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Generation Junk

walterkirn.substack.com

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Re: Generation Junk

#11

Post by fullstop »

drcode wrote: post #4

I feel arguments like this always ignore the fact that buying a toaster in 1950 was a major investment for a family, and if you want to spend $2000 on a high-end toaster in 2023, which is probably equivalent in inflation-adjusted price to the 1950s toaster, it will probably also be very nice.

A toaster in 1951 was $21, which is about $250 today.

I would argue that a $250 toaster today is still not a "buy it for life" item, but it would certainly have a lot of bells and whistles and almost no user-serviceable parts.

Re: Generation Junk

#12

Post by woopwoop »

So this article implies that a number of things that we buy previously were built to last longer, and indeed did last longer. The first few examples are kitchen appliances. In this case I don't really know, but I'm at least willing to listen. Ultimately the evidence is people responding to a thread on Twitter where he solicited complaints. Not so compelling.

But then he mentions a "hybrid sedan". Here I'm aware of the data. It's not close. Modern cars are much, much more reliable and durable than ones built at any time in the past.

[0] https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/automobiles/as-cars-are-k...

[1] https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2021-us-vehi...

Re: Generation Junk

#13

Post by roenxi »

drcode wrote: post #4

I feel arguments like this always ignore the fact that buying a toaster in 1950 was a major investment for a family, and if you want to spend $2000 on a high-end toaster in 2023, which is probably equivalent in inflation-adjusted price to the 1950s toaster, it will probably also be very nice.

It is also important to be aware that there is huge sampling bias. All the 1950s artefacts that were fragile went to the junk heap a long time ago.

Re: Generation Junk

#14

Post by scantron4 »

crooked-v wrote: post #6
drcode wrote: post #4

I feel arguments like this always ignore the fact that buying a toaster in 1950 was a major investment for a family, and if you want to spend $2000 on a high-end toaster in 2023, which is probably equivalent in inflation-adjusted price to the 1950s toaster, it will probably also be very nice.

For me, I think the prime comparison is the KitchenAid stand mixer. You can get a new one that's functionally identical to the classic models that have lasted forever... and it'll run you at least $350 even during a major sale.

Nope. My mixer, which I put off buying for years, came out of the box much worse than my mothers 50 year old model.

It doesn't actually move slowly at the stir speeds and sounds atrocious.

Re: Generation Junk

#15

Post by fullstop »

upon_drumhead wrote: post #10
crooked-v wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, I think the prime comparison is the KitchenAid stand mixer. You can get a new one that's functionally identical to the classic models that have lasted forever... and it'll run you at least $350 even during a major sale.

Our few year old kitchen aid has been a nightmare of broken plastic internal parts. I will weep when my mother passes, but I will be taking her mixer and ditching mine.

Some plastic parts are intentional / sacrificial. Even so, the old mixers were definitely built to last.

Re: Generation Junk

#17

Post by twodave »

At least as far as coffee grinders go, find a reputable company that will repair them. My Baratza Encore stopped working after about a year or two of operation, and I sent it in for repairs. It was probably just a small short somewhere, but I'm not an electrician. They sent it back to me after a week or so, cleaned inside and out and working better than new. I keep saying I'm going to replace it with the one from Fellow (the Ode), but for the past 4-5 years I've been finding other things to spend money on and the Encore just keeps going.

Re: Generation Junk

#18

Post by qup »

exmadscientist wrote: post #7

I try very, very hard to live by Morris's credo. It is not easy. Finding things which do their jobs well and hold up takes so much time and energy. And on top of that, I despise waste, so I'm usually not willing (even if I can afford it) to buy a dozen different models and throw away the losers. That's the best way to do it, if you can manage it. But there are a few good things out there if you know where to look. To…

It does take a long time to find quality items. I'm glad to mostly have all the items I want, at least those that already exist.

I don't care too much about some of the things the author talks about. A suitcase not able to stand up when full is annoying, but also well within my ability to fix. I guess I'm just conditioned to junk.

The one thing that pisses me off the most is how the swiffer (mop) handle isn't strong enough for mopping. We've broken over a dozen of them in the exact same spot. We have taken to repairing them ourselves with a plastic welder.

They already have a freaking subscription model built in with their stupid pads and incredibly overpriced fluids, at least the mop could be really well-built and a pleasure to use.

Re: Generation Junk

#19

Post by AtlasBarfed »

TehShrike wrote: post #2

This feels like something that could be ameliorated by trustworthy curation, but The Wirecutter hasn't given good signal for years now, if it ever did, and I haven't seen anything else yet. Maybe I should try paying for Consumer Reports

A consumer report subscription will save you money.

Re: Generation Junk

#20

Post by wredcoll »

upon_drumhead wrote: post #10
crooked-v wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, I think the prime comparison is the KitchenAid stand mixer. You can get a new one that's functionally identical to the classic models that have lasted forever... and it'll run you at least $350 even during a major sale.

Our few year old kitchen aid has been a nightmare of broken plastic internal parts. I will weep when my mother passes, but I will be taking her mixer and ditching mine.

The irony of course is that they deliberately make some parts out of plastic so they break before the rest of the machine does when you're misstreating it.
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