeWalt induction hardened utility blades. (seriously these blow all other utility blades out of the water) Though I'm tempted now on looking up that previous product link to try these bad boys out.

Metroid Baby: "Addi Turbo knitting needles (Signature needles are nicer, but too much $$ for me)"

So what separates a dollar store knitting needle, from a run of the mill good needle from a Addi from a Signature? I would have guessed anything smooth pointed and the right diameter would be interchangeable.
posted by Mitheral at 11:08 PM on May 20, 2017

diet Coke
Pentel EnerGel 0.7mm ball pens
Suave hair products
Tampax
Croft & Barrow v-neck T-shirts from Kohl's
Peter Pan peanut butter (preferably the whipped, but creamy is OK)
Prestige eyeliner
Apple (31 years running)
3M Post-it products -- sticky notes, tape flags (the off brands just won't do)
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 11:09 PM on May 20, 2017

Food brand loyalty is tricky as an expat, but I love Mitchums 48-hour deodorant so much I buy it in bulk every time I go home. Diet Coke, although that has changed to Coke Light in continental Europe and Diet Coke in England. Mac for foundation and powder. Uniqlo skinny jeans.
posted by ellieBOA at 11:40 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]

The pasta I stock up on when it's on sale in order of preference: De Cecco, Garafallo, Rummo. I refuse to buy Barilla anymore after their homophobic ads a while back. Mutti tomato sauce and concentrate.

Growing up, it's Hellman's all the way; the much coveted family potato salad recipe demands it.

Huggies diapers and wipes and Medala nipple cream as diaper ointment. Both my kids had really bad diaper rash until we figured out Pampers was a no go. The nipple cream was a desperate move on a Sunday night after three normal diaper creams just made things worse. The next morning the rash was well on its way to healing. Never used anything else after that.

Dr. Pepper. San Pellegrino aranciata over Fanta (which is a lot less sugary chemical orange than its US version)

I am an Ikea whore, no doubt. I've even managed to convert Hubs.

In that same vein, Le Creuset. Maybe that would be different if Staub had an outlet near me.

I wish Mrs. Meyers and Method would enter the Italian market because the range of green cleaning products in the average grocery store is woefully lacking.
posted by romakimmy at 11:55 PM on May 20, 2017 [2 favorites]

Jif crunchy peanut butter. The rest aren't salty enough or something, and the wallpaper paste texture of creamy PB is an abomination

Reynolds wrap foil. Store brands are disastrous-have this weird inability to hold their shape.

Forschner knives-listed as a Best Buy in some Cooks Illustrated testing, bought them and have never been tempted by more expensive knives.

LL Bean percale sheets.
posted by purenitrous at 12:08 AM on May 21, 2017

I'm surprised how difficult it is coming up with a list. I suppose back when I had more money and more space I had a bigger list.

Heinz Ketchup and hamburger dill pickle chips
Best Foods mayonnaise
That Dijon mustard that comes with the red & white checkerboad cap
Bob 1000 Island dressing.
Knudsen cottage cheese
Joe's Pizza

Merrick grain-free dry cat & dog food

These life-changing food storage containers from Rubbermaid. They take up a quarter of the space, stay neat and tidy, and over a year later, not one lost or misplaced lid.

Shark vacuums.

Korres basil and lemon shower gel and body mist. I love the smell so much!
Biotene toothpaste.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:31 AM on May 21, 2017

My brand love for objects begins with high quality AND a lack of visible branding, after that we'll see how it goes.

Now for food, especially burgers it is a diferent story, i will go FAR for a Shake Shack burger.

In 2013 my gf and i were vacationing in Paris, on the very first day of our vacation i read that Shake Shack had just opened that week in Covent Garden in London. On day 2 of our parisian vacation we found ourselves on the Eurostar going through the Chunnel towards London where we went to have lunch at Shake Shack and wandered around a bit and then returned to Paris to continue our planned holiday week.

Also, in our house, ketchup = Heintz, and no, Pepsi is never OK.
posted by alchemist at 12:40 AM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

Cooker Girl: SQUEE! Baby tuxie!!

I do have a few brands I am fairly loyal to:

Diet Coke (I'll drink Diet Pepsi, but I prefer Diet Coke.)
Canada Dry ginger ale - other brands just don't taste as good.
Southwest Airlines
Toms shoes (They are super comfortable and don't pinch my toes or give me blisters)
Target contact lens solution
Vera Bradley purses and bags
posted by SisterHavana at 12:46 AM on May 21, 2017

romakimmy, oh yeah huggies 4 life can't believe I forgot that

Re: Barilla, it's a personal decision and I still don't buy them, however it's only fair to acknowledge that they have made significant progress since those comments, and it wasn't just a spin job: they've kept doing it for years after, so they do deserve some credit for learning, evolving and committing to a better way forward, esp in a country that is one of the more gay unfriendly in Europe.

Personally I think there's better pasta. But props to them for changing.
posted by smoke at 1:14 AM on May 21, 2017 [3 favorites]

So what separates a dollar store knitting needle, from a run of the mill good needle from a Addi from a Signature?

I'm not convinced it matters much for straights, but it really pays to get nicer circular needles. The cables on cheap circs are often coiled in ways that make them awkward to work with, and the join between the needles and the cable isn't totally smooth, which can snag the yarn. I do most of my knitting on circs and double-pointed needles, and I buy fancier circs and junky DPNs.

I don't know about Addis vs. Signatures, though, because I've never tried Signatures. Addis are about as fancy as I go.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 1:56 AM on May 21, 2017 [3 favorites]

I like mayo, but here's what I can't figure out about it. Why does mayo taste better to me when I have it outside of my home? I use Hellmann's Mayonnaise (the same product is known as Best west of the Rockies) at home and I think it is good, but it's never as good as mayo I might get on a sandwich from a deli or sandwich shop. Maybe I need to buy Sysco brand mayonnaise in a drum .
posted by Rob Rockets at 2:54 AM on May 21, 2017

I'm pretty loyal to Metafilter brand weblogs.
posted by Justinian at 3:19 AM on May 21, 2017 [8 favorites]

I grew up with Kraft , but it changed (sweetener added). I'm now a loyal Dukes mayo person.

Only one chili for hot dogs is worthwhile: Patterson's.

Charmin is the rule here, but I am fine with any facial tissue (I mainly use rewashable handkerchiefs that are 'heirlooms' inherited from my granddad - nobody else wanted them and I decided to give them a try.)

Miracle Grow moisture control potting soil is my go-to, which may be irrational, but, oh well.

Today's my bday so I finished baking brownies which will be cool enough by breakfast time before early workday. I use Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownie mix as a base and add to it: this time it's coconut mixed with condensed milk swirled into the batter. It will be a great start to the day, plus I will take them in to work and share the calories.
posted by mightshould at 3:37 AM on May 21, 2017 [4 favorites]

Penzy's spices
In-N-Out
Monkfruit In The Raw sweetener
Bob's Red Mill version of Cream of Wheat and their Vital Wheat Gluten for baking.
King Arthur flour
New York Bagel & Deli (NYBD) bagels
Sun Noodle brand fresh ramen noodles
Eggo Thick and Fluffy waffles. I don't know why these are these so declicious but I will never buy another brand of frozen waffle.

Apple. My first Mac was an SE, and in my forty years of working I've only had three jobs that didn't use Macs (two PC, one custom DEC.)

Fiestaware

I just boxed up the Fiestaware I've been using for thirty years to sell on Craig's List because these days it's just too damn heavy for me and my painful joints.
posted by Room 641-A at 3:52 AM on May 21, 2017

Oh, I will give Barilla credit for that progress after their shitshow PR debacle. But that was the tipping point where I decided never to buy them again and I haven't regretted that choice.

Barilla is the US Budweiser beer of pasta.
posted by romakimmy at 3:53 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I am frugal as hell and super anti-consumerism so I buy like everything based on price. However, for cloth diapers I don't think that anything beats the Bumgenius Free time. We tried a huge variety of cloth diapers over the course of three babies and none of them lasted as long, were as easy to clean, and looked as nice. My baby making days are done, though (knock on wood), and even if not the diapers are still in such good shape after five years of constant use that we wouldn't need to buy more even if we did have a fourth kid.

For me personally I have a ton of Xiaomi stuff that I have bought over the past three or four years, but that is solely because right now they are at the perfect confluence of quality and price.

I really also only buy Tesla running shoes for the same reason. I can get a pair for 15$ and they are comfortable and last for well over 500km.

Of course in both of those cases I will gladly jump ship when they get more expensive, lose quality, or something better comes along. So long story short, I have no loyalty. You have been warned.
posted by Literaryhero at 4:20 AM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

These things are so clearly indoctrinated at a young age. I'm very anti-brand loyalty, generic all the way. My parents are the same. However, they did pass on the one brand that they were loyal to: Arm & Hammer. I have the laundry detergent, cat litter, toothpaste, and baking soda of course! If I see that logo, I'm buying it. It feels so wholesome to me.
posted by bobobox at 4:20 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I like Pepsi Max. I know it's fakey but they've managed to blend the perfect balance of artificial flavors, countering each nasty aftertaste with an opposing affected flavor, creating in my humble opinion the perfect profile for a pop. Plus it has a little extra caffeine, and then ginseng, for no fucking reason whatsoever. Coffee is my favorite form of caffeine, and it's how I start every day, but it irritates my throat after a couple of cups. When that happens I move over to Max, and it's Max for the rest of the day until the beer hour kicks in. I don't really like water, oddly because unless it's distilled or a sweet mineral water, I hate the chemical taste, especially of almost all tap water, (NYC excluded).

