Durable goods?

I am not sure if the refrigeration systems are upgraded on them or if the old ones are rebuilt and what the electrical usage is with old compared to new, thought I read something stating it was not what you would think as far as electrical usage, kind of confused about that, but it appears that they have a good business, although most of these old refrigerators are in the landfills years ago, the ones they sell rebuilt top to bottom command a good buck though. I've got one from the 50's or earlier that still runs good, I don't use it but it does work fine if plugged in. Have a '78 whirlpool that keeps things colder than a new one, meats will stay fresher longer in the old one, keeps the beer cold, below 40, actually thought I dialed it in to about 33-34 deg. Do appreciate the old one, freezer blower motor can easily get knocked off line if you jar something in the freezer, have to find the blower for it, no way I'd part with this fridge !

LL

Saw a dryer setting on the curb down the street one day. Knowing that a bunch of stewardesses lived in the house, it was apparent that they bought a new one. I got my cart and wheeled the old one to my garage and checked it over. Found that the setscrew had come loose on the large pulley on the drum shaft and had moved out and was rubbing on the tin back cover. It must have made quite a noise, so they just got a new one.

I had it fixed in 10 minutes, then gave it to the church preschool.

I agree with what both Rob and JML said on the matter. I've also noticed that on the broad front, obsolescence is quickened by both technology and fashion. Consumers have been successfully conditioned to mindlessly prefer new to good, including the absurd but common feeling that ownership of the latest version of all the "must have" disposable consumer goods is a sign of personal merit. If you choose to keep something because it works well and does everything you need, you will soon find yourself very isolated. Most people will consider you eccentric, at best, and you will find it increasingly difficult to obtain technical support or replacement parts and supplies. Then, once you're forced to abandon your perfectly good product (WordPerfect, or a typewriter, or a VCR, or an answering machine) you will face a daunting learning curve as part of your penalty for refusing to stay bunched up with the herd.

Frequently now, however, you really don't get a choice to stick with the old technology. What are you going to watch on your non-HD TV when only HD programming is available? The recorded message advising people without touch-tone phones to stay on the line for an operator is pretty much a thing of the past, for obvious reasons. But what is also becoming a thing of the past is the attitude that such concessions are even necessary. If you can't keep up, or choose not to (probably especially if you choose not to) then you're just SOL. Who wants to deal with a non-conformist anyway? You'll probably just insist on talking to a person instead of transacting your business through a series of never-quite-right menus, and then you'll want to pay with a check instead of a debit card. What's that, you don't have a a debit card? You don't believe in them? It's just a shame that we don't have laws outlawing your type (yet.)

Here's an unexpected consequence of living in this brave new world where new is better than good: nobody wants the stuff you've got. There's a diminsishing number of people over 50 (more or less) who still recognize quality and prefer it. There's a growing number of people under 50 who do not have the capability to recognize quality, and who are forced to accept hype rather than exercise personal judgment. They like shiny things and bright colors, believe what authorities tell them, and are reassured by people who have letters behind their names and certificates of something on their walls. Only people in the first group are interested in buying the belongings (tools, recreational equipment, vehicles, even houses) of people in the first group. Since they're over 50, however, most of them already have most of the things they need.

I used to think that the high quality tools I own were worth some money. Increasingly, I'm beginning to think they're more likely becoming a liability. When I die, or even when I'm just too old to use them any more, they might only be something that somebody will want to be paid to haul away.

All the best, Stan

On the flip side, society can be of a disposable ideal. Part of this reason is the cheapness and poor quality of made in China items. For example, a 1970's vintage toy was saved through the years while a 2000's fisher price made in china toy would be thrown away when the child got older. We throw out things mainly because they are old and out of date. Yes, I said out of date; people find "keeping up with the times" more important than the function of the item.

Finally, people may have NO choice but to discard something. Some product manufacturers no longer offer parts for a particular model. These days, time is changing faster, and society changes with with it, which leads me to my next point: That some people have no choice but to conform to society. For example, Tube TVs are being thrown away by many people because of the latest hype of plasma and LCD TVs. The reason? Demand has been so high for these new TVs that walmart and circuit city stores do NOT offer tube TVs anymore, forcing many people to either conform or just buy a used TV.

So the next time you see someone throw away furniture or anything that looks valuable, just KNOW that they have a reason for it.