Are products being made more poorly?

[dreamsandshadows]

Is it me or are a lot of things being made much more poorly these days? I bought sheets the other day at a well known better chain dept store and they were like tissue paper--I paid a fair amount for them--they were not cheap--also I bought glasses at a private optical shop and purchased a medium price frame and it was very poorly made--I could go on about products I have seen that seem much more poorly made. anyone else feel that way?

[lucille]

Absolutely.

I have started buying older used items instead of new because the quality of the old ones is so much better. I bought an egg beater at a thrift store. It was ten times better quality than any one I could buy new. It was heavier metal, the gears and mechanisms were sturdier and better put together. I see the same problems with clothing. Even up into some of the more expensive brands the quality is horrible or it is obviously low quality clothing but the store decided it is worth a luxury price.

I really think twice about buying things now. I have had so many that turned out to be mistakes because the quality was off and they die prematurely.

[jiggy211]

I think some things like cars are much better today than they were decades ago, but I agree especially with furniture. We went to buy a bed at a local retailer and the quality of the beds (most from China and Southeast Asia) was just awful. particle board or plywood. That will never last in our house. We decided to buy some used hardwood furniture instead. Paid hundreds less and it will last for decades.

I also agree on the sheets. I seem to remember when 300 threads per inch sheets were really top of the line. Now you can buy sheets with 500 threads and they are no good. Probably gaming the system somehow.

[trustno1]

It is back to old saying "you get what you pay for".

Generally speaking...cost of the manufacturing of products is a relatively similar process for each company making "the same" product. (a chair has 4 legs). If Company A uses 4 cross supports between the legs, and Company B uses 2 cross supports between the legs... which company can sell it for "less"?
Answer=B

There are variables such as "economies of scale", etc. that of course affect the end user pricing. But sticking to "basics" here...

Common sense goes a long way when you are "bargain hunting".
If a product is much less expensive, there is a reason. The reason is usually quality.

As far as "thrift stores"... If you look at the labels/price tags on many of the items in those stores, you will generally find they are manufactured in China, etc, AND and the distributor (importer)is the same for almost all of the products sold in the store. These are huge import companies that specialize in importing "cheap" products made in countries with cheap labor.
The products look like the quality brands, but are not.

It is important to understand these "cheap" labor countries do not have the safety standards regulated in the USA. That "cheap" spatula you bought may have "plating" that is disolving into your food (before the handle disconnects and falls into the frying pan, lol). You are definitely taking risks by buying products at these types of stores. Careful consideration should be given to what you will be using the product for, before buying it. If there is potential to "consume it" or be "injured" if it fails when using it, I would not buy it. Lots of that stuff contains chemicals that are hazardous and not allowed to be used in manufacturing by US manufacturers.

Check out the massive problem in Florida with Chinese manufactured dry wall if you want a current example.

[lucille]

Trustno1, I think your mistaking discount stores for thrift stores. Discount stores are commonly thought of as places like Walmart, Target, Kmart. Thrift stores are usually thought of as used goods stores like Goodwill, Value Village, Savers, Salvation Army.

Thrift stores like Savers can be a great source for more durable used goods. After seeing what passes for furniture these days we have started buying used older hardwood furniture and refinishing it. There are plenty of still in good shape pieces that will last a lifetime. What really turned me off to new furniture is that even in some very expensive name brand furniture what is inside is junk. Most recliners are made in such a way that they can't be repaired. Vinyl used on sides of sofas and chairs breaks down and cracks quickly. What really threw me was a very nice four poster bed I found at a furniture clearance place that came from Marshal Fields. The bed looked like carved hardwood. The interior was MDF board. They have come up with such good fake veneers and coatings that it is hard to tell. I would have been really mad if I had paid $2500 for a bed made out of MDF.

My big complaint is things made with plastic parts. It seems like they break far too easy. When it gets really cold things just shatter.

[trustno1]

Originally Posted by lucille

Trustno1, I think your mistaking discount stores for thrift stores. Discount stores are commonly thought of as places like Walmart, Target, Kmart. Thrift stores are usually thought of as used goods stores like Goodwill, Value Village, Savers, Salvation Army.

.

Oops, you are correct. I was referring to the "Dollar" stores, with the "everything is $1 format". Thanks for the definition of terms clarification. I stand corrected and appologize for my confusion.

Factory outlets, consignment stores, lease end resalers, rent-to own, flea-markets, garage sales, overstocks, liquidation retailers,...yikes!! No wonder I do not go "shopping", without a list and the name of the store I know has it in inventory. hehehe. I have never been inside any of the new shopping malls here! I always feel like a 6yr old that is lost at at a pro football stadium. Everytime I try to head to one of them...I end up at HomeDepot...where I am "safe"...lol

Thanks again for the clarification...

[wildgift]

There are so many problems, but one is this trend called "branding". Now that many American companies don't actually manufacture what they sell, the "brand" becomes a way to evaluate the quality of the buyer or outsourcer. You have some great old brands that don't really mean much anymore: Sylvania, RCA, Bell+Howell, Honeywell, etc.

There's always been some disconnect. A company might manufacture a few key products, but, to round out their brand, they'd rebrand some OEM products and resell those. Nowadays, the disconnect is often complete and total.

In theory, this shouldn't matter, because a company can maintain high standards. The reality is that when there's competition, there's pressure to lower prices. The quick path to lower prices is to take an inferior product and attach the quality brand to it.

Back when companies had manufacturing capacity, they would be disinclined to change their flagship products. Not only would it harm the brand -- it costs money to retool, to retrain, and modify the main products. Labor costs would not decline, so, where's the real profit? Today, it's simple: the manfacturers are in countries like China where they can ramp up production, or close factories, enviro standards are lax so it's easy to find cheaper materials (aka, less safe materials).

China is particularly sad. They manufacture almost entirely for export, so they aren't really motivated (or even face much political pressure) to maintain enviro standards. When the US had it's polluted era, the companies were not just dumping poisons into our water, they were selling us the toxic products -- so people could apply pressure through boycotts. The Chinese don't have that opportunity, because so few of them can afford to purchase the products they produce.