But the most annoying brand loyalty I've been dealing with for over a decade concerns my daughters. I've got two, Jane who's a very tall thirteen-year-old, and Judy, who's eleven. I've been making them bread since before they had teeth. They each have their favorite kind, and neither will touch the others, like it's poison, like it could kill them.

Jane will only eat the rustic sourdough. Making it is an all day process usually beginning with feeding the sponge for a couple of hours, then mixing the dough and letting that sit for about eight hours, then knocking that down and letting it rise a second time for two or three hours. It's not a lot of work but it does take a commitment of time. Judy only likes the diametrically opposed recipe. It's a super fluffy, light, sweet white bread like the worst kind of mass produced, factory fresh, grocery store bread you can imagine. She hates the Wonder Bread this recipe mimics, and she won't eat any other kind, so I can let her go without bread, or every week I can make her this generic white sandwich bread that makes French and Italian people cry.

Don't get me wrong. I love making my kids bread. There is nothing that makes me feel more parenty than pulling those loaves out of the oven and handing them a warm, buttered slice. But couldn't they settle on something they both liked instead of two diametrically opposed methods, ingredients, time commitments—hell they don't even rise the same way. Their bread choices are a lot like them, so I suppose the crumb and leavened rivalry makes sense, but it does take a lot of time out of my weekends. Of course, was there really something better than that I was going to do? God, those kids are spoiled.
posted by Stanczyk at 4:39 AM on May 21, 2017 [9 favorites]

I also read AdBusters at an impressionable age and now most of the stuff I buy is decanted into reused, de-labled glass jars, Tupperware (haha!), or white, food-grade squeeze bottles, then labeled with blue painter's tape. Except medicines, cuz that's dangerous.

That said.....

Guittard is the only semi-sweet chocolate chip for daily snacking and baking. Anything else tastes like either vomit-wax or pencil shavings. (I'll be ostracized for saying it, but I'm not a fan of Taza's taste.) French, Swiss, and Italian 'export chocolate' will not suffice. There are some ok brands in a pinch, but coming back to Guittard after making do with something else is like being able to stick your head in a wide-mouthed apothecary jar for a deep inhale of your Dad's favorite mossy-mounded, peaty-vanilla tobacco back before he gave up his non ironic pipe.

Carhartt is the only brand of pants worth looking at men in.

OB is the only commonsense tampon to use.

At this point I'm pretty loyal to my Honda/mechanic combo.

Anti-Apple evangelist.
posted by cocoagirl at 4:40 AM on May 21, 2017

> Carhartt is the only brand of pants worth looking at men in.

I was in Seoul a couple months ago and it was kind of hilarious to see Carhartt and Dickies being marketed as trendy street-smart fashion brands for the white-collar classes (at considerable markup, natch).
posted by ardgedee at 4:46 AM on May 21, 2017

I forgot some.
Martinelli's sparkling apple cider.
Puffs basic tissues. The tissues are just adequate, but the way the box opens is far superior to any others I've tried.
Mennen stick deodorant.
Coleman's dry mustard.
Worcestershire sauce. I'm still looking for the right brand of soy sauce and fish sauce.
Stouffer's Meat Lover's Lasagna, 10 oz.
posted by Bruce H. at 4:55 AM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

Most of my brand loyalties are of fairly recent origin, as I grew up in India without a ton of exposure to US brands. 15 years ago I'd probably have said Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke (India is maybe the only country in the world where Pepsi is more popular than Coke), but I've since jumped on the Coke bandwagon.

uni-ball Vision Elite pens 0.5 mm. I detest standard ballpoint pens and 0.7 mm or thicker nibs.

Wacoal bras. Discovered them in a Nordstrom fitting about a decade ago and never looked back. I will cheat for bra sized swimwear through with Freya and Fantasie.

Speaking of Nordstrom, Nordstrom. I love their no hassle return policies and customer service.

Also a fan of Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey.

Dermablend concealer. I have hyperpigmentation so I specially ordered this shipped to India as a teen. I've tried other stuff but always come back to this.

MAC makeup brushes. Bioderma Crealine makeup remover.

La Canadienne waterproof winter boots.

Can't say I'm super loyal about furniture - currently own a mix of Craigslist finds, Ikea, random Overstock, Wayfair, Amazon. On the high end, CB2. Also Joybird for the one new couch I've bought and am happy with.

Hellman's mayo. Shake Shack burgers. Benjamin Moore paint.

Mac laptops, iPhones and Kindles.

If price is not the primary concern when flying internationally - Emirates. Though the recent laptop ban may force me to rethink that.

For most other things I'm a fickle creature who well buy whatever's cheapest / most appealing.
posted by peacheater at 5:14 AM on May 21, 2017

Uniball Jetstream Pens.

Astra safety razor blades, or I'd have a ZZ Top beard now.

Alaska Airlines.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 5:37 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Birkenstocks - 35 years (wut)

Merrell - 25-odd years

Osprey packs for about ten years now, when I was in the States I bought REI

Vandoren saxophone reeds - 30 years

Oakley sunglasses for about 30 years now. oaklie was my original IRC nickname way back in 1992 through to 1998. The sunglasses last forever.

Nikon cameras - 30 years, have had three. An N2000 film body was my first, then a D40 I've had for ten years now, and just this month got a D5600.
posted by fraula at 6:00 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Also, Eyebrows McGee, I thought of you and your family last week, because at work we hosted a lunch for clients that somehow ended up getting advertised as "A Feast." We normally have a barbecue, but we weren't grilling this year, so I guess "feast" seemed the appropriate generic term. Though it ended up being a taco bar, so "fiesta" might have been better, but anyway. There was pork! And we feasted! I felt like an honorary McGee.
posted by lazuli at 6:35 AM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

Stouffer's Meat Lover's Lasagna, 10 oz.

Stouffer's is the only lasagna I eat besides my mother's. Hers isn't fancy at all, just her fairly typical Midwestern mom meat sauce, cheap mozzarella, and boxed noodles. All her kids love it, it is our comfort food. It's usually what we'd ask for when we got to pick dinner for a special occasion or when we were bummed out. As adults, we still call and ask for her lasagna when life's been rough.

Lasagna was only a weekend meal though; no one has time for that during the week. At some point during our teenage years she brought home a Stouffer's lasagna. I'm not sure if she was sick of making it, or just wanted lasagna that she didn't have to make herself. It was deemed acceptable as an occasional substitute even by my notoriously particular sister, possibly because now lasagna could be a weeknight meal. Now that I can't just drive over for dinner I keep a Stouffer's lasagna in my freezer. It's not mom's, but it'll tide me over until my next trip home.
posted by ghost phoneme at 6:54 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

However, for cloth diapers I don't think that anything beats the Bumgenius Free time.

Amen. Used them all through the first and 6 months with the second, until the nursery school changed management and wouldn't allow cloth diapers anymore.
posted by romakimmy at 7:00 AM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

Heinz beans in tomato sauce for my beans on toast.

Also thanks for the info about Barilla, Smoke. Like Romakimmy I had been boycotting them but if they've truly changed they'll be back in my rotation.

I used to be Heinz ketchup all the way but after they closed their plant in Canada and French's bought it we are French's all the way.
posted by biggreenplant at 7:16 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

White Castle, since the one in Sunnyside, Queens was the location of my parents' first date. nance's Sharp & Creamy Mustard. Crystal Hot Sauce. Cadbury Fudge Bars.
posted by jonmc at 7:18 AM on May 21, 2017

And just recently, Vegemite. I bought some under the affluence of inkahol, and then asked my Aussie coworker and pal, Kevin and fellow mefite (and Kiwi) gaspode what to do with it. They said to eat it with butter on toast. I did and now I'm hooked.
posted by jonmc at 7:37 AM on May 21, 2017 [5 favorites]

Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Chocolate Premium Baking Chips
Room & Board for furniture - furnished our house with their stuff 11 years ago and love every piece still.
Apple for all home based computing & phone needs (happy with Windows for work, but keep everyone who I need to help with their phones / computers on Apple if possible)
If my amazing Breville toaster or electric kettle ever die they will be replaced with the same - ❤️❤️❤️❤️
posted by hilaryjade at 7:42 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Duke's mayo for life. If I ever move out of the south, I will bootleg it.

You always meet the nicest people in Redblock Volvos.

My Timbuk2 bags are my plan for if the world goes pear-shaped and I have to run with only what I can carry. When my wife and I were dating, and I bought her a Timbuk2 bag, she knew I was serious.

Martin guitars. 'Nuff said.

Michelin tires. If it stands between the earth and you, buy the best you can.

Is a Goodyear welt a brand? If so, I genuflect at that altar.

