looking for quality reading glasses

[IIII]

The Doc wants to put in a line of quality reading glasses. Anybody know of any good ones. We had the discussion about off the rack glasses vs quality eyewear, but I need to check into it anyway.

[Judy Canty]

We do fairly well with the collection offered by California Optical Leather (Caloptix).

[drk]

Define "quality" please. No snottiness intended.

[chip anderson]

Our problem around here is all the doctors (except those that sell thier own) tell them to go to the drug store. The drug store sells about the same quality we can get at the price we pay wholesale. As a consequece "quality" manufacturers have left the reading and 1/2 eye market.

[IIII]

reply to DRK,

Quality means different things to different people. Quality to me means something that I would not be embaressed to sell. I want something with a higher price point that what you can get at the local drug store. I don't want to spend 10 minutes working with somebody for a $12.00 sale. It's not worth it. I have been doing some research on reading glasses, trade mags, and emerging presbyopians (I just made that up) are supposedly willing to pay a higher price for higher quality and higher fashion readers. It works for sunglasses. We will give it a shot and see what happens.

[drk]

IIII

I, too, am trying to provide, "as a convenience", readers in my office. There are several companies you can buy above average quality readers, namely California Accessories (as they are now called) and Scojo (a weird company, if I do say so myself).

But then what? You are stocking and selling merchandise that will retail around $40. Your profit level is you-know-what. I'm not sure I want to deal with that! Let them go to a store that wants to do massive inventory management and make low profit margins!

Marchon is way late on this, but SUPPOSEDLY they are launching these Calvin Klein rimless, telescoping, folding, tinted readers that will retail at $99. Your profit level is you-know-what, but much more worth it. (This is dependent on whether the product is a good one for $99 to the consumer, which I've yet to prove.)

As I see it, there are not really any readers that I would be proud to put in my optical at this time. Maybe the CK when/if they follow through.

[Spexvet]

My doctor has a dispensary, and STILL tells people to get "drug store readers". Now that there are readers in the dollar store, I do the following:

I have dirt cheap readers that the patient can browse through, get the same attention and service that they get at the dollar store.

I have "gimmick" or "niche" readers, still not that pricey (max $29.00 retail), that fold, or come in a cool case, or are rimless, you know the ones.

I have Compuwear, from Hilco, which have premade Access lenses.

I don't waste too much time on these transactions. As DRK has implied - it's just not worth it.