According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics approximately 50 per cent of the Australian population wear spectacles, and almost everyone will need spectacles at some time during their life. Spectacles are unique in that they are a fashion item, as well as a corrective device. Their origins are cloudy, but they appear to have been invented in Italy, sometime in the 13th century.
Apart from the power of the lenses, there are many other options to consider in choosing a pair of spectacles. The information below will help you understand the options, and your optometrist can always provide advice on what options would suit you.
Buying Spectacles
Comparison shopping offers the consumer some advantages. They may find a large variation of frame styles from which to choose but costs savings are debatable. Surveys by Optometrists Association Australia suggest that there are not large variations in the costs of the same spectacles.
As with most things you get what you pay for. There are sometimes advertisements for special offers such as two-for-one offers but they generally are not what they seem. When substantial discounts are offered the goods may be out of fashion stock or poorly made goods. In the case of second pairs of spectacles the second pair is often a cheap, poor quality product. There is sometimes a temptation for discounters to bump up the cost of their goods before offering the discount.
Do not be deceived into thinking that high profile outlets in prominent locations have lower prices or provide more choice than your neighbourhood optometrist. It is often not the case. The rents in prominent locations offset the savings delivered by high turnover. Chains buy frames in bulk and then their branches can sell only the frames that have been purchased in large quantities. Your local optometrist is often likely to buy a larger variety of frames but in small quantities.