Beyond that, I have markers of quality, but no brand loyalty.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 7:44 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I mostly shop in thrift stores &/or learn to make my own ingredients, so I'm not particularly brand loyal. Closest thing I have is Trader Joe's tea tree oil soap (it's cheap and there's no lather better) and Mike's Hot Honey (this guy in Brooklyn makes it and holy hell it's incredible). For Greg, it's Dawn dish soap.
posted by likeatoaster at 7:51 AM on May 21, 2017

Dove soap, 100%. Coke Zero, if I'm going to drink pop. Otherwise, I'm pretty open to whatever as long as it meets criteria I'm applying at the time. Extensive research has led me to find, provisionally, that these things work for me pretty well - Shiseido and L'Oreal for foundations/concealers, Kevin Murphy or Paul Mitchell for hair stuff (also Kerastase sometimes), Max Factor Masterpiece Mascara (I have yet to find a really great alternative in Canada, though I'm satisfied with CoverGirl Professional, this month), New Balance for shoes (this is difficult. The CEO's said dumb things, but I literally can't walk in other shoes - like, at all; like, to the grocery store that's across the street - and every season, I really try to find alternatives. But this is the only company selling on the Canadian retail landscape that has (so far) made shoes that don't destroy my feet. I can be ideologically comfortable or leave the house. Since walking is very important for groceries & getting around & my ability to do most things, & mental health, I've gone with that, albeit with reservations and not a little guilt). I like a lot of Loblaws brand prepared foods (like tomato sauces and whatnot).
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:51 AM on May 21, 2017

I'm another brand-agnostic who shops based on price. I'm only picky about the types of things I get:
- Real maple syrup, because once you have real syrup, everything else tastes like plastic
- Peanut butter made only of peanuts and salt -- Laura Scudder's Peanut Butter was the only kind we had when growing up, but if it's just peanuts and salt, it's good by me
- Unscented laundry detergent and liquid softener, because otherwise everything smells so fake

And I'm sure there are a few others. The closest we get to brand loyalty is Honeycrisp apples, which are expensive, but have a crispness that my wife really likes above other varietals.

I was an Apple anti-fanboy because of the Apple Tax on all their products, until I had the chance to get a really inexpensive iPhone 5c from my carrier, but I had been eyeing iPhones for their superb photos for a while. Yeah, I realize it's odd to choose a phone for its camera, but here we are, when phones are much more than phones.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:06 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

OK, I lied -- I'm pretty darned fond of the Costco blocks of Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, though I will also pick up other cheeses at Costco, and I always check out what's on sale elsewhere.

Also, Kraft Mac n Cheese has been downgraded in our house, thanks to a chance purchase of organic mac n cheese, thanks to shopping with our little helpers, who wanted cow-shaped noodles. SO MUCH BETTER! Authentically cheesier.

And now I only buy orange juice that is not from concentrate, because reconstituted OJ tastes fake.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:14 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't know if it's so much brand 'loyalty' as, when I'm faced with choices, and I know one of the brands is acceptable from having tried it before, why would I choose the other one? But if for some reason the store doesn't have the one I know, I'll usually pick one they do have.

I think I must have some brands I dislike enough to actively avoid, but can't really think of any now that I'm trying.
posted by ctmf at 8:18 AM on May 21, 2017

From the opposite angle, my partner had forbidden any of our local store brand's products from ever crossing our threshold after a terrible incident that I no longer even remember.
posted by tofu_crouton at 8:22 AM on May 21, 2017

Macy's, somewhat inexplicably. I don't necessarily buy ALL my clothing there but when I'm looking for something that's always the first place I look, and I kind of mentally categorize other clothing stores' pricing/quality in relation to Macy's (that store is more upscale than Macy's/that store is lower-end compared to Macy's). Growing up, Macy's was where we bought our "nice" clothing and it's where my mom took me shopping for my first post-college job, so I have really positive mental associations of it being an excellent place to buy clothing even though they're not always borne out by my actual experiences there.

Clinique, for similar reasons...my mom and grandmother used that stuff almost exclusively. And my mom enabled me by always making sure she got the semi-annual free gift bag and gave it to me (after picking out her favorites).

Also, Dansko/Pepsi/Ikea/Ritter Bars/Amy's burritos
posted by eeek at 8:22 AM on May 21, 2017

I have lived in Europe for more than 25 years. I still wear LL Bean bluchers tho. And would wear Jack Purcell tennis shoes if I could find them.
posted by chavenet at 8:30 AM on May 21, 2017

I'd probably say LL Bean duck boots, but you can't really call it brand loyalty when you've purchased the product just once 27 years ago and are still wearing them today.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:49 AM on May 21, 2017 [5 favorites]

I'm typing this on my Nth Lenovo ThinkPad which I bought used on ebay and which works well for close to a year until I've beaten it up and spilled on it enough to reduce its usefulness.

Similarly, I developed a Lenovo ThinkPad loyalty after I dropped my last one until a sink full of water (don't ask) and it still worked fine for a couple years, until I replaced it for other reasons with another Thinkpad.

I am hoping not to drop this one in a sink full of water, but you never know.
posted by pemberkins at 8:57 AM on May 21, 2017

I also have to admit I'm extremely loyal to Bush's Beans because of one line in a series of their commercials that I repeat at least 3x a week for all kinds of things: Roll that beautiful bean footage.

Also DULUTH TRADING COMPANY 4 LIFE
posted by barchan at 9:43 AM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

Roll that beautiful bean footage.

BUSH'S BAKED BEANS IS PEOPLE!!
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:58 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

{looks out of window} Bloody hell. Squirrels; squirrels everywhere.
posted by Wordshore at 10:24 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Bike stuff
* Craft base layers: the softest fabric; it doesn't feel like techy fabric at all
* Pedro's tire levers
* Zefal or Blackburn frame pumps
* Rema tube patches

Clothing
* Calvin Klein panties and bras
* Marmot jackets
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 10:47 AM on May 21, 2017

Nikon
Hyundai
Apple and Samsung (I'm bi-platformic!)
Miracle Whip or mustard. I say that as a person who did make my own mayo, back in the 1970's when we were fully immersed in the back-to-the-land, DIY movement. No mayo, not now, not ever. I mean seriously, egg yolks, oil and salt? Ugh!
Trader Joe's is a major player in my weekly grocery shopping
Bush's Baked Beans - we rarely have them but when we do, it's only Bush's.
All my shoes are Crocs, due to arthritic feet.
Dreyers Ice Cream, no-sugar-added vanilla bean, to be precise.
Eucerin skin calming daily moisturizing creme
Maybelline mascara
The Body Shop Camomile gentle eye makeup remover
Clinique Black Honey tinted lip gloss
Clinique Eye Doctor for under eyes
Clinique A Perfect World SPF #25 for throat area
Kirkland paper towels
Angel Soft t.p.
Crest toothpaste
Tom's of Maine dental tape
Oral B toothbrushes - manual
Mitchum's deodorant - why fuck around when this does the job?
Johnson's baby powder
Diet Cherry Dr Pepper and Diet Cherry Pepsi; no Coke!
posted by Lynsey at 11:02 AM on May 21, 2017

no fries! Chips!
posted by jonmc at 11:06 AM on May 21, 2017

I like mayo, but here's what I can't figure out about it. Why does mayo taste better to me when I have it outside of my home?...
posted by Rob Rockets at 2:54 AM on May 21 [+] [!]

I suspect it's the amount used, i.e., you have your health/weight in mind when adding mayo. The deli is solely focused on taste and good mayo really makes a sandwich.
posted by she's not there at 11:33 AM on May 21, 2017

For years, all of my casual pants have been Dockers.

Land's End and Foxcroft for casual Oxford shirts.

Reebok's sneakers.

SAS and Propet sandals.

Once a week, I indulge in a burger and fries at Bill Gray's.

In Chicago, Giordano's. I've celebrated special occasions by mail-ordering their stuffed spinach pizza.
posted by thomas j wise at 11:37 AM on May 21, 2017

I once made a girlfriend laugh when looking for a station to fill up my car, and I referred to Shell as "family gas." We always went there! So now I usually do, too, even though Safeway Rewards cards only give bonuses at Chevron and I could be saving a nickel a gallon once a month if only I went there.
posted by rhizome at 12:06 PM on May 21, 2017

I'll try and enjoy other chocolates but in the cupboard I always keep several bars of Lindt 85% chocolate bars. Every day or two, I eat a square. It has to be Lindt. It has to be 85%. More is too bitter. Less is too sweet.

Campers shoes.
Apple computers but Samsung phones.
Panasonic Lumix.
Moor beer from Bristol.
Extract coffee roasters for espressos but Rave roasters for filters. (coffee snob alert)

We don't really buy many packaged products. The only sausages I will eat are gloucestershire old spots but those come from a local farm. So, not really a brand. Butter is either from a local farm or, if not, from Brittany - it seems that most packaged butter is now water. We make our own bread and our own pizzas because, really, it is easy to make and nothing beats fresh bread out of the oven.
posted by vacapinta at 12:23 PM on May 21, 2017

It's easier for me to think of brands I used to be loyal to but no longer use. Birkenstocks are now too stiff for my whiny feet, I don't drink soda so no more Coke, I'm moving to Arizona so my Merrell's likely won't get replaced. I used to like Tumi but after they stopped honoring their lifetime warranty I stopped being interested (latest luggage is Briggs+Riley, I'm happy with it so far). Every airline I've liked has turned against me at some point, so now I don't bother with the liking part anymore. Even smartwool socks have started to get too thin for me. I used to use Tampax but now have an IUD (I suppose I'm Mirena-loyal as long as that's relevant for me, but you don't exactly buy those frequently!). I still use Tom's of Maine toothpaste but can't use them for travel toothpaste anymore, because stupid Colgate made them discontinue the travel version of the one toothpaste formulation of theirs I can still use. Ziera shoes are comfortable but seem to wear out quickly (even with two pair)- I'd switch if I found something more durable. Rather than buy new jeans, because buying jeans is awful, I use Denim Therapy who fixes up the holes in my old ones. May they exist forever and save me from ever having to shop for jeans again.

