1952 vacuum 'runs like a top'

northjersey.com ^ | November 20, 2007 | DENISA R. SUPERVILLE

[Ditto]

Ah yes. When quality actually meant something.

Like in 1952 when your 'new' car needed valves and a ring job after 60,000 miles? ;~))

Somewhere around the family today there is an old Kirby vacuum that my Mom bought in the early 50s and the last I saw it around 10 years ago, it still worked fine. The thing must have weighted 30 pounds. But a sweeper built like that would cost $1000 or more today. You could make them, and make them in America too if you wanted. Problem is, that no one would ever buy one off you.

[Ditto]

How many people would get a small table radio repaired these days?

How many people would buy a new tube radio today, and what would it cost?

[SIDENET]

How many people would buy a new tube radio today

At least one.

;-)

[Responsibility2nd]

In my mother’s kitchen is a pop-up toaster she bought new in 1951.

It also ‘runs like a top’.

I suspect there are thousands of 50-60 year old appliances all over the US that still work fine.

[Ditto]

I probably would too, but I don’t know why. Of course, that old Philco that was around when I was a kid did double duty as a space heater. ;~))

[supercat]

One reason quality has gone down is that for many types of products people aren’t willing to pay more for the quality. Low quality drives out high quality unless people are willing to pay a premium for the quality product.

Another factor is that maintainability is seldom seen as a major asset. A tube radio from the 1940's may not have lasted any longer than a cheap receiver today before something went wrong with it, but a radio could be serviced many times and provide years of moderately effective service. With today's technology, designing something for serviceability would increase the cost. Since most people would junk an appliance the first time anything went wrong, any extra money spent on serviceability is, for many people, simply wasted.