By Erica Gies
As the recession drags on, people re-embrace frugality. They hold onto their cars a little longer. They buy used clothing or furniture. But amidst the rush to live within our means, something is missing from the resourcefulness of yesteryear: fixit shops, home repair know-how, and products that last.
My grandmother lived through the Great Depression. She kept disposable pie tins for reheating her food and darned the holes in my socks. In business, cobblers used to resole shoes, and the electronics guy on the corner fixed TVs. Now those tradespeople are mostly gone.
Likewise when we try to fix things ourselves. We often can’t buy a single part. Or more maddening, it’s cheaper to purchase a whole new blender than to replace a single blade.
The truth is that the economics of small appliances has been turned upside down, making them de facto disposable products. The same even holds for telephones, televisions, computers, and peripherals.