/lit/ - Literature

>>5197562
>assuming I buy them for their reputation of being classy and sophisticated rather than longevity and production quality

Pack of midrange rollerballs: $10. Will last you like 2-3 months depending on how often you lose them.
Decent fountain pen & ink: $40. Will last you a few years while buying ink occasionally.

Pack of shitty ringed notebooks: $10. Fall apart after 5 months of carrying around and writing.
400 page leather notebook: $15. Falls apart in maybe 3 years of use.

I can't justify cigars and coffee obviously because it's a matter of having your taste adjusted and able to notice the higher quality, but there's still a quality difference and it's not just wholly image-based.

>>5197571
I've read a few lengthy books on typography, design and advertising and even with that skillset you can't judge a book very well by cover alone, to take your example literally. You need to be very well acquainted with an area of production in order to judge by minute details, company, country of origin, etc.