That cheap tube feeder from the dollar store actually held up longer than my fancy one

I picked up one of those clear plastic tube feeders for $3 at the Dollar General in Trenton last spring, mostly as a joke. Figured it would crack or the perches would snap off within a few months like the expensive one I bought from Wild Birds Unlimited did after one winter. But it's still hanging there completely fine, no fading or rust, and the goldfinches go through a whole tube of nyjer in about a week. Has anyone else had a cheap feeder outlast a pricier brand, or was mine just a fluke?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_king221mo ago

Wait, so you're telling me the cheap plastic junk from the dollar store is actually outlasting the fancy stuff we all got tricked into buying? I mean, I bought this super expensive hummingbird feeder from a birding catalog last year and the plastic base literally crumbled in the sun after two months. Meanwhile, my neighbor has this busted old tube feeder that looks like it survived a hurricane and the birds still love it. Makes you wonder if the expensive brands just know we'll blame ourselves when it breaks and buy another one. Honestly, maybe the dollar store stuff is secretly made by the same factory but without the markup for a fancy label.

williams.amy1mo ago

Wait, does that mean I've been wasting my money on all those "premium" garden supplies? Because I used to think the expensive stuff was better, but you might have a point. I spent $40 on a ceramic bird bath last spring and it cracked by August, but my mom's $5 plastic one from the grocery store is still going strong after three years. Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing how much I've fallen for the fancy labels when the cheap stuff works just as well.

phoenixh741mo agoTop Commenter

You're absolutely right, it feels like we're all just getting played by the fancy labels.