Thank you for commenting @roswellrockman!
I agree with your wife's strategy to try to buy the best, freshest spices that she can.
In the case of the spices that I have showcased today, many people don't realize that mace and nutmeg come from a tree and the same tree at that. Also, lots of people think that allspice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove and it's actually a single independent spice that mimics that flavour combination.