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So just had a great conversation with a elderly person while i was out shopping and he stated that when things were made prior to plastic being the go too, things were made with quality in mind. Things lasted longer and people took pride in there work. Thus the main reason why cast iron, tin toys, are lasting longer than todays toys or house hold items. So his concept holds true, the main reason why we build things with cheaper products, is so they break easy and in return we are having to repurchase the item again and again, thus making that company more money. I remember having a Tonka dump truck and crane that was made from tin and real cable wire and rubber tires, now its all plastic and junk, breaks after about 4 hours of use in a sandbox.
So what happen to quality work, when it become quantity vs quality?
I agree with him. Years ago my GE fridge would last 20 years. Now I've heard from my ex-coworker, his GE fridge only lasted 2 years. Can't even be fixed. Brand new purchase again. No wonder GE stock has been staying low for years.
A lot of stuff from the good old days was poorly made. Remember cars before the foreign invasion? A 60s or 70s Chevy or Ford was truly junk. You were lucky to have one last for 5 years or 50,000 miles without major repairs. Small repairs were constant. You could buy a good wool suit, but everyday clothing was expensive and poorly made. Permanent press did not work, buttons fell off, pants shrank in the first wash.
BTW, you can still buy cast iron pots and pans. Hardly anyone wants them. Too much maintenance. Remember the aluminum pots and pans from the good old days? Yipes, the aluminum dissolved in acidic foods like tomato sauce. They discolored, pitted and were probably a health hazard.
Sure you could also buy "quality" Sears tools. In relative dollars they cost several times what we pay today and were not much, if any better. Remember buying tires every twenty to forty thousand miles? My father used to buy the Sears premium brand hoping they would last a bit longer than cheap ones.
Certainly food was better and simpler? No way. Our choices have multiplied many times over and the relative costs are less. The choices today are much healthier.
So I guess we are down to toys. Certainly there were some well made metal toys. I am not sure if you can still buy them, but no one would want to pay the price. In the good of days, kids got a new toy or two a year. Now they go through bushels of plastic toys. They can be washed, disinfected and they don't have sharp edges. If you think it would work, try to substitute a couple of well made Tonka trucks for the current variety of toys and see what happens.
A lot of stuff from the good old days was poorly made. Remember cars before the foreign invasion? A 60s or 70s Chevy or Ford was truly junk. You were lucky to have one last for 5 years or 50,000 miles without major repairs. Small repairs were constant. You could buy a good wool suit, but everyday clothing was expensive and poorly made. Permanent press did not work, buttons fell off, pants shrank in the first wash.
BTW, you can still buy cast iron pots and pans. Hardly anyone wants them. Too much maintenance. Remember the aluminum pots and pans from the good old days? Yipes, the aluminum dissolved in acidic foods like tomato sauce. They discolored, pitted and were probably a health hazard.
Sure you could also buy "quality" Sears tools. In relative dollars they cost several times what we pay today and were not much, if any better. Remember buying tires every twenty to forty thousand miles? My father used to buy the Sears premium brand hoping they would last a bit longer than cheap ones.
Certainly food was better and simpler? No way. Our choices have multiplied many times over and the relative costs are less. The choices today are much healthier.
So I guess we are down to toys. Certainly there were some well made metal toys. I am not sure if you can still buy them, but no one would want to pay the price. In the good of days, kids got a new toy or two a year. Now they go through bushels of plastic toys. They can be washed, disinfected and they don't have sharp edges. If you think it would work, try to substitute a couple of well made Tonka trucks for the current variety of toys and see what happens.
I know our cars and trucks have gotten better, not easy to fix anymore. Love to be able to crawl up on top of my gmc engine and do spark plug changes, or clean out the carb. Easy to reach to items.. Now you got to take tires off, HCam off just to get to plugs and batteries. But im sure back in the 30s-50s parents cant afford alot, so a toy a year had to last them a year. Thus why most lasted a very long time. Today's toys lucky to last 2 days. So the point is if they made things like they did prior to war time, would it still be working today, or do you like it when they make things poorly that its consider disposable item no matter what it is. My grandparents have a maytag freezer that was made in the 40s is still kicking and working like a champ.
BTW, you can still buy cast iron pots and pans. Hardly anyone wants them. Too much maintenance. Remember the aluminum pots and pans from the good old days? Yipes, the aluminum dissolved in acidic foods like tomato sauce. They discolored, pitted and were probably a health hazard.
Sure you could also buy "quality" Sears tools. In relative dollars they cost several times what we pay today and were not much, if any better. Remember buying tires every twenty to forty thousand miles? My father used to buy the Sears premium brand hoping they would last a bit longer than cheap ones.
Certainly food was better and simpler? No way. Our choices have multiplied many times over and the relative costs are less. The choices today are much healthier.
ns.
Your so way off base it's funny.
I cooked my dinner today in a cast iron pot. (For which there is a huge demand)
In fact I have very FEW cooking containers which are not cast iron or stonewear.
Similar quality cookware is $$$$$.
My grandfather's tools are among my best tools
As to food, in the last few years I've started getting food like my grandpa grew up with.
Raw milk, GMO free, fruits and vegies grown for flavor vs how long they will sit pretty on a shelf...
1. Create the best product that wont break or easy to wear down and charge 100 bucks or
2. Create the same product with cheap materials, that can break with one drop or look at it wrong and charge $50 bucks each time. Knowing your going to buy it least twice or more. Thus creating a fake "demand" for the same product.
I cooked my dinner today in a cast iron pot. (For which there is a huge demand)
In fact I have very FEW cooking containers which are not cast iron or stonewear.
Similar quality cookware is $$$$$.
My grandfather's tools are among my best tools
As to food, in the last few years I've started getting food like my grandpa grew up with.
Raw milk, GMO free, fruits and vegies grown for flavor vs how long they will sit pretty on a shelf...
There's NO COMPARISON!
My cast iron is all in the basement and has been in storage for over 10 years. I have no idea why we even keep it. All our pots are stainless. Frying pans are Teflon coated. For $30, we can replace the whole collection every couple of years. No stick, no worry, no rust, no special care.
Raw milk? No thanks. There is a reason for pasteurization. I do agree about some veggies. But in the good old days, fresh fruit and vegetables were available only for short periods during the year. Who really wants to eat canned green beans? Now we can get almost anything at any time during the year. Most of what is available, including the fresh green beans, taste great. I do draw the line at hydroponic tomatoes.
1. Create the best product that wont break or easy to wear down and charge 100 bucks or
2. Create the same product with cheap materials, that can break with one drop or look at it wrong and charge $50 bucks each time. Knowing your going to buy it least twice or more. Thus creating a fake "demand" for the same product.
I would love to know what you are referring to. I can barely think of anything I owe that breaks quickly and needs to be replaced.
One thing that's been telling for me is manufacturer warranties. There was a time when many items were warrantied for 5 years at least - some things for even longer. The manufacturer expected their products to last. It seems the standard warranty now is 1-2 years. And you're pretty much guaranteed that the item will self destruct shortly after the warranty period.
FWIW, we're still using cast iron. Many of the pieces belonged to either my husband or my grandparents. They're well seasoned and very easy to maintain.
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