I tried to subscribe to boot economics and spend the money on nicer clothes with the expectation that they’d be of higher quality and therefor last me longer. Boy do I look fucking stupid now in my expensive ass patch covered jeans and “nice” boots with the heel worn down to shit. You can’t even buy nice things anymore. You have to sacrifice a child straight to
EpsteinMoloch if you want quality these daysThe thing is, without extensive research and the ability to find non-astroturfed reviews, you can just as easily spend more and get even worse quality.
I have a hard time buying things online because of this. Like I'd like to have a monitor mount to have more desk space, but they all look similar but they're probably all pretty shit, so I have no idea how to get a good one.
Or I need oven gloves (my current mitts have a hole in them that burned my finger, causing me to drop the tray and accidentally grab it with my other hand that didn't have a mitt), do I buy official Ove' Gloves™ at $18 per glove or some brandless gloves that are $10 total? Is there actually a quality difference?
buy the cheap product once. if it lasts a while, congrats, it was worth it. if it craps out, buy the expensive product. aka the harbor freight rule
This is what I’ve tried but even the “nice” products feel like shit nowadays
haha :yea:
just bought a dremel brand dremel that broke on the second time i pressed the button. not the first; it worked the first time. but it gave up the second time
I bought my monitor and TV mounts from monoprice after a coworker recommended them. They just rebadge OEM products, but at least they have a minimum quality standard and list accurate measurements and weight capacities.
Mounts for monitors/TVs are either cheap with varying quality when bought online, or wildly expensive (also with varying quality) when bought from a big box store.
You know it's funny, I bought a pair of Docs casual boots way back in 2018. Didn't do anything special to take care of them and I beat the heck out of them until late last Spring when the tread caught on something at work and got partially torn from the boot. I really liked them, so I ordered a pair of actual work boots from the company. If you remember in that time frame there was a period where literally everyone wore Docs to the point that it was a little absurd. Well they must have seriously cut back on quality control to meet quotas for that trend because those work boots I bought are on their last leg less than a year later. The heel is all broken, the slip resistance is rapidly disappearing, and the leather is practically disintegrating in some places.
Maybe they've always been shit and I just got lucky with that original pair of boots, but I bet they just said "fuck it" and tried to push out as many of those shiny plastic pairs as they could at the expense of actual decent products.
Apparently their main line is shit quality depending on usage but they have a Blake or GYW in the made in :ukkk: line that’s supposed to be better and can be resoled
My dads got some docs he bought in the 80s and i swear those things are indestructible
I can't even fucking find boots that fit me most of the time, and when they do none last longer than a year
and when you do find one that lasts longer than a year, when you decide to buy more they've already discontinued it or replaced with a low quality variation.
I bought a pair of Thursday boots - meme fashion boots, not even good Goodyear welt boots - before I went vegan and they've served me very well. $200 or $250 maybe, after 2.5 years the sole wore out and I had them resoled with a heavier tread pattern for like $90. I've never actually worn out a pair of shoelaces before.
But I have never tried to buy clothing that lasts, I just thrift and tailor if need be.
I think thrifting and fixing it yourself is realistically what buying clothing that lasts looks like
Oh yeah dude we wear rags. I have shit from like high school (12 years ago) that's holding up better than shirts I bought last year.
90s I'm sure is even better
I have a sweatshirt that I've had since the 90's and I inspected it recently and the weave is ridiculous quality compared to what I see in stores now.
Quality doesn't really make sense for capital these days, since brand recognition does the work right?
The big brands definitely built their labels off of quality originally, but since they're now made and recognized there's just no reason to keep it up.
That's my thought on it at least. They're like the rest of the sons and daughters of capital, just sort of coasting and trying to eke out as much profit as possible.
Best bet for quality it probably to find some weaver family in Latin or south America online and ordering from them directly. You'll look like a hippie but you'll have better clothes than most of the bourgeoisie
Brand value is much more scalable as a source of profit than use value for consumer goods nowadays. Look at this interview w/ Naomi Klein, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine among others.
The transition that has happened since [logos were used simply as marks of quality to foster trust] -- and it's come in waves; it wasn't invented in the '90s, but it sort of skyrocketed in the '90s -- was the idea that if you wanted to really be successful in a highly competitive marketplace, simply having a mark of quality on your product isn't enough to give you an edge. In a marketplace where it's so easy to produce products, where your competitors can essentially match you on the product itself, you need to have something else. You need to have an added value, and that added value is the identity, the idea behind your brand. And this is spoken of in many different ways, "the story behind the brand." I don't think we can understand this phenomenon just in terms of how easy it is to produce products. I think it also has to do with a reaction to a culture in the '80s where people were longing for some kind of deeper meaning in their lives.
