Why are the old domestic appliances from 20 years ago so durable?
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After a full twenty years of service, a domestic refrigerator in my grandfather's house was finally retired. The official reason for retirement was that the manufacturer informed us that the original parts were no longer produced, so there was no way to repair it. Although it was a pity, we had to give it up. So a question lingered in my mind: Why are old domestic appliances so durable? It is not difficult to answer this question, but we need to consider it from many aspects, not only from the perspective of brand manufacturers, but also from the perspective of consumers. The word "domestic products" is now worthless because of sentimental consumption. Most people do not feel a strong sense of national pride when they hear the word "domestic products" now, but a mixed feeling of disgust. Domestic manufacturers have brought us far more disappointment than disappointment, but in the past, they did a good job. At least in the eyes of the older generation, domestic products were still good. Why were domestic products so popular at the time? One important point is that in that era of scarcity, if you had a refrigerator or a TV at home, you were undoubtedly a local tyrant. We now define televisions, computers, refrigerators and other home appliances as daily necessities. However, 20 or 30 years ago, the consumption level was not as high as it is now. Buying a refrigerator was a "big item" for the family. It is not an exaggeration to say that they were "luxury goods". Unlike the current luxury goods that compete on design, the cost of manufacturing a product for old domestic home appliances at that time was much higher than it is now, but the relative profit margin was also large. There was market competition but it was not as fierce as it is now. At the same time, there were not many product categories, and the products left for consumers to choose were actually better products. In contrast, the current sales methods are mostly based on price wars. While constantly compressing product costs, it will inevitably lead to a decline in quality. As a result, the idea that home appliances from 20 or 30 years ago are durable has emerged, which is of course true. Handle with care and don't break it . One of the most common phrases I heard when I was a child was "Handle with care, don't break it." A home appliance is like an egg in the eyes of older elders, although these home appliances will not be damaged so easily. As mentioned above, for most families, buying an expensive home appliance requires careful consideration, so for the elders, they have to be careful, because this is something they have worked hard to earn for a long time to buy. If you have experienced the CTR TV era, you may have to cover it with a piece of cloth every time you finish watching TV for fear of dust, and then take off the cloth when you want to watch. People at that time were so cautious. It is this kind of cautious attitude towards home appliances that has also extended the life of many old home appliances. Although this is one of the reasons, it is definitely not the main reason. So will treating home appliances carefully reduce their damage time? Logically speaking, there is no causal relationship between the two. No matter what kind of appliance it is, it has a service life, which is determined by the most important parts that wear out the fastest in the product. This is also the reason why many home appliances have not been used for many years, but when we think of using them, they cannot be turned on or lit. Survivor bias is at work . To explain why old domestic home appliances are durable, the most logical explanation is the survivor bias theory. The survivor bias theory is also known as "dead people can't speak". Specifically for the issue being discussed now, we can understand that those appliances that have long been broken have gradually been forgotten, and manufacturers that produce electronic waste have gradually been eliminated. What remains are some home appliances that can stand the test of time. If a refrigerator is used at home for ten or even twenty years, it may not be just a refrigerator for the user. Perhaps this refrigerator is the dowry for the wedding house, or it may have other commemorative meanings. This meaning is far greater than the value of the product itself, so when the elders mention those long-used home appliances, they may show a nostalgic expression. And those broken home appliances may have been forgotten by them. Survivor bias plays a very important role in this problem. In the sample spanning more than ten years, we can easily find some familiar names of manufacturers appearing in our vision. It is because these manufacturers survived the market competition that they can achieve today's results. As for their subsequent development, it is another issue, which we will not discuss here for the time being. Domestic products do not need to be emotional. When emotional consumption has flooded the entire domestic home appliance market and "buy domestic" is shouted as a slogan and command, domestic products have actually lost half. The market economy has always followed the law of survival of the fittest. It is difficult for us to choose domestic brands without the price advantage, and there is even a crisis of trust in them. It is obvious that this is the bitter fruit they have tasted during the development in the past twenty years. If they continue to blame "this generation of consumers is not good enough", I believe that in the next ten to twenty years, it will be difficult for me to take a straight look at those domestic home appliances that have been made to a standstill.As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity. |
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