I generally DO pay a premium for quality. Most of my major purchases are in electronics, and I still trust certain brand names for quality in that area.
That's not to say that I don't spend weeks doing research before any purchase. Though I now trust the quality of several brands through experience (ASUS, eVGA, and OCZ to name a few), I didn't immediately feel that way based on the opinions of others. I did months of research before my first purchases from any of those companies and, after buying several high-quality products, I'll always return to them even if it means paying a little extra.
I don't assume that any brand is top-notch before I've had a chance to experience their products myself. Not surprisingly, I usually find myself disappointed with the "premium" brands of the past. Though I must say Bill, I've been wearing this pair of Dockers pants for a good year now and they're still going strong! Maybe these are left over from their glory days