So what brands started selling was a kind of pseudo-spirituality -- a sense of belonging, a community. So brands started filling a gap that citizens, not just consumers, used to get elsewhere, whether from religion, whether from a sense of belonging in their community. Brands like Starbucks came along and talked about their brand as itself being a community, the idea that Starbucks is what they like to call a "third place," which is not their idea; it's the idea of basic citizenry needing a place that is not work, that is not home, where citizens gather. And they have privatized that idea in a way, and that's really what is behind a lot of these brand meanings: a privatized concept of what used to be public.
Drunkenly stumbling into real theory once again. Cool thanks for that
Yeah, already decided that once when the phone I currently have is dead, I'm switching over to a PinePhone.
As much as I'd love for it to be viable, it seems thats a far ways away. Linux suffers from battery life issues and if you need to run android apps I've heard its not a pleasant experience.
I can't say because I have yet to get to a point where my current phone is beyond repair, but there's gotta be one person who can give some solid advice.
However, what I do know is that there are no damaging software updates and you have a lot more control over your phone.
The CEO of GM admitted to it: https://timeline.com/gm-invented-planned-obsolescence-cc19f207e842
This is perhaps the original example:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel
Uft. That's really dark. Clothes in the 90s sucked ass.
Also, the US is going to invade Haiti to keep the minimum wage from going from like 37c an hour to 56c an hour, because this would cripple the fast fashion industry.
Yeah a lot of them did, but I have a few things from Gap and Eddie Bauer from the 90's that were well worn when I thrifted them and have still held up remarkably.
Not just clothing. This youtuber does testing for different types of tools and in this case crescent wrenches: https://youtu.be/cyOd05PUix4
Some of the other brands performed alright, but the best one is the vintage Craftsman that you can't actually buy new anywhere. I've heard similar things about things like kitchen appliances, where vintage versions go for quite a bit online because they are much better and more reliable, even after many years of use.
There were plenty of shit consumer products back in the day that haven't survived, but the ones that are still around like Sears Craftsman Tools from before the buyout or stand mixers from the 50s, are literally "They don't make them like they used to". Refinements of all kinds of cost cutting measures and planned obselescence and other bullshit have drastically changed the math behind the manufacture of consumer goods. Metal parts that would last for decades are now plastic parts that maybe last for years. It's cheaper that way. Screws have been replaced with glue. Hell, in cars buttons are being replaced with touch screens because buttons have to be made to spec but you can just order flat screens and put them in any car you want.
Idk, it's all bullshit.
Sometimes I dream of what the Soviet smartphone would look like. It would weigh five pounds. All parts would be waterproof and shockproof. The image quality would be shit but it would also function in space. Every single component would be user serviceable and could be replaced in the field using only a screw driver in less than ten minutes. The 2006 model would continue to be produced for 83 years with parts upgrade kits available every decade or so. Normally the signal would suck but the thing comes packaged with a four foot whip antenna that, when installed, would get five bars in the Mariana Trench. People would complain about them constantly but also keep them in flawless condition and hand them down to their kids.
Speaking of Soviet products, are you familiar with these?
What sounds like a German music festival, is actually the name of a genius east German glass invention, a glass which could last up to 15 times longer than normal glass. The origins of Superfest, literally SuperHard – were twofold. East Germany was always a frugal country with a mindset of not wasting the limited resources it had, and it was driven by technological advances.
But then...
Despite their commercial success in East Germany, the production plant in Schewpnitz was shut down on the 1st of July, 1990. After German reunification, the plant was sold off and scrapped piece by piece – as no manufacturer had any interest in the technology, or in a product which would actually “slow down” sales. And that’s (just one of many small) tragedies of German reunification. Superfest was an invention that maybe could have only been made under a “socialist” system – it was a product that solved a problem, but wasn’t dependent on inflated sales figure due planned obsolescence.
I hadn't heard of that one. But it reminds me of Pyrex, which isn't actually Pyrex anymore. It's just a brand name, now, and the glass they use for the dishes is shit and has none of the durability or temperature tolerance of real Pyrex.
They have certain lines that use the borosilicate glass which is the good kind
Especially as a lab person, using anything less than borosilicate feels like a childs toy. Modern pyrex is a joke.
Superfest, literally SuperHard
It gets the point across but Supersolid would probably be a better translation.
There's a few interesting stories like this, I read a few articles about Christa Petroff-Bohne where she talks about designing every day objects for the GDR. Stuff like making sure service items for the food industry stack well and are made out of materials you can polish scratches out of.
It gets the point across but Supersolid would probably be a better translation.
Whether Supersolid or Superhard, it's like something a communist Billy Mays came up with and thinking about this is really stirring my imagination.
Now that you mention it, it does actually still have that vibe even in german I'd say
Interestingly enough – the name Ceverit was phased out before production began and replaced with “Superfest (Super Hard), as someone noticed that “Ceverit” was a conjugated form of the Latin word “cevere”, which translates to “wiggling your butt while having sex”. Opportunity missed in my opinion.
Lol!
What?! I was told all those East German factories had to be closed down because they were iNeFfIcIeNt!
