Why do some waxes cost so much.

[Gus]

Was looking at car waxes and thought that Auto Finesse Illusion looked pretty expensive for what it was (£75 for 200ml). Obviously there are some obscenely expensive waxes too like the Xymol that comes in the glass case or whatever it is.

Now on the Autofinesse website it lists some of the ingredients used in Illusion:
"Auto Finesse Illusion contains 48% T1 Grade Brazilian Carnauba Wax by volume, with the remainder being made up by synthetic polymers, and gloss-intensifying oils. "

It got me thinking, T1 grade brazilian carnuba wax must be pretty expensive so looked up prices on google. Turns out its not that expensive.
http://www.greygate.com/product/carnauba-wax-t1-100g/ this lists the cost of 100g as £1.52

So 48% of illusion is made up of £1.50 worth of wax, so the remaining oils and polymers and stuff must be some crazy expensive stuff. I know there is the development costs and the packaging etc etc but surely the mark up on this product is astronomical. What makes it different to a competing wax that costs say £15.

I know people will say its worth as much as someone is willing to pay and that it happens in all markets ex. womens designer handbags etc.

 

[Mr Plums]

I have had equally as good results with a cheap wax as i have had with a more expensive wax, if not better tbh.

 

[banther]

People obviously buy it, so why should they reduce the price?
The R&D for waxes must be pretty extensive.

 

[mattjk]

People obviously buy it, so why should they reduce the price?
The R&D for waxes must be pretty extensive.

Put it on a car. See if it looks shiny? give it a swanky name and packaging £100 please!

 

[imprezaworks]

Cheap waz, say £15- That looks excellent, wow.
Dear wax say £100- That is soooo much better, wow.

Reality, nah unless you have eyes like a hawk and be able to spot the difference by that much.

Another example. Loud exhaust= Faster. Nope.

 

[bozothenutter]

'Snot markup, its marketing!

 

[Mr Plums]

How the f**k can this be worth twenty four thousand pounds lol.

http://www.gizmag.com/worlds-most-expensive-car-wax/16320/

 

[imprezaworks]

Like anything I guess

 

[Mr Plums]

A bar of gold the size of that wouldnt be worth as much lol.

 

[Adamm.]

Overpriced, definitely. But if people are stupid enough to buy it then leave them to it. Personally I've always had fantastic results with the cheaper waxes anyway. That includes good durability and beading along with a glossy finish.

 

[Mr Plums]

Imo a wax can only be so good to a certain point, then theres no difference after that.

 

[mace¬]

I don't pay any less than £75 per 100ml for my waxes.
The quality below that price range is poor.
People often stop me in petrol stations and say Wow! that wax is aweome. i never once got that on cheap waxes.

 

[banther]

Put it on a car. See if it looks shiny? give it a swanky name and packaging £100 please!

I really don't give that much of a s**t tbh. But its good business.
If people buy it at that price, why sell it for less?

Its all about the sizzle, not the sausage.

 

[JD]

If you look into 1560KG of steel and aluminium, I'm willing to bet it doesn't cost the same amount as a new R8.
In much the same way, a lot of organisations like AF put time and money into researching their products, testing them, building a network of suppliers and detailers etc etc etc. And, more importantly, as has been said above, build enough hype and you can sell for any amount you like. Supply over demand.

 

[Mr Plums]

But is it worth £100 more, and is the final finish £100 more?

Dont cheaper wax companys also put time and money into researching, testing them and building a network of suppliers and detailers?

Imo its about the finishes to the car, not the hype and how much you can rip people off.

 

[aucky]

It's worth whatever you're willing to pay for it

 

[Coby.]

Are Levi's worth £50-60 more than Topman jeans? It's all just denim at the end of the day.

 

[Mr Plums]

Are Levi's worth £50-60 more than Topman jeans? It's all just denim at the end of the day.

Yes, they fit better.

 

[Advikaz]

Yes, they fit better.

They're also better made.

 

[JD]

So apply all the above to waxes.
I love my Natty's Blue - £15 and it out lasts lots of other waxes. But the application and gloss levels are significantly better from Glasur @ £whateveritiscurrentlypricedat.
If you can't tell the difference, you won't need to. But I can tell the difference between the gloss levels, water behaviour, application and longevity, so am willing to pay for the above.

 

[Yellow Dave]

autoglym HD wax is £35/£40. is very durable and at a decent price IMO. But it feels rubbish to apply, I don't think it really looks any better than any other wax or sealant. Therefore I choose to pay £90 for autofinesse Spirit that only lasts the same, but is a more pleasurable experience to use. Waxing a car is something I enjoy doing, so I don't want to use a wax that take away from that experience.

something that non detailers may relate to;
I have a fair collection of Halfords professional and Britool tools. Nothing wrong with any of them all function fine. But if I get the chance I go to my dads, who being a mechanic by trade has a whole selection of snap-on / MAc tools / blue point etc etc. much nicer tools to work with, but 5 times the price. Doesn't mean I do the job any better or faster

 

[ADS_V6]

The average joe public probably cant tell the difference,as above i find waxing the car a destress and there is a big difference in gloss and looks from budget to more expensive waxes imo,i started off using mer many years ago now after trying premium stuff i wont go back if someone paid me too lol if your happy with a cheap wax use it if you want a 100 pound wax do it

 

[imprezaworks]

I've tried a few different ones, samples of the more expensive wax and obv the cheap and cheerful. Unless you are massivly ocd and 'will' notice (i'm not saying there is anything wrong with that) then a easy to apply and remove wax does the job nicely imo. Something like a dodo wax, cheap and piece of piss to use.

