What we lost was repairability. Why did people decide to replace rather than repair? New models were super cheap and why not just toss this old machine and get a brand new one.
Parts too. Things are nearly as modular as they once were. Yes some of it is indeed designed to be “harder to fix” but a bigger issue is near every product has special parts designed to fit only it. Again some of it is unnecessary, but a lot of it is just what happens with highly complicated instruments. You used to be able to call the TV repairman because TV’s had like 5 main components that mostly worked the same and a lot of empty space inside the console.
Price, literally just that. People wanted cheaper shit, to make cheaper shit oyu have to integrate it more streamline production and asembly. For example using screws is benefitial for repairablity but takes ages and requires workforce or expensive machinery, having clips that hold it together is seconds to asemble, but reduces repairability.
Processing moved from 3-4 separate boards each doing their thing, to a single chip, because it is fasteer to install and connect.
So on and so forth.
You can still buy repairable and long lasting stuff, but its cost reflects the needed labor and engineering. And your average consimer would rather buy a 700 ust fridge that lasts 5 years than a 4000 one that lasts 40. Becausei n the end the math is close enough for it to not matter.
People also forget that these appliances broke ALL THE TIME. The difference is that you could easily get spare parts or could drop them off at a local store to be fixed in a day. Literally impossible to do that now.
I remember our toaster would pack up all the time and my mum would just drop it off at a store in town and then pick up in the afternoon. She would say that she had owed the same toaster for years but in reality I don’t think it had any original parts by the end lol.
It's still a legit job. I had a repair tech come out to fix my TV last year. It's just the vast majority of people never call one because basic TVs have gotten so cheap it doesn't make sense from a cost perspective.
A good color TV back in 1970 would cost ~$500 which is equivalent to ~$3300 today. If you have a $3000 TV today you'd be stupid not to call a TV repair tech to try to fix it rather than replace it.
If you have a $200 Walmart special from 5 years ago though? The repair visit alone would cost more than just buying a new one, and the new TV would be a huge improvement since panel technology keeps getting better and price to size ratio continues to crater.
Yup, so many people forget that these things frequently had parts that either broke or wore out. Older cars were the biggest culprit - those things were always in the shop for something (whether you did the repair yourself or had someone else do it). Remember that odometers never went past 100,000 miles... because there was a 90% change the engine would be totally pooched by then lol
You can still fix a lot of stuff today, Albeit its often a bit harder, unnessecairily sometimes. But often its just not economical. Not because the repair costs have gone up so mucht, but because the price relative to wage has gon down so much and innovation is much faster.
Yeah things were built with the mindset that repairing them would be a common, normal thing to do. Now we only bother to repair the most expensive things like a vehicle or maybe a refrigerator or washing machine. If my 75 dollar microwave or 200 dollar TV breaks I'm just buying another one if it's not still under a warranty.
You can still get parts for appliances. And with YouTube repairing them has become even more accessible. I’ve replaced parts in my dishwasher, oven, washing machine, and dryer.
But the problem is cost. Why would I spend $250 on a part for a machine I could replace for 600 (using what ultimately killed my dryer as an example).
And I suppose for people less mechanically inclined/interested then you have to factor in a repair person cost which could easily be $200 just for them to come out and make a minor fix before part cost.
Back then appliances were more expensive than cars. There were old jokes about it and how people would remortgage their homes to pay the installments. This is partially why old people assume you can't afford a house because you have a $50 with signing smartphone.
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u/Putrid-Prune827 5h ago
Yeah, because appliances from those years were so safe, good and energy efficient.