This reminds me of my roommate who was an engineer for bank atm enclosures, he braged to me about how only an engineer could make a bridge or building that just is on the edge of collapsing but dosent because its 'efficient use of resources' after that day im becoming confident that engineering is almost most certainly a waste of time, I get the point of this in the context of say space shit yeah weight is limited but replacing doing planed obsolescence is a crime against nature.
As is often the case capitalism is a problem. A lot of engineers I've met love old consumer appliances and tools and various bits of technology that showcase ingenuity, durability, user-serviceable parts, and elegant function. They're not happy about some dickhead in finance pressuring them to remove screws or create thinner casings to shave off another penny per unit, or marketing telling them that they have to make the casing look good and to hell with the internal components. I've met a lot of software engineers who drink the silicon valley koolaid, but engineers who primarily build tangible stuff seem to have far less tolerance for it. Probably because it's a pain in the ass to get new tools anymore and they spend so much time fighting with software licensing.
Every single component would be user serviceable and could be replaced in the field using only a screw driver in less than ten minutes.
Crucially, to keep it in top working order you'd have to do it every two weeks, but to keep it generally functioning you have to do it every 3 years
Also with cookware. David Harvey talks about how he still uses his family's silverware from the 19th century. Meanwhile IKEA plates crack on me after 6 months or less.
I've been wanting to replicate that incredible design as a mod for a good modern toaster ever since I saw that video.
Sears Craftsman was awesome. If you found an old junky Craftsman wrench in a ditch, take it into Sears and you had a brand new wrench. Made in USA.
One of the reasons I've been getting into wrenching is because a car is one of the only consumer products designed to be repaired. Whenever there's a tear in one of my shirts or socks I find that the fabric is wearing thin everywhere else and if I sew this one, the next rip will open up in like a week. If my alarm clock quits working it's probably got an epoxy blob, not a chip I can desolder and replace. Except for body panels, all the car parts I need are still being churned out by Chinese factories and the vehicle was built expecting that somebody was going to swap it out at some point. Replaced my evap solenoid today and it took literally two minutes.
You can repair a lot on a car by following YouTube tutorials.
eum it's not quality decrease. It's called cost optimization sweetie
That's because all the clothes nowadays are made by genocided Uyghur slaves
I genuinely thought it was Neera before I read the username.
I've started buying my clothes through Uniqlo when they have sales. On sale, it's like... incredibly affordable and so far the quality seems way above what's usually in my price range.
I used to go through so much fucking Old Navy because it was the cheapest place I could get work appropriate clothes. Shit falls apart within a year.
Seconded on Uniqlo. They seem to actually put effort into making it good and I have some stuff I bought from there seven years ago that still looks great today. Even their jeans beat out levi's and are selvedge (all for cheaper too!). What I recommend the most from them are: T-shirts, socks, underwear, jeans, chinos, chino shorts, and sweaters.
The one drawback is that they are only in major cities so if you're a broke MF living in bumfuck nowhere, you can't really try shit on yourself.
Seriously, props to the Uniqlo workers.
They also have secret special jeans that feel like sweatpants on the inside! I wear pants and flannels from Uniqlo. I also got a hoodie last year that's really nice! I need to try out their socks though, currently just have the cheapest socks I could get and they seem to form holes after like 6 months urgh.
Buy the thick woolly darn tough socks.
I spent several months a few years ago buying up enough for a weeks wear (they’re expensive), and not only are they aappropriate for any weather, my feet and legs don’t hurt after a long shift standing up.
My extremely crunchy buddy hiked the whole ass at in one pair without washes but in my experience they tend to loose that cushyness after two days.
They’ve got the lifetime warranty too.
Another drawback: their stuff generally runs small, so if you're a typical :amerikkka: citizen you might struggle to find things that fit. Great quality tho
If you do live in bumfuck, NW, they have shipping but don't expect prime shipping speeds. Get a cloth measuring tape and measure garments that fit you well and compare them to the sizing charts. I can't speak to their men's sizing charts but the women's are reliable enough and they've got a little slider indicator key for if it runs small or large.
Your average k-mart shirt in the 90s was much better quality than today. We can make clothes cheaper now because of technology advances. We can work with thinner fabric at higher volumes with the same amount of labor. Labor was actually cheaper in the 90s so it has been quite a change.
Partially, although the decreasing quality of products is a real phenomenon under capitalism. A factory owner could make sturdy goods with high quality material... but they can save costs with less material, or a lower quality substance. Plus, there's more return customers the shorter the lifespan of the good. When goods become worse because of cost cutting or because the manufacture can't keep up with cheaper-yet-worse competitors, that's called market obsolescence. When capitalists deliberately shorten a good's lifespan to increase returning sales, it's called planned obsolescence.
I dont disagree with the broader point, i just think that the example here doesnt prove anything
Yeah I got an old cardigan from a relative and it’s soooo comfy
Damn it's kinda looking like the rate of profit has a tendency to decrease
im literally wearing a coat thats over 80 years old with only slight damage in the pockets. and i can just fix that & keep wearing it
