Yep. The good old days when things weren't 'disposable' and you expected them to last. If they broke you got them repaired, fixed and continued to use them and then passed them on to your kids or friends or whomever. They just kept working! They never quit, wore out or broke permanently. Now stuff is just junk. You buy it with the expectation of throwing it out and/or recycling it in a few years and having to replace it. Why...oh why and how did things ever get this way?
I mean from cars to cookware, to appliances to furniture, etc. When did this semi-disposable culture become so pervasive and acceptable to us as a culture?
I still have shoes that are 30 years old! YEP....still stylish, fashionable and good quality and I used to get them resoled, polished and tended to every few years as needed. Now I can't find a cobbler to do the work. Same with suits, good quality silk blouses, etc. Clothes and shoes were an 'investment' one made for work or career. You expected to have these things for many, many years and as long as you maintained them and took care of them they would last and you got your money's worth.
When did this all change? I HATE this 'new way' of life with cheaply made, poorly constructed, plastic, particle board, disposable junk when it comes to furniture, electronics, appliances, clothes and shoes and cookware and all else!
I miss true craftsmanship of years and eras gone by. I don't think I am alone.
I can't fault the younger generations as they do not know any better. They have never had anything else. BUT our generation (from Gen X 1970 and before) has. We know better.
So why aren't we trying to influence or trend consumerism towards real and genuine craftsmanship and quality? If our buying dollars really carry weight then why aren't we influencing and impacting the market more and trending it towards making more quality oriented products?
My beloved electric skillet that is a workhorse in my kitchen.
I call it my '5th burner' as I use it as much as I do my stove and more than my oven. I paid somewhere around $60 for this in the 1980s in a thrift store. It was 'vintage' then and I had to replace the probe. Now it is worth OVER $200!
I would love to find a second one but there are none or few out there. Everything 'new' is either Teflon or non-stick coated which I do not want.
