Is everything cr#p nowadays ?

[swee'pea99]

Things like cars and electronics are immeasurably better than they used to be, and in real terms, way cheaper. I remember reading somewhere that for the first decade or so of colour televisions, tellies had to be repaired, on average, once a year. Every winter morning when I was a kid you could hear the cars outside trying to start: rrrrrrrr......rrrrrrrrrr.......rrrrrrrrrr.........rrrrrrrrrrr. When's the last time you heard that sound? Overall, without wanting to tempt fate, I'd say things are on the whole way less crap than they used to be. Now services on the other hand...

 

[TVC]

Things like cars and electronics are immeasurably better than they used to be, and in real terms, way cheaper. I remember reading somewhere that for the first decade or so of colour televisions, tellies had to be repaired, on average, once a year. Every winter morning when I was a kid you could hear the cars outside trying to start: rrrrrrrr......rrrrrrrrrr.......rrrrrrrrrr.........rrrrrrrrrrr. When's the last time you heard that sound? Overall, without wanting to tempt fate, I'd say things are on the whole way less crap than they used to be. Now services on the other hand...

... And they don't rust. Remember back in the day when a ten year old car would need new wheel arches and sills. There was a time when every suburban garage would have a pot of Isopon P38 on the shelf.

 

[slowmotion]

Yeah, but Bosch fridges are still shoot.

 

[MontyVeda]

Strangely, one of ours broke today

you must be...

 

[Moodyman]

A lot of products in supermarkets or major chains is average or poor quality.

There are plenty of small / family businesses thriving because there are people who want quality and are prepared to pay for it. Furniture / upholstery makers are a key example.

 

[gbb]

Its true, some things are so much better, cars, tvs etc etc.
But some things, plenty of things, you buy from 'reputable sources' is becoming cr#p...and at the end of the day, ive come to the conclusion ive got to stop buying from the likes of B&Q...some stuff is ok of course, but stuff like taps, toilet seats etc just dont last, next time im going to the trade suppliers and buying an Armitage Shanks or similar...a proper reputable manufacturer. Probably not that much more expensive either.
Cheap ? What IS cheap anymore ? I dont skimp, just buy what looks good and thats not normally cheap..I think the mistake is buying the mass manufactured goods made specifically for DIY stores, they must be coining it in, cheap it isnt.

Ive always found IKEA good as well VC,generally, it has some quality to it.

 

[snorri]

Much talk of failing toilet seats on this thread.
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/02Febru...y-stats-for-England-are-alarming-reading.aspx

Just saying like

 

[Shut Up Legs]

I've just installed an Ikea kitchen, excellent modular design, sturdy metal drawers, faultless quality, and all the parts -doors, hinges, handles can be bought seperately with supply guaranteed for 25 years if something is damaged.

Not crap.

But didn't that mean you had to enter an Ikea store, and then actually find your way out again?

 

[screenman]

I shop for DIY stuff where the proper trade shop, never the like of B&Q. I would say a lot of things are better nowadays, and we certainly have more choice. Some thing though are just made to satisfy a buying need and as a profit source for the manufacturers and retailers.

The motto that I use for my business is, nobody ever regrets buying quality.

 

[Dismount]

Companies need you to keep buying to sustain growth and profit just how the world now is...

 

[screenman]

Some people want to buy cheap, quality is not a consideration.

 

[gbb]

Much talk of failing toilet seats on this thread.
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/02Febru...y-stats-for-England-are-alarming-reading.aspx

Just saying like

Failing toilet seats are undoubtedly on the increase due to obesity...but not in our case
I weigh 11.5 stone..probably lightweight by todays standards.
The wife is a size 8.
My son probably weighs 10 stone.

Its cr*p quality seats in my case. Its my fault as well...the wife liked the look of it...meh, I suppose I said. It cost in excess of £20 IIRC. Next time, its the trade outlets for me. I'm going to avoid DIY places whenever possible.

 

[ASC1951]

The fact is things from decades ago lasted a lifetime. Kettles, washing machines, anything mechanical or electrical was made to be repaired, hence repair shops. How many do you see nowadays?

Yebbut. Consumer goods from decades ago were much, much more expensive. My last telly was a top of the range Sony Trinitron, which lasted nearly 20 years - but it cost £320 in 1985 ie about £850 now. My current telly, bottom of the range but functionally even better, cost £60.
It makes no sense to design for decades if the specification is going to change every few years. And you can buy stuff which doesn't change - garden tools, for instance - which will last for decades if you are willing to pay the right price for it.

 

[welsh dragon]

But then we have the you get what you pay for thing again. And although those things cost more than todays goods, you could get then repaired. That is the crux of things. How many tv's are made to be repaired these days? And when you break the costs down, what in fact was the better value in the long run? I suspect it isn't the stuff made nowadays.

 

[Dismount]

It makes no sense to design for decades if the specification is going to change every few years..

Explains then toilet seat issue then, since version 1.1 comes with a touch screen, heated seat and mp3 player (sorry folks no support yet for iTunes might be version 1.2)