My thinking is probably unnecessarily limited, but this is why I use ABS:

The primary use of my printer is for making custom cutting tools (mostly fancy cookie cutters) for pottery/ceramics work I do.

Each tool doesn't use very much filament (hmm..., I should collect some actual numbers on that). I can make many of them, and use relatively little filament, i.e., a spool of filament lasts a very long time.

I would PREFER to use PLA. Its stiffness permits me to extrude the best cutting edge possible, BUT, because I use so little over time, the spools go "stale". I've tried various ways of protecting the filament, but haven't seen much diff between spools that are protected (tupperware and desiccant), and spools that are just left on the machine. I love the results I get from PLA, but I hate it when, say, half a spool "goes bad".

So..., I live w/ ABS, because it doesn't go stale (can just be left on the machine), and the printed product is "good enough".

I don't know anything about the "freshness dating" of other products.