Ed Huntress writes:

I think the answer is that we should *collect* those old things,
admire them and shine them up on weekends, and show them off when the
neighbors come over.

And then put them back in the garage or basement, and drive away in
our new cars that we hardly have to touch.

Cars, we agree, are better. My last car went twelve years with only a
starter motor failure. Died of rust in salted-road country. When I was
in the trade 45 years ago, a car that made 100,000 miles without major
mechanical work was nearly unheard-of.

OTOH, household stuff ain't so good. I recently retired a recliner
chair when the recliner mechanism broke terminally. It's Naugahyde
upholstry was cracked here and there but intact. 44 years old. The
new one is three years old and the surface has worn off the fake
leather upholstry everwhere the sitter's body touches it. The seat
shape is better -- nearly therapeutic for aging joints -- but it looks
like something found in a alley.

My electric toaster was 100 years old last year. How long does a
toaster last today? My inherited blender, circa 1950 model, broke. We
went through three new blenders before I got serious, repaired the old
one. Repair is three or four years old now.

Oh, well, my perceptions are probaly distorted. As a blacksmith, the
average age of a tool in my shop is probably in excess of 50 years,
all the newish mechanic's and power tools notwithstanding. Hey, I
have a Black & Decker 1/2" electric drill and B&D end grinder that are
going strong -- models advertised for sale in a 1925 catalog.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada