Agreed. It's especially tough to find decent jeans since I have a 36" inseam, so the "Austyn Long Inseam" style is all I wear now.

My oldest pair is ~18 years old and other than the material getting a bit thin in the seat, they've weathered the years just fine and the dyes have faded to a nice patina. As mentioned, you can find them for well under $100 at Amazon, Nordstrom Rack, etc.

As long as the design isn't too trendy and won't come and go with the season, I see no problem with spending $$$ on jeans though because a good pair will last almost forever.