In this essay I want to talk about durability. Not the quality of single products, but how to define it.

First of all, some products don’t even have durability. Refills and the like, they all can be used once.

Second, some products are teaching products, like DVD’s and books, and they will actually last forever, because you’re not really using it.

Now, left are the things you use more often, like decks, gimmicks, sponge balls etc. Those have a lifetime sometimes mostly. But how to define this? Most likely you would say how much time it lasts. Like ‘This gimmick will last you five years.’ Note the ‘at least’. Is this true? That depends on how much you use it.

Then there is the option to say how much times you can use it. Something like: ‘This nice cane will last you for over 1000 of shows.’ This also has some cons. At first, it also counts how rough you use it. If you handle it with care, it will last longer. Second, in the beginning it will require some practice, for some more than others. This also shortens the time of real uses.

What is left now? What I think is the best to do, is define the durability in classes. The alfabeth for example. This is what I set up:

A = Will last a lifetime (books and dvd’s are also in this category)
B = Will last you very long, around five years or more, if handled with care (think about decks, or well-made gimmicks)
C = Will last long, like two to five years, if handled with care
D = Will last no longer then a year, so than you have to buy a new one (D’lite maybe?)
E = Won’t last very long, from a month to half a year (can’t find an example for this)
Z = Things like refills, that you can use only once

Why Z and not F? This way it’s really obvious it can only be used once, by saying F you might think it can be used half a month or something.

Final thoughts:
From refills, you will not get only one. So an easy way to define this is:
Durability: 15 Z
Or sometimes you will receive to gimmicks, than you can say:
Durability: 2 C

Well, that’s all I have to tell, please let me know what you think about it!

(P.S.: don't mind my language, I'm dutch)