I am pretty happy with my bank (Schwab) but many of the reasons I'm happy (they're a good bank for people of no fixed location, being mostly online; they have good customer service for people living overseas) are not going to be relevant too much longer; I'm hoping they're still worth liking when I live in one place for an arbitrary length of time.
And my internet company is great -- DanskNet-- but they're Danish and I'm moving away.

Two clothing things and one pen I do intend on buying in the future though.. Hanky Panky underwear, Brooks Brothers non-iron women's shirts, and Uni Jetstream 4 color pens.
posted by nat at 12:31 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't really dig on brands, but do love the stuff from certain local shops. I don't eat much meat, generally just on the weekends, and I get it all from Sanagan's in Kensington market. totally the best! And I am very much in love with this lemongrass soap - it makes the bathroom smell nice by just hanging out in the soapdish, and has little bits of lemongrass in it that make an awesome exfoliant. Everything I tried from Crate 61 has been awesome.

I do have a brand I avoid - selection (metro's knockoff brand) I get that it's probably great for people to be able to get cheaper products, but they are so terrible. like, they even messed up tinfoil! I thought, hey tinfoil is all the same right? no. it was so thin that I get actual cuts every damn time I use the stuff
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:17 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Eyebrows McGee already covered the Diet Coke angle. I'll add Boar's Head brand. A little more expensive but well worth it. I've worked deli counters, so you can trust me.
posted by Splunge at 1:27 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm with nat on this one. I'm only "loyal" to a brand insofar as whichever one has the best-quality item (that I can afford); if that changes, so do I. Companies extend no loyalty to their customers, outside of maintaining high standards, so why should we be expected to offer it in return?
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:33 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I don't own any other Gap clothing but their boxer briefs are the only underwear I wear, since like the '80's.

Switched to organic peanuts-only peanut butter about 10 years ago and while it's a drag to stir it when you open a new jar, I can't stand any other peanut butter. Maranatha brand, crunchy. I go to my parents' and they have Kraft or whatever, and it's so gross; it's not peanut butter, it's peanut-flavoured icing.

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.

First computer in 86 was a Mac, Apple ever since.

Sunflower Kitchen Roasted Garlic and Onion Hummus.

John Pearse strings for acoustic, usually Ernie Ball electric.

Herco Flex 50 Gold guitar picks 'cause I read a long time ago that Neil Young used them. I ordered a bunch and now I can't stand anything else. I mostly use my fingers though.

Besides the fancy peanut butter, the other pricey grocery item we splurge on is Mary's Crackers.
posted by chococat at 1:54 PM on May 21, 2017

I'm with nat on this one. I'm only "loyal" to a brand insofar as whichever one has the best-quality item (that I can afford); if that changes, so do I. Companies extend no loyalty to their customers, outside of maintaining high standards, so why should we be expected to offer it in return?

Honestly, I think that most brand loyalty isn't about some sort of deep-seated emotional attachment to a brand or product. Most people become loyal to a brand because they have a sense that not all products in that category are the same, because they've tried the one that they're loyal to and found it fine, and because they don't want to exert the energy or spend the money that would be required to try new things to see if they're better. You only have so much mental energy, and it may be that you don't want to expend it thinking about which peanut butter to buy. And if you aren't loyal to very many brands, it may be worth thinking about whether that's because you don't do a lot of low-stakes, mundane shopping for things like peanut butter. Moreover, I think that most people who are loyal to a brand of peanut butter would switch if they felt like the quality of the peanut butter declined.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 2:02 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

Oh OK, I had no idea how many loyalties I have until now and where I will accept no substitutes.

Burt's Bees Red Dahlia lip balm (my stand in for Clinique's Black Honey and I like it better).
Green & Black's 85% cacao dark chocolate bars.
Ariat, Frye and New Balance shoes/boots/sneaks. Sorels or Beans for winter.
SprinJene toothpaste.
Dr. Wood's raw black soap.
Avalon lavender conditioner.
Tetley British Blend tea.
Volvo.
Lenovo.
Campbell's chunky soup.
Dried pasta Pastene (also their tomato paste) and refrigerated pasta Rana.
Stok cold brew coffee.
Gosling's black rum.
Cabot cheese.
Organic Valley cultured butter.
Muir Glen ketchup.
V8 original.
Darn Tough socks.
Lands' End down coats.

Local honey, eggs and my credit union :)

That's a lot, and it's not even all. I am apparently very fussy, and very, very privileged. Thank you for reminding me.
posted by vers at 2:03 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm not brand-loyal, as a rule, but:

Nutella. They've perfected hazelnut-chocolate spread and anything different is almost certainly worse.

Also, nthing Corelle.
posted by in278s at 2:13 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Keene's hiking sandals, (good for at least a decade.)
Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese, (Costco.)
Organic eggs from anywhere
Best Foods Mayo
Costco wool hiking socks
Barilla Pasta
Home made organic marinara, jams, preserves, and hot pepper sauce.
Tabasco Sauce
Spike Seasoning Salt
Bob's Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour
Bee and Flower Jasmine Tea, in the blue can the #1 (green can is their #2, and generally inferior.)
Michelin tires
The Costco baked chicken, the best deal on the planet.
posted by Oyéah at 2:55 PM on May 21, 2017

Warby Parker (glasses)
Jif (peanut butter)
Thorlos (socks)
Hendrick's (gin) & Fever Tree (tonic water)

The one that interests me most, though, is that I buy Red Rose tea exclusively for making iced tea at home, and have always done so, and I don't even think it's the best option. I'm sure there's better. I've had a lot of better iced teas when I'm out. There must be better tea. So why do I keep buying Red Rose? I don't even think of it when I'm at the store, I'm just completely on autopilot. At least all the others, I've never had a single question about why it is I use those brands. The tea thing baffles me. I keep telling myself I'm going to get something different next time, and then I don't. Sometimes I'll get a flavored tea, or an oolong, and then I get another brand, but if I'm buying black tea for iced tea, I get Red Rose every time.
posted by Sequence at 3:25 PM on May 21, 2017

Some things that grew from my childhood/early adulthood:

I was born in Cleveland when "Stouffers" was just the name of one of the best not-too-expensive restaurants in town and after we moved to Los Angeles they got into the frozen foods business so my mother (who was not a good cook) started buying its first products which came in boil-in-bags. Many a 'simple dinner' would be centered around toast drenched in either Stouffers Welsh Rarebit or Creamed Chipped Beef, and the dish that overcame my normal childhood fear of spinach was Stouffers Spinach Souffle. My mother was capable of layering a decent lasagne so I didn't get into Stouffers brand of that until I was out living on on my own.

My uncle worked for 40 years in the design department at Pontiac, and when he retired in the '80s, his advice to all his relatives was "DON'T buy GM cars". But it was too late for me; my parents had given me a Chevy Vega for my birthday (to keep me from driving their cars), and I had its "lightweight aluminum" engine block crack on me during a long drive up the coast. I didn't get another 'American' car until the used Ford Taurus that was almost identical to the one that Conan O'Brien used as a running joke...

And I grew up on Laura Scudder's Potato Chips, mostly the Dip Chips and BBQ flavored (which was the only flavored version they had for early on). I got tired of potato chips in general about the same time Frito-Lay took over the supermarket chip racks; still it was discouraging to see her L.A.-local chips disappear from the L.A.-local supermarkets. The only thing left with her brand on them was the peanut butter and since I was/am allergic to peanuts, it was irrelevant to me. [cross-posted from Laura Scudder thread]

A Trader Vic's pseudo-exotic restaurant was one of my family's "special places to eat out" and I think it was because of that, when one of the first Trader Joe's stores in Southern California opened up, I started frequenting it, even though I didn't drink wine, which was half the store. Still, it was the place to by vitamins, bananas-by-the-each, cheeses that weren't American (I fell in love with Muenster there), interesting sauces, and selected frozen foods, especially frozen shrimp where Joe had by far the lowest price (not so much anymore now that I'm Costco-ing a lot).

When I moved here and still had my car, I joined Costco just to get the best price on gasoline (by several cents a gallon) at one of the closest stations to my new home, and when I 'inherited' my father's big refrigerator with a big freezer, Costco became the go-to place for frozen foods and I realized I could buy 2 lb. packages of pre-sliced Muenster and Tillamook Cheddar that didn't get moldy (usually) until I'd eaten it all. And my current favorite easy veggie-based side dish is the 4 Bean Salad that comes in two not-too-big jars there. At Costco, I get pretty much all of my storage containers, both bins in my storage shed and little food containers in the kitchen.
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:38 PM on May 21, 2017

Kikkoman is the only soy sauce.

You can't make shrimp salad without Old Bay.

A&W is the only root beer.

When it comes to cheap laptops, Toshiba has my heart.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 3:41 PM on May 21, 2017

Tanqueray even though I know there is better gin.
Taco Bell even though I know there's better fast-food-American-Mexican food.
Gillette Foamy Shave Cream (Lemon Lime) even though I don't currently shave.

