- English translation
When something truly valuable turns up at the market, pay what it is worth; a cheap purchase brings no profit.
- Literal wording
If you find the costly one in the market, pay its price; and the [cheap] deal has no profit in it.
- Meaning and lesson
A sensible buyer judges goods by their worth and demand rather than by the price tag alone. When a sought-after, high-quality article appears, it is better to pay its full price than to hold back and choose something inferior simply because it costs less.
The proverb treats “costly” as valuable and marketable, not as anything merely expensive. A desirable item may be resold with a return, whereas a cheap, poor item attracts few buyers and leaves little to gain when passing it along.
- When it is used
Useful when someone hesitates over the cost of a well-made or much-wanted item and leans toward a lesser, cheaper one. It urges them to weigh quality and likely resale demand, rather than focusing only on the money saved now.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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