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MantisAwakening t1_ixqk28i wrote

Reply to comment by EngineZeronine in Gaffers and Sattler stove/oven still working strong after 70+ years! by bighag

> But someone out there could still make the good stuff

This is what I’ve never understood. All it would take would be one company to say “our business model is to make products that are built to last and designed around being inexpensively repaired.“ Get a good team of engineers together and you could even design products that are intended to be upgraded as newer, improved components are designed. If you really want your business to be successful you can make some of the components open-source.

The problem is that Capitalism has persuaded investors that a single penny that has not been reaped is “leaving money on the table.“ Maximizing investment is far more important than anything else. This isn’t hyperbole, they started teaching this at Harvard business school in the 80s, and it spread. As a result, we have plundered the planet and driven most consumers to the point where they can no longer sustain the economy because all of their money has to go into simply surviving.

Is the system fixable? Absolutely. Do I think it’s going to be fixed? Unfortunately, I am too old and cynical for that. I think as the last of humanity lies dying in a ditch there will be a handful of people trying to figure out how to maximize profit from that.

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MASSIVEGRUNDEL t1_ixqx2c9 wrote

Just wouldn’t be able to compete with the modern built-to-break market competition. The market is fucked

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MantisAwakening t1_ixqyey7 wrote

Why wouldn’t it? I think there are plenty of people out there willing to pony up more for something built to last, and honestly I don’t see why it should substantially increase cost. True, some parts wear out, but those parts can be replaceable.

I’ve restored numerous tube radios that are almost 100 years old. The circuit diagram is available, I swap out a few components that naturally break down over time, and the damn thing works again. This is quite possible with most modern equipment.

Cars are a perfect example. Imagine if a car manufacturer offered a car that was build on a standard design, and only offered improvement over that design each year, and in such a way that the parts were interchangeable. Design a better steering wheel? Swap it out with the new design. Someone designed a better aftermarket center console? Swap it out! Turn signal breaks? Same design on nearly all models.

The market would be smaller, but I’m convinced it could succeed. It just couldn’t be NASDAQ traded because investors will ruin it.

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