My dad has shaved with that stuff for as long as I can remember, and at some point in my teens, my mom heard that they were going to stop making it so she ended up buying ALL OF IT (that she could find); when it turned out they were going to continue making it, my brother and I ended up with a lot of it and it became a hard habit to break.

Other brand stuff I don't really pay that much attention to (I think -- I may just be so brainwashed to capitalism that I don't notice), but I cannot handle instant oatmeal (which I often take to work as breakfast) that is not Quaker Oats; it's one of the things that the generic Aldi version does not come close to duplicating for some reason.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:58 PM on May 21, 2017

We moved from a part of the US that was much more progressive with regard to gender norms and kids activities, to one that's much more traditional. Which means that if my son wanted to continue to dance, ballet is kind of the only game in town, at least at his age.

So he does ballet. Consistently ranks it at the top or near the top of things he wants to continue to do when we present the overly large list of activities to him for pruning. Most of the time, stage moms are more than willing to handle the costumes and stage make-up. Once a year, parents have to do the make-up, in which case the Mrs. would step in. Last year, she was away and we got away without doing it. This year, she was away and the kid said this is something we really should be doing.

Ok, then.

So I need to go get make-up. I know nothing about make-up. I do know, from random walking around at malls, that MAC cosmetics appears to make an effort to hire men and non-traditionally beautiful or body type women, and seem to be actively hiring staff that could potentially manage a situation not exactly in the heart of their bell curve.

So we went to MAC. Worked with a guy who has done stage make-up since he was a kid when his family did ethnic dancing. Couldn't have been more helpful. Fuck make-up is expensive. Maybe that's just MAC. There's probably better values out there. Maybe MAC makes terrible political donations. But they kind of have a customer for life in the form of me & my kid because they went out of their way to not only take care of us, but educate us. Even if the whole company is a sham, I'm kind of in a place where I'd rather people not tell me the truth, there.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 4:25 PM on May 21, 2017 [6 favorites]

Completely unrelated - my brother is a flavor chemist.

I understand why people are listing liquors and food, but my brother and his co-workers and his whole company and all the companies they compete against are all 100% dedicated to making whatever you love with cheaper ingredients. They try and keep things the same or even make it better, but it's mostly a slow hiss until you can't even recognize the product you love any more.

Sorry to be such a dose of cold water. If someone does this to me with MAC cosmetics I'm probably just going to stick my fingers in my ears and start yelling "LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU."
posted by NoRelationToLea at 4:31 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

- Trader Joe's raw crunchy almond butter. Raw is the key word.
- Penzey's Spices. The dried powdered horseradish enables recreation of the beloved and discontinued Good Seasons Old Fashion French dressing mix
- Another vote for The Body Shop camomile gentle eye makeup remover
- Neutrogena alcohol free toner
- Eastern Market Poultry cage-free eggs
- Talbots and Jones New York jeans from eBay
- Talbots dress pants
- Lili Bermuda, now that Chanel No. 22 is not widely available anymore
- Birkenstocks for the arch support
- Cetaphil cleanser
- My own non-hipster homemade mayo
- Just for Redheads mascara -- light browns FTW
posted by jgirl at 4:36 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

This has been covered, but yeah burt's bees, q-tips, arm&hammer. I've had a Conair blow dryer since high school (almost 20 years, yikes) and will probably buy the same when the time comes. The cat was recently gifted a new slicker brush, also Conair (but apparently made for dogs? It literally says "dog" on the handle. I have no idea what the difference is, if there is any. Don't tell the cat).
posted by janepanic at 4:40 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

> Maybe MAC makes terrible political donations.

They do a pretty good job of walking the talk. I think every queer femme I know (of every gender) has a slightly unhealthy number of MAC lipsticks.
posted by rtha at 4:47 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Trader Joe's, which makes me really sad that they're not in Australia.

Also Bundaberg Ginger Beer. mmmmmmmm
posted by divabat at 4:48 PM on May 21, 2017

But, the important thing is WE GOT A TEENY TINY KITTEN YESTERDAY!!!!

As my wife says, the problem is they grow to be cats.

I have literally never bought mayonnaise.

I tried for years to make tuna salad without mayonnaise, but it sucked. So I quit eating tuna.

For a while there I was considering getting the star logo tattooed on my ankle.

Me Too! But I quit wearing them when they were going out of business and ended up making them overseas. And I got old. Should have got the tattoo.

I'm pretty darned fond of the Costco blocks of Kerrygold Dubliner cheese,

Yes! And at least a quarter the price of the grocery store.

I was in Seoul a couple months ago and it was kind of hilarious to see Carhartt and Dickies being marketed as trendy street-smart fashion brands for the white-collar classes (at considerable markup, natch).

It's been a few years, but I heard similar comments from an Italian about Diesel jeans, and Australians about Blundstones.

Ariat boots - I want to buy a USA made brand, but damn they are comfortable and well made for the price. And fit a high instep. Will also wear Boulet.

State Farm - For over 35 years. Have never given me a hassle about anything.

Apple - I was a hater in the 90's, then I saw the light. Man are they trying my patience the last few years though.
posted by bongo_x at 4:50 PM on May 21, 2017

Hot Blenheim Ginger Ale. It is a liquid slap to the face.

Then float a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it. It is your best friend and it slapped you in the face because it cares so goddamned much, bro.
posted by ardgedee at 5:15 PM on May 21, 2017 [8 favorites]

I have recently started using makeup and it's very intimidating because there's a whole world of products out there and they all require skills I don't have. As a result I honed in on a brand called Glossier and only tentatively use anything else. Their how-to videos always show the models applying products with their fingers and no precision tools, and they specialize in "you can't accidentally use too much". Plus their branding team is incredible so every item I get comes well packaged with stickers and other free brand items. They got me locked in from the get-go.
posted by tofu_crouton at 5:21 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm 'Ooh, shiny!" when it comes to consumer products, but still there are certain brands which I seem to purchase more than once.

LeSportsac bags
Eddie Bauer women's long-sleeve button down shirts, t-shirts
Uniqlo women's clothing, especially t-shirts and dresses
Crocs
Birkenstock
Duke's mayonnaise
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Kadoya sesame oil
S&B nanami togarashi
Old Bay Seasoning
Bobbi Brown pressed powder in pale yellow
Apple products
Swatch wristwatches
O'Reilly Press computer books
Muji notebooks
Lamy Safari fountain pens
posted by research monkey at 6:16 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

One more I wasn't aware of until I today. Adobo powder is Goya and Goya is Adobo. And then my wife came home with something that was adobo by someone else and it was all I had to keep my calm. I mean, really.

And yes, Blenheim's Hot. As if there was any other ginger ale/beer. There shall be no alternatives. If it doesn't smack you like a scorned lover, it is not ginger ale/beer. Mix with bourbon, mezcal, or rum or just over ice with a dash of bitters during the day. Happiness will follow. It is the ginger ale/beer you drink when you Grow The Fuck Up.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 6:49 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Ob tampons, then I switched to a Diva cup and now I use instead cups (washing them thoroughly and re-using through one cycle, this is discouraged on the packaging) but I still keep Ob tampons, just in case
Aveeno lotion because I don't live in a swamp anymore and I've gotten drier as a result

Gap undies but willing to switch it up if something as good came along

Karbonz dpns for knitting socks - I break the bamboo ones and the metals slip out of my work too easily (I do miss the little bends that the bamboo ones take after a while)

Reditainer containers for food storage - the same lids match every size container and they never randomly change the contours. The old lids always fit new containers!

Whole Foods bulk unsweetened dried coconut for coconut macaroons

Someone used to make hypoallergenic facial tissue, I was very loyal and now I can't remember which brand it was. I loved it because I'm allergic to tissues. Then I stopped being able to find them so now I use a hanky, usually keeping 2 or 3 in my purse

Dr. Bronner's Castile soap. I buy a bottle of the lavender and can clean all of my bits they need soap with three or four drops. A bottle lasts me so long that if the lid gets cruddy and I don't sort that out the soap evaporates and I have to dilute! dilute! for real to use it

Not a brand but grade C (b in a pinch) maple syrup. Which is harder to find than A but so much tastier - the maple powers that be have changed the grading system. I can't even.

I have an unholy love for San Pelagrino blood orange soda.

I keep an eye out for J Crew Matchstick pants at the thrift stores. I like them so much I'll buy them in size 25, 26, and 27. I'm willing to tolerate the sag in this style of pants. Also winter calls for jeans that can handle layering.

I had a sunscreen loyalty based on what the bottle looked like. I can't remember what the brand was, but it disappeared. It was at drugstores. I want a sunscreen that feels Just Like regular aveeno lotion and doesn't stink (so aveeno sunscreen is right out). This previous brand fit the bill quite closely. So I haven't been using daily sunscreen on my face for (an embarrassingly long time).

Zucchini relish recipe, pickled carrots, and I just tested a (new to me) zucchini pineapple recipe and even though I don't cook with crushed pineapple, I will make many jars of this during the summer. When we tested the first jar (seriously, I was so curious to try new ways of preserving zucchini this summer without recreating the disastrous pickle that I couldn't even eat) we just sat down with forks and emptied it into our mouths.
posted by bilabial at 7:01 PM on May 21, 2017

MAC, yes! Because they don't put any fragrances in their cosmetics and they have their skin tone system that is consistent and logical and recognizes that not all pale people are pink! The other stuff is nice too, though I do wish they didn't play the music so loud in the stores.

