I have got an early 1960s Zenith Transoceanic radio. Save a few scratches, its faux- leather and chrome- plated steel chassis, still looks pristine, despite being over 60 years old.

 

Nowadays, my home is filled with products in which the faux leather self- destructs in a couple of years. From the earcups on earphones, to belts, to an office chair, I can see the surfaces simply disappearing.

Have you had similar experiences?

 

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Yea, headphone pads are notorious.

 

Quite a coincidence.
I used the same material for a cover for my bass amp and also to repair the piano stool four years ago.
I am now in the process of looking for a more durable material. I would be happy to hear of one.

 

The outer "rubber" jackets of cables from several phone chargers, some 15 years old.

The antistatic foam of unknown origin, maybe from some 20++ years ago.

 

I have got an early 1960s Zenith Transoceanic radio. Save a few scratches, its faux- leather and chrome- plated steel chassis, still looks pristine, despite being over 60 years old.

Nowadays, my home is filled with products in which the faux leather self- destructs in a couple of years. From the earcups on earphones, to belts, to an office chair, I can see the surfaces simply disappearing.

Have you had similar experiences?

Similar observation in so many areas.

Making quality, durable materials generally costs more than making crap materials. It's also usually the case that durable materials are harder to work with than the crap materials -- mostly because the focus shifted from being durable to being easy to work with at all stages of product manufacture. Unlike many people, I really don't think that the goal is for them not to last, just that it is no longer a goal for them to last any longer than they've determined is necessary. In other words, if they could save some money in manufacturing costs but the end result was more durable, I think they would be ecstatic. Similarly, I don't think they are going to be willing to spend more to manufacture something in order to make it wear out quicker.

At the end of the day, it comes down to what the consumer, across the board, wants. We used to want quality products that lasted decades. Now we want cheap products and don't care if it just lasts a couple years.

 

The worst is the "soft touch" surface applied to tools and handheld items that turns into a sticky mess.

 

One of the most annoying is the membranes used on my recent remote controls. The few buttons that are used the most lose their elasticity and so they stick down, making it very hard to adjust anything. You end up having to shield the IR transmitter with your hand and try to uncover it at just the right time and for just the right amount of time in order to get one complete burst of the key code to the receiver.

 

The seals and bushings being used in modern domestic blenders fail too soon nowadays. They used to last decades!

 

Yea, headphone pads are notorious.

Unfortunately, those were some Bose noise canceling headphones. Not cheap, not cheap at all!
That photo is from a year ago. Nowadays even the foam cups themselves have decayed into a lower-neutron count isotope.

 

The seals and bushings being used in modern domestic blenders fail too soon nowadays. They used to last decades!

My partner and I hid out in the Yucatan during the covid lockdown. One thing that truly impressed me was the hole-in-the-wall hardware stores with the parts displays hanging on the wall. All kinds of appliance repair parts, including replacement blade assemblies for blenders. In a tiny footprint, they had more useful parts than the big box stores in the US.

 

My partner and I hid out in the Yucatan during the covid lockdown. One thing that truly impressed me was the hole-in-the-wall hardware stores with the parts displays hanging on the wall. All kinds of appliance repair parts, including replacement blade assemblies for blenders. In a tiny footprint, they had more useful parts than the big box stores in the US.

"Developing" nations tend to be like that. People make the most of what they have, and go to great lengths to repair that which gets broken. Unfortunately, many appliance brands have opted for designs that are either impossible to repair, or they simply do not manufacture spare parts. All of this as part of a planned obsolescence cycle.

Take, for instance, cars' doors' rearview mirrors. If the glass itself breaks (or gets stolen, as is often the case down here) the manufacturer forces you to buy the entire assembly, instead of just handing you the piece of freaking glass ... I know of no brand that doesn't practice that sort of rip-off. Methinks it's a conspiracy similar to the one practiced by light bulb manufacturers.

Cash just needs to keep on flowi'n ...

 

We went to Merida to escape the dark and gloom of the Pacific NW, with a goal of being someplace that took covid seriously and where it was warm enough to eat outside. We planned on staying a couple weeks – we ended up staying just shy of 6 months. Loved it there! Friendly people, awesome food, beautiful weather...until it got HOT.

 

We went to Merida to escape the dark and gloom of the Pacific NW, with a goal of being someplace that took covid seriously and where it was warm enough to eat outside. We planned on staying a couple weeks – we ended up staying just shy of 6 months. Loved it there! Friendly people, awesome food, beautiful weather...until it got HOT.

Mérida is among the nicest places in Mexico that you can find. Excellent food, and friendly people. Although I have to admit that things move at a different pace down there. It's more laid back that I'm accustomed to.

 

....move at a different pace down there....

Especially that round-about that has about 11 lanes going in and only 7 going out!