 

[cafcross]

You have to remember that you get a lot of 'show waxes' that enhance colour and gloss, but only last a month.

 

[boom]

I can't believe applying wax to a car had been described as a pleasurable experience above. Wax is wax and it's only expensive because the detailing bum boys will pay it

 

[imprezaworks]

I do find it nice to apply an 'easy' wax

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

I can't believe applying wax to a car had been described as a pleasurable experience above. Wax is wax and it's only expensive because the detailing bum boys will pay it

Is there really any need for that?

You obviously have no clue as to why some waxes are more expensive than others.

 

[boom]

Is there really any need for that?

You obviously have no clue as to why some waxes are more expensive than others.

I do. As detailed on my last post

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

I do. As detailed on my last post

Please tell you're just having a bit of a giggle rather than being an arse? It's difficult to judge when reading your responses.

 

[boom]

Please tell you're just having a bit of a giggle rather than being an arse? It's difficult to judge when reading your responses.

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

Ah ok fair enough. I'm far from being and detailing expert and I was using hd wax for ages. I was given some best of show wax to try and it was indeed epic to apply and take off.

Priced according to the amount of actual carnuba wax that's in it iirc?

 

[MRBILLYUK]

I can't believe applying wax to a car had been described as a pleasurable experience above.

+1 lol . I can think of a few things that can be described as a " pleasurable experience. " Dining in a nice restaurant , drinking cold beer on a hot sunny beach , someone giving you a fantastic blowjob . Now they are what i would call pleasurable experiences . :smile:

2 weeks ago , the first time for a very long time i polished my car using Megs 105 / 205 , Poorboys Blackhole and waxed it with Nattys Blue then another layer of Dodo Juice Blue Velvet , all by hand . When i finished , several hours later , i stood back and thought , yeah , it looks good , the best it has in ages . I felt a bit knackered , a bit sweaty and grimey . But at no point did i feel like I'd had a pleasurable experience . I just felt like a needed several very cold beers :tongueout:

I can totally understand why people pay more for waxes . But surely there has to come a point where no matter how much you spend on a wax , it won't perform any better , be able to be applied or removed any easier or even enhance the look of the paint .

I don't often post in the detailing section . But I do read with interest quite alot of the posts . And some of the terminology tickles me . Things like " water behaviour . " That seems to be a new term used by the detailing gurus of late . Where did that one come from ? I don't ever recall good old " Rich " , and he was a proper geeky bugger when it came to detailing lol . He did know his stuff though , I'll give him that much .

 

[dann2707]

People often stop me in petrol stations and say Wow! that wax is aweome. i never once got that on cheap waxes.

They specifically say that to you? Do you drive around with the block of it on your roof or something? :wink:

 

[Gally]

I feel like i've gone back in time.

 

[Inequality Street]

They specifically say that to you? Do you drive around with the block of it on your roof or something? :wink:

Ive seen him drive, he genuinely carries it round with him and puts it on the dashboard when he parks up.

 

[ADS_V6]

flol above comment i like

 

[Yellow Dave]

The water behaviour of a wax or sealant helps define it as one of its properties. Can't really say it's anything new as it's something I've always considered. It can also help a car stay cleaner.

I find washing a car a relaxing experience and can find it help unwind after a bad or hectic week at work. Using a wax that's a pain in the @ss to apply can be an unpleasant experience. Use a nice one and it's the opposite. It's the difference between simply washing your car and going the extra and detailing it because you enjoy it

 

[Knuckles]

I was going to say I don't find car cleaning pleasurable, it's just a labour of love... But it is very satisfying decontaminating and cleansing paint. I wouldn't use the word pleasurable though, just for the effort.

They specifically say that to you? Do you drive around with the block of it on your roof or something? :wink:

Lol!

In all seriousness no, have you never had anyone comment on your car after you've just waxed it?

 

[MRBILLYUK]

The water behaviour of a wax or sealant helps define it as one of its properties.

I always thought it was called beading myself . Or maybe I'm just not in touch with these newer detailing terms like " water behaviour. " Any product , be it a £15 pot of Nattys or a £100 pot of Glasur will bead . Is there water different behaviour from different waxes ? Do more expensive waxes behave better, if so , how are the better ? As long as it repels water , isn't that one of the main reasons as well as offering some form or protection that we wax cars ? I do think there is an element of Lemmingness ( a made up word i know , it refers to the animal the Lemming ) when it comes to products ? Somebody said xyz product was the best thing since sliced bread , somebody else jumps on the band wagon and agrees and before you know it , hey ho , we have a new product that's taking the world by storm and cost becomes irrelevant . If a bird s***s on a car that's been waxed with a £15 pot of wax or a £100 pot of wax , and that s**t is acidic , the chances are it might damage the paintwork if it's not removed quickly . I'm just not convinced that spending all that money on a wax is in any way , shape or form beneficial to the car , even looks wise .

 

[aucky]

Yes. There is a spectrum within 'water behaviour', largely governed by the contact angle. This is the main effect on 'beading'. There are other factors at work effecting sheeting, gloss, depth, warmth, clarity, as well as longevity, ease of application and removal.

Basically, if you either can't see/feel the difference, or indeed you don't care, then take your car to the Albanians and leave detailing etc to people who do.