Mazda. Quirky, but lovable and fun to drive while being sensible.
Dell and Lenovo business laptops. Latitudes and Thinkpads. In over 20 years of Dell computers, I've never had one die on me. Even when I wished they would.

Most of my practical brand loyalties are about quality or usability. It is easier to not have to read every label every time. Or there is only one unlocked non-Apple smartphone that works on Verizon available to buy at the moment, and it happens to be the same brand as the old one.

Oh.

Verizon. Coverage is still the best. No savings is worth it.

Used to be Best Foods, but I make my own mayo now. Though I did have an unhealthy love of Kraft Spicy Mayo for a long time.

I suspect I am about to develop a devotion to GRK fasteners.

Last, but not least. The one I forget, but it is ubiquitous for me and is pretty much the only Unbreakable Loyalty: Logitech thumb trackball mice. Every active computer in the house has one, and I have another one at a friend's house. And I always have one in package standing by, just in case. I still have the balls from all of the ones that have gone before. The quality may not be as good as it was, but there is no substitute.
posted by monopas at 7:05 PM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Dove. Dove almost everything. Unscented deodorant, bar soap, shampoo, conditioner, and some sort of foam for making my hair stay in one place. I was bathed with Dove as a baby, and any other soap feels wrong.

Bath & Body Works White Tea and Ginger body lotion and/or cream.

Superfeet insoles, blue.

Pilot B2P pens, 0.7mm, blue. (I mean, it's a G2 refill, but the G2 body feels wrong.)

Reach Gentle Gum Care Floss. I was sad when they stopped making the fluoride version, though.

I was super loyal to Colgate (Optic White, Sparkling Mint) but then discovered that whitening toothpastes are why I had skin sloughing, so now it's Tom's Silly Strawberry.

Krakus ham. Tropicana orange juice.

Fantastik spray and Scrubbing Bubbles foaming cleaner. (Of course, now the spray is also Scrubbing Bubbles, but I'm pretty okay with that marriage.)

Tefal Natura baking sheets (to the extent I've imported backups from France).

Target's probably going to get all my eyeglasses money from now on because they took the time to figure out why I couldn't wear my glasses instead of brushing me off with "well, the glasses match the prescription" (unspoken: you're making it up and/or crazy) (I didn't have any say in where we went at the time).
posted by smangosbubbles at 7:07 PM on May 21, 2017

Not a brand but grade C (b in a pinch) maple syrup. Which is harder to find than A but so much tastier

Yes! And Trader Joe's doesn't have Grade B anymore!!! What is their problem!!!
posted by jgirl at 7:18 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

I tend to go on Brand-Loyalty-Binges and then switch to something else when it comes to clothes, make-up. gun, cigarettes. You know, the stuff they market as Things That Signal Who You Are[fn1] For consumables like toiletries or foodstuffs, I go more by attribute loyalty. I'll buy whatever anti-antiperspirant is unscented, I don''t care who makes it. In fact, for most products WHATEVER IS UNSCENTED is what I buy. Or peanut butter, whatever is just peanuts and salt is fine. Fizzy water? Whatever is cheapest and NOT raspberry or grapefruit.

[FN1] EXCEPT Booze. Because we have lots of booze and it all serves different purposes. Such as, we have Jim Beam for manhattans and old fashioneds (except when we make them with Irish or brandy) and then a variety of sipping Bourbons, which are not Beam. And Sapphire for gin & tonics, but I dislike Sapphire in a martini, so we have other gins for that. And you want Aviation in a Blue Moon and can't make an Irma la Douche without Hendrick's. So, I don't tend to move on from a booze brand as much as add a new one to the stable.
posted by crush at 7:18 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

GUN? GUM! GUM! One of these things is not like the other!
posted by crush at 7:29 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

The one I forget, but it is ubiquitous for me and is pretty much the only Unbreakable Loyalty: Logitech thumb trackball mice.

I swear I didn't think I had much brand loyalty, but people keep pointing things out.

Yes, this is the one true loyalty that cannot be forsaken.

I have probably a dozen Logitech thumb trackballs, and I still thought about buying some backups I saw at Micro Center the other day on sale. I have several of the old red ball ones (because I like the way they feel, and red is obviously far superior to blue), but grudgingly accepted the newer blue ones (because of the resolution) and have several of those. I even still have a couple of the old white ADB originals (which really weren't nearly as good)

I carry them with me, and when I'm working at other places on a regular basis I just leave one in case I come back.
posted by bongo_x at 7:38 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

GUN? GUM! GUM!

Guns and gum are probably the two things I am most brand-loyal for. There are times for trying new things, and a time for predictability, and for both gum and guns I want predictability.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:40 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

Maple syrup grades have changed.
posted by veggieboy at 7:58 PM on May 21, 2017 [9 favorites]

I tend to not have respect for corporate brands (and it depresses me to see them supported here on metafilter, tbh), as there is as much marketing as there is substance, and that is not true value.

That being said, I adore brands that are based on passion and integrity. One that I adore is Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (pulling it out of my hat of adored brands). A small company creating a huge fan base based on really creating something awesome from really geeking out and living what they do. Because of that, it's created trust, and that an example of why I support a brand.
posted by Vaike at 8:06 PM on May 21, 2017 [2 favorites]

I had worn only Adidas Copa Mundial soccer boots for more than twenty years, but last fall my feet had swollen from months of backpacking last spring and summer, and Copas didn't come big enough for my new feet, so I had to switch to a different model. They're fine, but my feet are back to normal these days and I look forward to switching back when they wear out.
posted by Kwine at 8:42 PM on May 21, 2017

@bongo_x because I like the way they feel, and red is obviously far superior to blue

The red balls do work in place of the blue ones, but settings would then need readjustment. I hadn't really considered it until I read about it on r/trackballs. Gave it try, but went on with the blue. I didn't like the blue orb at first, but I'm used to it now and prefer it. I do have a couple of the red ball mice (one corded and one wireless iirc) but I haven't used them in a long time. I even have my first one from the 90s, though it is no longer functional.

Yes, Trackballs subreddit. Those people are hardcore.
posted by monopas at 10:12 PM on May 21, 2017

I think the resolution actually comes from the ball, how fine the dots are on it. I like the blue one better in most ways too, but it is blue. Seems like they could make money selling different colors. But for some reason they won't even sell it wired.

I'm not sure why so many people on the internet hate it so much though, except it's wireless.
posted by bongo_x at 11:41 PM on May 21, 2017

The people who hate it for anything but form-factor are usually gamers, because wireless mice have poorer response time. Though there are people who don't know the secret that the M570 has a break-in period.

The click switches are not great, and wear out fairly fast.

But I just found out that there's a left handed version of one of the other thumball mice. Want it.

DOUBLE THUMBALL MOUSE ATTACK! PEW PEW PEW!

It is probably time for me to go to bed. Because that sounds too awesome.
posted by monopas at 12:07 AM on May 22, 2017

Apple, although it may be largely inertia at this point.

Otherwise it’s largely food. There are lots of products I always buy, but if the supermarket stopped stocking them I’m sure I’d quickly find a substitute. Some of the ones I might make an effort to find elsewhere: Heinz ketchup, Grey Poupon Dijon mustard and Colman’s English mustard, Carr’s water biscuits, Finn Crisp, Fever Tree tonic water, Geeta’s Premium Mango chutney. Marmite, obviously.

Yeah, if you haven’t tried Geeta’s mango chutney, it’s terrific. The Lime and chilli chutney is also very good.
posted by Bloxworth Snout at 12:51 AM on May 22, 2017

--Parodontax toothpaste since the mid 80s (and not many cavities ever since [as opposed to before]).
--Kytta salbe (comfrey creme, I guess) for almost anything, but especially mild burns and bruises. Unbelievable how that stuff works (and others don't).
--Volvo.
--Stihl chain saws and other dude-in-the-yard tools.
posted by Namlit at 1:33 AM on May 22, 2017

I drive a 2003 Honda Element, and am hunting for a 2011 (the last year they made.) 160,000 miles, never had a major problem, and am planning on turning it over to my nephew next year when he turns 17.

Wegmans.
ChapStick, black label.
Mitchum, unscented gel.
The perfect cheeseburger: Land O'Lakes american cheese, Martins Potato rolls, Mt Olive dill relish and Gulden's Spicy Brown Mustard.
Raos Marinara Sauce, tasty, no sugar, low carbs.
posted by Marky at 2:31 AM on May 22, 2017

Maple syrup grades have changed.

Oh thank god you told me
posted by jgirl at 5:26 AM on May 22, 2017

I'm not really "brand loyal" in the sense that I'd buy only a specific brand no matter what, but there are a few brands I consistently buy and will be sticking with until I find a better option. As a rule though I buy no-name and dollar store and thrift shop everything or make/salvage things myself, as money's beyond tight, but even if it weren't I still don't see throwing money away on a fancy label when there are other options that are just as good for less. I see Cetaphil cleanser was mentioned up thread. I used to use Cetaphil, and then I tried the much cheaper Exact version from No-Frills, and could see no difference whatsoever, so now I use the Exact cleanser. Sometimes I see a difference, but it's still not worth paying for. Advil has a tasty coating which no-name brand ibuprofen tablets do not, but I still buy the no-names. I can put that extra money on actual food.

