Can a pair of new eyeglasses change your world? Recently, Mr. Maven was ready to drop kick his old glasses. Again.
They’d never been optimal, either functionally or aesthetically. The function part is what really got to him, though. His ‘down east’ New England frugality dictated that plain-jane, Costco frames were just fine. But there was the rub. The Costco lenses were never quite right. The non-reflective coatings proved to be a cleaning nightmare, despite promises to the contrary. And the progressive lenses always pushed the cost up around the $400 to $500 mark anyway. The same held true of eyewear from EyeMasters and another old line Reno independent optician. But he hung in there, getting pair after pair of additional computer glasses and such. I just tuned the drama out eventually.
With a Manhattan in hand at his daughter’s wedding, he was seeing just fine.
The same thing had been true for me. My prescription, a big progressive - heavy on the astigmatism correction - was hard to get filled. So many of the newer styles have lenses that are much too shallow to accomodate my prescription. I’ve allowed opticians to lure me in, though. And regretted the empty promises hundreds of dollars later.
My eyeglass world turned upide down several years ago when I got a semi-custom pair of Eyephorics at a very expensive optical shop in the tres exclusive part of Houston. Wow. Lenses that really worked spoiled me for less - and the compliments didn’t hurt either. But I doggedly persisted back here in Reno.
I still have a pair from the ‘other’ independent optician in town, that I’m forever having to tilt my head back in order to look at the computer screen. Big time annoying, after they assured me that the lense would be deep enough. Not.
Then came Adlington Eye Center/Eyeglass Gallery.
After a new pair of hugely cool JF Rey frames, and then the perfect pair of sunglasses, I’m a true believer. In fact, the sunglasses proved it once and for all.
I wanted a curved, wrap-a-round lense for skiing and really bright conditions. All the usual retail optician suspects said I couldn’t have that. Oakleys were out. Plain Ray Bans were it. I tried and they didn’t work.
The experts at Adlington just smiled and said, “oh, of course we can do those Oakley’s for you.”
And they did.
But I’d tell Mr. Maven how much they cost, and I’d get that ‘look’ of incredulity. Around here, we call it “the Captain look”.
So, I pointed out the other day how much saving money had cost him over successive pairs of inferior glasses, and he trotted down to Adlington to see what he could see.
Hmmmm.
He walked in with a chip on both shoulders, almost daring them to show him anything he would find acceptable, not to mention be able to deal with on the price front. Then he tried on the ‘Wow!’ pair of JF Rey’s. He’d fallen in love. “These really feel great.” he whispered to me. “I’ve never had a pair that felt like this before.”
And they were total ‘Rocket Man’ on the style front. So cool, in fact, that I had misgivings - that I kept to myself. I’d gotten used to the Costco look on him.
Today, he finally went back to Adlington to get the final adjustment on his JF Rey’s. The pain of the shingles attack has put a damper on a lot of things like that. He’s been really cranky from the intense aching, so I didn’t particularly want to tag along.
When I saw him later, he was walking on Cloud Nine. Oh, they gave him a new eye check (Travis Adlington is so incredible, and low drama - and a pilot, so they were buddies right away) and yup, the prescription from the ‘other’ place was all wrong. And they’re gonna make up a new lense that is just this and just that. Oh, “and Dillon can do a custom magnetic clip-on sunglass that is so totally cool - and hardly costs anything at all.” “Boy, those people really know what they’re doing. That Dillon gets it. He knew I didn’t want to spend a bunch on a pair of computer glasses.” Yadda, yadda. On and on.
I just said “Oh, that’s wonderful dear” but inside I was on high GLEE cycle. See! I told ‘ya so!
So, I see some o
Pain meds put him to sleep, but allow me to sneak in with the camera.bvious benefits here.
Mr. Maven should actually be able to see now, with glasses that function correctly - in normal life or at the computer.
He’s grudgingly accepted that style matters - even for crusty old New Englanders.
And, I’ll never get ‘the look’ again when I buy another pair of exceptional eyeglasses from Adlington.
This is an object lesson in the difference between real and false economy. The glasses we are getting from Adlington do cost more. But you get what you pay for and more, in the way of in-depth product knowledge, expertise, service before and after the sale, and of course selection. A huge selection in a wide range of prices.
Don’t simply assume that Costco or EyeMasters are your only choice. When your vision is at stake, and you wear them all day, every day like we do this might be one of those things worth splurging on. The folks at Adlington/Eyeglass Gallery really do want to fit you with the right eyewear first, something that works for you.
Go take a look and let them ‘Wow’ you like they’ve done for us. You’ll never look back.
-maven
Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 21:47 
