pots AND multimeters (but not together)

[Peter Wayman]

Hey all,
So I've got two questions...
On pots:
So I'm flipping through the Old Colony (DIY audiophile) catalog, and they
have a glowing description of ALPS "Blue Velvet" pots... only $25!

Why do these cost so much (is it simply their 'feel'?, or audiophile
component worship?) and do they last a long time? (Not that I would buy
them!)

On multimeters:
I bought a Bel-Merit DMM, because it could read capacitance, inductance,
and transistor gain... the only problem is that I think it's pretty crappy.
-It usually locks up when I test for continuance, and testing for voltage is
kind of wonky at times, too.
So my questions:
* Is Bel-Merit a respected company/manufacturer?
* I think this was made in Corea/Korea, but I thought there was some
good stuff coming out of there... since I love stereotyping, can someone
convince me that (some?) Korean stuff is OK? Specifically, what do you
think of Goldstar(LG)?

okey dokey,
:Peter