Cydwoq shoes. They're expensive but they last a long time so they may be better value in the long run. They also aren't ever quite in style, which means they are never quite out of style and never look dated. You can wear them until they're worn out. The first pair of shoes I ever bought from them, which was a pair of sandals, saw me through seven summers of near daily wear.

My ARC planner and accompanying products. It took me until I was almost 40 to find what I'd been looking for since I was a teenager: a good-looking, durable, refillable, tremendously customizable planner I could use indefinitely.

Vogue Patterns. I sew quite a bit, and I use their patterns 90% of the time. They're better designed and easier to fit than the other lines, and so much more stylish. Patterns from the other pattern lines look like feed sacks by comparison. They only have a few children's and men's patterns, they don't have many casual patterns for women (i.e., shorts or a beach cover up), and they don't have costume patterns, so there are times when one must turn to one of the other lines, but when I'm looking for a pattern I start with the Vogue Pattern catalogue and only turn to Butterick, Simplicity, McCalls, Burda, and Kwik-Sew if Vogue Patterns doesn't have what I want.

Old Spice deodorant, even though I am a woman. It smells so good. I tried a knock off version once and it gave me horrible rashes under both arms.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. There's a President's Choice version, but it's just not the same. Otherwise my fridge and cupboards contain an array of yellow boxes and bags.

I won't buy electronics from a company I've never heard of, as whenever I've done so they've always turned out to be crappy products.
posted by orange swan at 5:48 AM on May 22, 2017

I'm mostly anti-loyal (Barilla until I learned they've changed their tune, Nestle because evil, Domino's because Promise Keepers, Nike because sweatshops, Hershey because slavery, Dr. Pepper because of that "it's not for women!" campaign) but I can narrow down a few things: Sheaffer fountain pens pre-late-90s (when they got bought by Bic and stopped honoring their guarantees), Parker "Quink," Strathmore for paper, FW acrylic ink, Kuretake for watercolor pans. And I would still be using a Blackberry if apps were produced for it, and King Kelly Orange Jelly is not available on the East Coast so I just make my own.

Also, Red Rose Tea. It's straight-up bad tea; it's cheap because it's made of "fannings," the technical term for the sweepings left behind in the factory after better, large-leaf teas were produced. And yet I buy it because I grew up with it and it's the only tea where you get a prize in the box.
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:45 AM on May 22, 2017

The brand of insect repellent here in Côte d'Ivoire - powerful stuff, kills the grass as well as the army ants - is called RAMBO and there's a little Rambo scarf on the O. I slept with a can of Rambo next to my bed all my last trip here until I discovered RAMBO MAGIQUE which has a sparkly lightning bolt on it and smells like chemicals plus cinnamon instead of just chemicals. Now it's RAMBO MAGIQUE or nothing!
posted by ChuraChura at 6:54 AM on May 22, 2017 [6 favorites]

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

Oh, I forgot - those. Yes. Definitely. 3 packets for £1.20 from larger Tesco here; most other shops sell it at a much more expensive price.

I may or may not have bought 60 packets at one point last year and I do not regret anything.
posted by Wordshore at 11:55 AM on May 22, 2017

Always brand pads, Ultra Thin, Infinity if they're on sale. Whenever I've had to use Kotex in do-you-have-a-pad situations, I've been discomfited and disappointed. Also Cerave face and body lotions and creams. They have the perfect non-smell smell, and the face lotion with SPF doesn't irritate my eyes when I inevitably sweat and it runs into my eyes.

I'm also an Apple person for life at this point. I use PCs at work, and I feel like I just associate them with needless frustration now. Setting up new PCs is such a fucking pain with all the bloatware, I almost think the Apple markup is worth it for avoiding that alone.
posted by yasaman at 1:16 PM on May 22, 2017

Because we have lots of booze and it all serves different purposes.

We are usually like this. But when we try conserve space we go to Rittenhouse Rye (I prefer rye to bourbon), Liberator Gin (cool name, makes a great aviation or G&T, good in a negroni), Carpano Antica vermouth, Pampero aniversario for rum, and whatever scotch strikes my husband's fancy.
posted by ghost phoneme at 3:55 PM on May 22, 2017

I got some of those LL Bean percale sheets because of everybody here saying how great they are, and they really are that good. (Thank you!) They're more expensive than I had spent on sheets, but man oh man they make every single day a little nicer. They're making me a better laundry-doing citizen too, because I want to keep them nice.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 6:52 PM on May 22, 2017 [1 favorite]

I am loyal to certain book imprints.

There may be many editions of a book available, and some of them may be very inexpensive or even free, but you can (or I can, at any rate) always trust OUP, Penguin, etc., to do a respectable job.

It is as if they still employ editors and don't just run a public domain paper edition through a scanner and try to sell the raw output as if it were an actual book.
posted by pracowity at 2:58 AM on May 23, 2017 [2 favorites]

Dove unscented bar soap (used to be shampoo/conditioner until I went no-poo)
Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean hand soap (thanks, husband)
Tide laundry detergent (thanks, husband)
Burts Bees peppermint lip balm
Blue Runner red beans
Kirkland diapers, Pampers in a pinch
Mt. Olive Kosher Dill Pickles
Banana Boat Aloe Aftersun Lotion
Also, I will try Costco brand basically anything at least once.

DIET COKE. No other diet cola is sufficient. I would rather have a completely different beverage than some poor stand-in.
posted by Night_owl at 5:42 AM on May 23, 2017

I thought I was brand neutral but this prompt makes me rethink things, a bit. So far, Weber grill and smoker products, Boar's Head deli, cane sugar, Keen sandals, and the trifecta of Royal Robbins, Patagonia and REI. But there seems to be nothing that I am not willing to switch given price to quality in that particular circumstance. OK, I lied, Logitech trackball mice (I got carpal tunnel from my last corporate job) and there can only be one true keyboard, the model M. Just ignore the collection/pile of certain things.
posted by jadepearl at 6:37 AM on May 23, 2017

I'd only bought HTC phones for the last 12 years. My current phone is a Moto Pure X, which has been a nightmare. Next phone is definitely an HTC again.
posted by softlord at 6:59 AM on May 23, 2017

For a while most of my clothes were from Eddie Bauer because they carry women's Tall sizes, but they've become uglier and uglier even by Eddie Bauer standards. I think my allegiance has switched to Duluth Trading Company, but we're still in the honeymoon stage of our relationship.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:18 AM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

It blows my mind that anyone could NOT BUY MAYO. We go through a medium-sized jar every month, mostly through tuna sandwiches and tartar sauce (mayo + relish).

I think I'll have to get a quote from State Farm this week.

I am forever loyal to Fiestaware, Lands End coats and dresses, and Crocs flip flops.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:55 AM on May 23, 2017

I'm on team no mayo (except for deviled eggs!) I've always been vaguely suspicious of it. There was a sandwich place that would put sour cream on any sandwich. That is fantastic.

I'm also very brand loyal to my dental floss. I don't know what brand it is (reach, maybe?) but it's soft and 'woven' and delightful to use.
posted by bilabial at 10:42 AM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've been listening to cheesy old symphonic metal from Blind Guardian while writing a book review.

Brand loyalties: Kiehl's lip balm
Apple computers, ever since my old IIe
Wyte Phantom corsetry
posted by Pallas Athena at 2:22 PM on May 23, 2017

When it comes to my personal grooming, I stick to cheapo stuff, with one exception: I am almost pathetically devoted to Lush's "Prince" shaving butter. It's expensive as hell but I use it almost exclusively. If they announced they were discontinuing it, I might have to sink several hundred dollars into 10 years' worth.
posted by duffell at 3:35 PM on May 23, 2017

I had no shaving soap preference until I tried Tabac. Now that's my brand.
posted by Splunge at 3:55 PM on May 23, 2017

I have the same provisos as some of the mefites above (early Adbusters reader, anti-consumerist) so I have few unshakable shopping habits. A few things I have some de facto brand loyalty to: I have three pairs of the legendarily durable Blundstones, all less than a year old, so I am probably set for boots until they shovel the dirt on me.

