Anyone noticing a new trend: consumers buying older/used goods, cars, electronics?

[thetransporter]

Recently - I have noticed, regardless of economic conditions and forecasts:

people buying older printers (even used) as they are not so disposable and dont have chips in the cartridges (goes back to planned obsolescence?) plus maybe some greed by the ink industries?

We still use the 1994 HP Laserjet 4+ with its network printing ethernet port. (its actually older then some people working at the company)

people buying older cars or holding on to them? (late 80s to early 2000s) (even wealthier people)

What are your thoughts?

[Thaco]

yep, i'm holding out on my 1970s furnace, older stuff is just built better... new stuff is built to be disposable.

[Deetz]

Originally posted by Thaco
yep, i'm holding out on my 1970s furnace, older stuff is just built better... new stuff is built to be disposable.

Me too! I'm not too excited about any new big appliances sold for housing these days

[CompletelyNumb]

Hipsters?

[HiTempguy1]

Anything built in the new millenium has way better build quality and materials price point for price point, so I think that may be what you are seeing.

At the same time, I would imagine that feature bloat is really turning the more "savvy" consumer off new items. Look at cars as an example, or bloatware on phones, or household appliances that ding 50 million f*&king times whenever they do anything for no reason.

[BokCh0y]

Everything nowadays is disposable, it's bullshit. Gone are the days where you buy a washer/dryer for example and they run for 20+ years.

This is an interesting vid:

http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episod...rmen-unplugged

Wish I didn't sell my old washer and dryer to tomco for his shop!!!

[thetransporter]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb
Hipsters?

[firebane]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb
Hipsters?

I would say some of it is that but I also think a lot of it is people like myself who enjoy old and classic things.

There is definitely a fine line between what would define a person as a "hipster" and that of collector.

For example I have an original Simon in my collection that I bought years ago because it was a cool toy and will outlast many of the new crap toys out there.

I would necessarily say its a new trend but perhaps its more obvious lately with the current generation buying up old vintage stuff.

[gogreen]

I've always been that way. I like stuff that works and is easy to fix when it breaks. The idea of chucking a recently-purchased item in the landfill because it's not worth fixing really bothers me.

I can't say for sure how old our washer and dryer are, but I'd estimate that they're at least 20 years old. My wife had them before we met, and she got them used. My inlaws have a new washer they hate because it takes so long to do a load and has too many automated controls even though it's a traditional toploader, my parents had a new washer from Sears fail just out of warranty due to a faulty circuit board, and I'm not sold on the high-efficiency ones.

Our washer recently stopped working and after taking the panel off and finding a paper wiring diagram taped inside I was able to determine it was a faulty lid switch, which ended up being a $40 part online. I placed the order and used a jumper wire to bypass the lid switch while I waited for the part to arrive. Easy peasy. I'm no electrician either.

[vengie]

Perhaps people are starting to realize material possessions aren't what they're cracked up to be? "Keeping up with the Jone's". This is true for myself anyways... The money I have spent on cars alone...

[ReasonOne]

I suspect that everyone reaches a certain age when they start becoming nostalgic about things. This has been going on for generations. Older goods tend to be more familiar to older people. People lust after items that remind them of their youth from time to time.

I can say that with this generation the dynamic has changed in the regard of planned obsolescence in that it is exponential. We have all sorts of more and more powerful technology that has to be upgraded even more and more frequently. This technology also doesn't last nearly as long either.

It also costs substantially less to fulfill a flight of fancy that would have been exorbitantly priced when it was new. In addition, on the whole older goods/technology is also simpler and easier to repair and/or maintain. If you're on a budget, or have all the time and money in the world and want a piece of your past - it's not an unreasonable option.

[revelations]

Agreed with our disposable society in North America. In Europe you can see how the washes/dryers/cars in general are designed to last 5-10 years instead of 2-3 for these items here.

Even though items break down, the benefit is now geared towards those with a little bit of initiative as virtually every problem on an older vehicle/appliance has been discussed and rectified in a discussion group (such as /b). As mentioned above, the fixes need not be overbearing and anyone with basic tools and basic mechanical aptitude can do most of the minor tweaks.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by revelations
virtually every problem on an older vehicle/appliance has been discussed and rectified in a discussion group (such as /b).

/b/ must be a lot different these days if they're doing appliance repair how-to instead of YLYL and v&.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Look at your $700 Iphone, how long do they last before stuff starts to get crappy, a year? Planned obsolescence is easy when you're dealing with software controlled products.

[ZenOps]

Still using a Samsung black and white toner printer (no chip) That it has no chip, tells how old it is.

When it stops printing, just open up a hole and drop some toner in - all good again for another thousand sheets for at least five full refills.

I just bought an extra drum this year as the rollers are finally starting to scuff a bit.

[Xtrema]

Just bought a $90 Canon laser All-In-One and ditched my $70 Samsung laser printer.

Cheaper than buying toner.

I do agree that I will never switch out my furnace and/or water heater unless I absolutely has to. New appliances are all shit and have planned obsolesce built in.

As for cars, I don't see any higher or lower in used cars volumes. We Calgarians drive pretty decent cars on average. Vancouver has way more rust buckets on the road still.

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by Xtrema
I do agree that I will never switch out my furnace and/or water heater unless I absolutely has to. New appliances are all shit and have planned obsolesce built in.

I had a new HE furnace put in when the rebates were being offered, Carrier unit. It replaced the original Lennox, it lasted only 5 years. Meanwhile I know 3 other people on the block with the same old Lennox unit I had, 36 years and still running fine.

I keep telling my wife, washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, they're all working and none of them are getting replaced till they quit. I have no faith in the reliability of any appliances nowadays.

[jacky4566]

I find its a function of material to labour cost. Back when you were making a Furnace in 1960 the labour was so expensive that the material didnt matter as much. Using 16 gauge wire instead of 20 was insignificant so they did it.

Now with modern manufacturing, plastics, and robotic assembly the material is the bigger cost so they cheap out resulting in a inferior product.

IMO.

[Seth1968]

The Light Bulb Conspiracy combines investigative research and rare archive footage to trace the untold story of Planned Obsolescence, from its beginnings in the 1920s with a secret cartel, set up expressly to limit the life span of light bulbs, to present-day stories involving cutting edge electronics (such as the iPod) and the growing spirit of resistance amongst ordinary consumers.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/light-bulb-conspiracy/

[SKR]

I don't think I'm buying more old stuff, but I'm pretty sure I'm buying less new stuff. I don't have a lot of want for every new gadget that comes along. I don't understand the obsession over new cell phones at all.

I think my recent affinity for older vehicles comes from the fact that I can't afford new vehicles.