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Brands got worse on purpose

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91–100 of 179 posts

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the government is captured by rich crime-loving assholes It’s funny how fast average joe complains when a lack of economic growth slows down their 401k’s though… Edit: Apparently I’m surrounded by non-standard Joe

Does he? I don't think I've ever heard that complaint.

How many folks within five to ten years of retirement do you talk to? If you’re surrounded by people under 50, you probably wouldn’t hear much about it.

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#92

Support brands with values and local manufacturing. For example: American Giant, Origin, Crye Precision, Randolph Engineering, American Optical, and many more.

Is there any reason to believe that the same carpet-pull won't occur with those brands?

I thought the whole trick was arbitrage on the delayed awareness of reduced quality.

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#93

Buy the cheapest thing available. They won't have the money to screw you and they can't mismanage any extra money you want to give to charity if you don't let them touch it.

I am picky about what shoes I wear because I have toebox trouble. I used to like Brooks the best but the price has skyrocketed and I think they are going in the direction of fashion over quality. Now my mainstay is Pumas but I have a pair of New Balance shoes I am carefully breaking in that might enhance the gait of a character I play but also put a lot of stress on my legs.

Once in a while I find a $35 shoe at Walmart that is compatible with my feet and looks great and lasts about half as long as $70 shoe but most of the time Walmart doesn't have them in stock which is sad.

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#95

Support brands with values and local manufacturing. For example: American Giant, Origin, Crye Precision, Randolph Engineering, American Optical, and many more.

Is there any reason to believe that the same carpet-pull won't occur with those brands? I thought the whole trick was arbitrage on the delayed awareness of reduced quality.

> Is there any reason to believe that the same carpet-pull won't occur with those brands?

No, but nothing's forever. The important piece of information is "is this brand good, right now, when I'm looking to make a purchase."

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#96

Support brands with values and local manufacturing. For example: American Giant, Origin, Crye Precision, Randolph Engineering, American Optical, and many more.

I can confidently say I use and enjoy almost all of those brands. A great litmus test for whether a company makes good products is whether they make them locally enough for the CEO to regularly visit the factory. A somewhat humorous example is System76, where their US built stuff (cases, keyboards) are made with relatively thick aluminum and are surprisingly sturdy, while their laptops can be flimsy and are less rugg…

I still use my System76 Gazelle Pro laptop I bought in 2014. The battery lasts for barely an hour but the machine still works great and is still my daily driver for my personal use. The plastic feels a bit cheap but it has held up just fine.

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#97
post #12

I hate to be the guy to say it, but this is just capitalism working as intended.

If capitalism is about meeting market demands apart from any objective sense of quality, then yes. It's basically curve fitting. The reason things are shittier is because the market is shittier. Consumer demands shape what companies make and sell. If companies can get away with selling garbage, because the market is undiscerning, then they will make garbage. It's the same with politics. Ultimately, the quality of a p…

But capitalism helps create consumerism. Demand is manufactured, not just met.

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#98

Funny baader-meinhof moment for me reading this. My wife recently bought me some Brooks Brothers polo shirts that essentially dissolved the first time they were washed. I had never seen a shirt that was such poor quality. We were both flabbergasted, and the employees apparently gave her a bit of a hard time when she tried to return them. I suppose I now know why. What this company is doing is taking advantage of, and…

It's frustrating that it's hard to know what's going to be good quality.

I bought a base layer years ago that basically fell apart after 1 month. It was like it was made of tissue paper. I bought a different one that has been AWESOME and has lasted 4 years so far with no signs of wear.

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#99
Well someone had to pay for rich peoples yacht money. And since these 1000x hard workers don't find the amount of money they would earn with a honest product acceptable they buy a good brand and sell it out, riding the lucrative downwards curve at the cost of the environment, the employees, the subcontractors, the customer.

Some people disrespect drug addicts, homeless people or sex workers. To me the people behind such practises are below contempt.

Re: Brands got worse on purpose

#100
> Champion was acquired from HanesBrands in October 2024 for $1.2 billion...

I was wondering why these shirts went to hell. This was probably my favorite brand in the 2010s. Super durable and thick cotton shirts. I'd still be wearing them if I hadn't gained weight.

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