One exception: in Canada the Loblaw's grocery chain launched a house brand called President's Choice maybe thirty years ago, partly to demonstrate that house brands need not be dismal. They succeeded, and the PC food is frequently superior to anything else. I will go out of my way to shop there to buy their food. The only downside is the heartbreak when a line gets discontinued: after the late, lamented Memories of Winnipeg, all other cream cheese is like a bunch of ugly chickens.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:57 PM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm not loyal to a ton of brands, but:

• Almost all of my pants and dress shirts come from Uniqlo, and that's where I shop for new ones when I can afford it. Their men's underwear is merely ok these days, though.
• I love Muji notebooks and gel pens. I've tried a few of the other usual suspects (e.g., Rhodia) but Muji stationery hits the sweet spot for me of being nice and durable while not being so expensive that I am afraid to use it.
• To apparently round out my selection of "Japanese brands available in America," I also legitimately enjoy Daiso, though obviously it's no Muji in terms of quality. You can buy retractable pointers there! I bought three watches for like $7!!! (This sounds excessive but my ADHD means that if it's an accessory, odds are I've left it somewhere.)
• Groceries: stereotypical, but yeah, Trader Joe's. It's not surprising since it was basically meant to be catnip for grad students (cheap treats, alcohol, staples, ethical coffee...). Their Sriracha is a pale imitation, though.
• I also have a weird affection for Price Chopper because the non-profit their founders started gave me money for college back in the day. Also, my sister's preference for Market Basket is so strong that I have some vicarious brand loyalty even though I've never actually shopped there (sadly they're only in NH, ME, and MA). Finally, I do feel warmly about Wegman's after living in NJ for seven-ish years.
• I've used exclusively Ubuntu at work since '06 or '07, and for the past several years I've used it near-exclusively at home (I still boot into Windows to run Ableton every once in a while). Speaking of:
• Ableton Live totally spoiled me for other music software. I've tried to switch, but I mostly just ended up wasting a lot of time and not making any actual music. (I did use FLStudio for a long time though. I do kinda miss all of the ported Buzz machines and effects that you could string together with FLS.)
• Dial soap, although now that I'm a microbiome researcher I think triclosan/trichlorocarban in everything is actually a really bad idea! Huh, maybe that deserves a rethink.

I'm very "whatever" about brands of computer hardware, and I've never actually owned a car so I have no opinions there. In general I guess I go for sort of "cheap and cheerful" as opposed to "buy it for life" kind of stuff, which I guess makes sense given both my income and mediocre financial habits.

(I kinda wish there was a version of The Wirecutter for broke-ass individuals like myself. Yeah, I know they occasionally give budget options, but I don't even want to see the super luxury shit at all, it just makes me feel dead inside.)
posted by en forme de poire at 9:14 PM on May 23, 2017 [2 favorites]

State Farm Insurance.

Actually like a good neighbor. Or better.
posted by pracowity at 12:24 AM on May 24, 2017

Williams pinball. Accept no substitutes.
posted by Kafkaesque at 9:52 AM on May 24, 2017

Did anyone else remember this article a few years ago about how Target knows you're pregnant practically before you do? It's been fascinating reading the stories behind everyone's brand preferences, but even more intriguing with that mind. (nickmark, I'm looking at you here...)

Someone upthread mentioned brand sensibility vs brand loyalty and I think that's where I am for a lot of things. I tend towards over-optimizing so generally my brand loyalties aren't very strong, but as the value of my time and processing power goes up, certain brands start sticking as useful heuristics for my personal sweet spot of value, function, price, etc. I love Ikea because I understand what they're going for and they make it easy for me to know what I'm getting. I will always associate Apple products with paying too much for pretty. I always get store-brand basic OTC medications, because those are regulated by the FDA. There are days when everything I'm wearing is from Uniqlo but it's OK because it's (hopefully) classic attractive durable clothing that looks like it could be from anywhere.

There's plenty of brands I buy mostly out of habit and I'm sure I'm forgetting other things I feel strongly about but off the top of my head, things I will not budge on:

VIVA PAPER TOWELS 4 LYFE

Menstrual products, OB for tampons, name-brand for anything involving adhesive

Japanese cotton swabs are slimmer and firmer and work better for cleaning my ears. Yeah you heard me. **glares at all challengers** I buy them at Muji.

Enterprise has above and beyond the best customer service of all the rental car places, and usually isn't that much more expensive

Southwest and JetBlue. All the other airlines are just the same two shitty conglomerates anyhow.

posted by yeahlikethat at 1:09 PM on May 24, 2017

VIVA PAPER TOWELS 4 LYFE

I've batted aside the many other temptations to respond this thread has thrown up at me, but this is too much.

I too was a devotee of Viva until the awful day 4-5 years ago when I brought home an 8-pack of towels to which Viva had added some kind of binder that smelled bad, gave me a headache, left smears on windows and other glass, and reduced absorbency by about half -- all apparently so that they could use presumably cheaper pulp with shorter fibers which they'd tried some six months before without the binder and to disastrous effect.

I called them up and they admitted a change and sent me a full refund, but refused to tell me what had been added.
posted by jamjam at 2:11 PM on May 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

Very loyal to Under Armour.

I think the first item I bought was a bra. It was awesome - I put it on and thought oh hey, someone with boobs really thought about this. Then I bought gym shirts, they were awesome. Gym jacket, gym leggings, more bras, hoodie, gym gloves, gym bag, awesome, awesome, awesome. Never been disappointed by a UA product, they always fit well and are really comfortable and wear well. The stuff thats warm is really warm - my UA hoodie is warmer than most coats.

The husband is a large chap and for a time could only buy from specialist clothes shops but as he lost weight he started to be able to fit into some of the large sizes from normal retailers. He is also insanely picky about clothes, I've lost track of how many things I've bought him that he simply wont wear. I bought him a UA t-shirt, he loved it so much went right out and bought a whole bunch. I've since gotten him socks, track pants and a hoodie. I think I'll get him some polo shirts next.

Don't tell him, I'm building my own personal Dwayne Johnson.
posted by Ness at 1:35 AM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]

USAA.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:19 AM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]

I've used Vaseline Intensive Care Unscented lotion for years. It was a good product at a good price. I went to buy it this week and it's now Vaseline Intensive Care Lightly Scented. So now if I don't want to pay $8 a bottle, I can just smell like half a French whorehouse? Maybe just the ground floor?
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:14 PM on May 25, 2017 [3 favorites]

Paper products are a varied landscape. I've been exclusive on Target toilet paper, kleenex, and paper towels for probably 10 years.
posted by rhizome at 11:02 PM on May 25, 2017

Now that I'm thinking of it, the only products I'm loyal to are ones that smell good. And if brand loyalty IS tied to childhood, it makes sense.

When I was young, all we had was this horrible, scratchy, neon pink soap that left us smelling like chemicals.

So now, I'm all in on Fresh Sugar soap. It's super soft and lather-y, and it smells so clean and lemony. Its big, chunky egg shape is nice when I shave, as it's easy to maintain a grip.

Also, my mother had a typical '90s white lady obsession with those vanilla/Christmas/beach/cinnamon/pumpkin pie Yankee Candles, which I now find cloying and overwhelming.

So now I really like subtle herbal/woodsy candles. Like, if you've ever been in one of those super fancy boutiques that exclusively sell black and white clothing, and only have like 4 items on display? I want my house to smell like that. But I don't want to spend that kind of money. Turns out these $12.99 Chesapeake Bay candles at Target are the best. Actually way better than the crazy expensive/fancy ones I've gotten as gifts and whatnot.

And one more: I'm weirdly allergic to most dish soaps, like Dawn, but there just wasn't much else available when I was a kid. It smells like a rash to me now. So, now we're a Mrs. Meyer's house. The new-ish rosemary flavor is awesome, and goes with the "herbal smell" theme that makes me happy.

Everything else? Eh. But fragrance? Fragrance is what gets me loyal I guess. Huh!
posted by functionequalsform at 7:04 AM on May 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

Meanwhile, in England...
posted by Wordshore at 8:53 AM on May 26, 2017

So now if I don't want to pay $8 a bottle, I can just smell like half a French whorehouse? Maybe just the ground floor?

Well, if one had to pick a floor, that would probably be the cleanest one...
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:30 AM on May 26, 2017

This morning I went to buy a stamp so I could send a postcard to the USA. This involved standing in a queue in the Post Office for 25 minutes.

I was the only non-pensioner (someone under 65, or non-senior) in the queue. And I am extremely aware that I have well under a brace of decades before (if I'm lucky) I will be a senior/pensioner myself, possibly in a similar queue.

After emerging, with a stamp, and after listening to conversations for those 25 minutes, I quickly wrote a guide to English pensioner-speak. It's over on The Twitter and The Facebook, but also below. Prefix each statement with "It's like..."

the Blitz. : It briefly rained heavily just now.
Blackpool Illuminations. : I can see more than one light on in here.
rationing all over again. : My local shop has temporarily sold out of Werther's Originals.
being in Weston-Super-Mare. : The body of water I was looking at earlier has now receded.
being in the Lake District. : A caravan has caused gridlock in my street.
1966. : England have won a sporting event with the help of home advantage and some dodgy refereeing.
1976. : It has been sunny for three consecutive days.
the Winter of Discontent. : The binmen are late this morning.
three and six in old money. : We were not given a referendum on decimalisation.
we're eating at The Ritz. : I have put the fish and chips from the takeway on to plates.
we've moved to Bradford. : An ethnic restaurant has opened in my local town centre.
dishwater. : I have purchased a cup of tea which does not resemble mud.
Sodom and Gomorrah. : The ITV period drama last night showed a glimpse of cleavage.
we have to speak foreign now. : My local cafe has started to serve croissants.
we're living in the future. : I have just sent my first text message.
posted by Wordshore at 10:03 AM on May 26, 2017 [15 favorites]

Pop: Dr Pepper
Phones: Motorola - since Lenovo bought them, I might be changing this soon.
Computers: HP
Printers: Epson
Banking: Huntington
Cars: Chevy

Other then that, I read a lot of reviews and typically don't have a preference.
posted by ZypDon54 at 9:33 AM on June 5, 2017

I missed Wordshore's comment when it originally came through, but I must say, that is the most British thing I think I've ever read in my life.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 12:19 PM on June 5, 2017 [5 favorites]