Always cool and never went out of style. BUT, prices have skyrocketed in the past decade at my local thrifts. Definitely not as affordable as they once were. But, from what I can see, still cheaper than buying new.
Anybody who works with tools has known this for years. I snatch up any decent american made tools whenever i find them, bc america used to make some of *the best* shit.
Quantity has surely won out over quality, just about everywhere you look. This is all just so a sliver of the population can get rich. And our inability to pass on a decent work ethic to each generation.
But high quality things will always have a high value. Talented craftsmen should take note, you can make a killing in the near future.
We're trending towards everything being disposable. Thats how we keep this house of cards called the economy viable. But this also has huge implications for our culture and society, which is easily seen already. Wont be long before people are on that disposable list(some might argue thats already, or has always been the case).
And i cant help but notice how every topic leads to this web of shittiness that has infected our world. Cant *imagine* how that came to be..
My 50 year old SNAP-ON Tools are still as good today as they were when they were first unboxed. There is no way I could afford these same tools today if I had to replace them. I have many Kowa Seiki (Japanese) tools as well, very high quality. I look for Made in USA, Made in Germany, Made in Japan for the best quality tools.
Made in Germany, at least, no longer means what it used to. Apparently the auto companies now have the ability to design cars to last for a certain length of time. Prior to the CAD era they didn't really know how long their cars would last, so they overbuilt them to be sure. Especially Mercedes. Now they can be much more precise, because they know. BMW is particular is now known for being hideously expensive to keep driving once the warranty is up, so resale values are nil. New Mercedes, similar. My friend said he was actually told by someone in the shop at his Audi dealer that they were only designing cars to last 150,000 miles. So why would anybody buy them, when for less money you can get a Toyota/Lexus that will last twice as long? Or even better, a used one? We have to stop buying by brand name or nationality, and examine fitness for use. We have to stop buying for status. Maybe pay cash for an older car without an infotainment center in it. We have become a country that rolls up to the drive thru at Mickey Ds, presses a button to roll the window down long enough to get the food, and drives away. We call this "living."
If there are still German tool companies doing well, good for them!
I come from a state (CT) that used to be filled with factories, even factories that made the tools that made the tools, such as the famous Bridgeport machine tool. The remaining manufacturers are mostly in defense-related industries who can afford to build here, and have members of congress pushing for them to stay here.
My family used to own a textile factory, which eventually became impractical to continue because of competition from lower labor costs in the American south, then that dried up too up when the work went to Asia.
It is very very hard to make things here anymore if you have to compete with low cost labor overseas. Look where our money went instead: tech, health care, education, finance. Everything else got squeezed out, including people.
Yep, because of the delicate electronics and capacitive "touch panel" controls. Plus, everything has an app and requires Wi-Fi connection these days. I had a 15 year old Bosch dishwasher that just died. $400 for a control board, I bought a complete new and very similar BOSCH Unit, the entire appliance dost just a few dollars more than one crappy control board. Underneath, most of the parts inside the unit were IDENTICAL: to the older one. I doubt this one will last as long. Tell me why refrigerators and freezers need internet access and a huge screen on the door?
But buy Frigidaire or Whirlpool, only ones made in US or Canada. You do NOT want to rely on foreign parts. Find and keep a good appliance repair guy. They’re the ones blowing the whistle. Bosch, LG, Samsung - garbage.
Thanks, great information! I would add Speed Queen for those who can afford it. I wised up with my last washer and got as few bells and whistles as possible - I think those cause a lot of problems.
I second speed queen. My grandmothers washer and dryer, at least older than me at 44, are *still* giving good service to my laundry. 3 selector knobs on one, 1 on the other, and none of those controls have *ever* given me a problem.
By far the smart money is on a speed queen. I asked a used appliance guy in town about used ones and he laughed and said we *never* get those in here
Once a storied American brand, Levi’s jeans were the gold standard from the 60-90s. Then they became a public company and started cutting corners and outsourcing manufacturing outside the US.
Now, their jeans aren’t nearly as high quality anymore.
Their vintage jeans from the 60s-90s go for hundreds of dollars and are referenced by many of the Japanese denim brands.
Around 90% of my wardrobe is second hand. There’s no questions that secondhand is better than new.
There is another interesting side of this phenomenon that I have experienced, and my partner has to a more extreme degree, especially in the realm of jewelry. The rise of videos based on thrifting - "thrift-tok" - has caused a surge in pricing on thrifted items, especially at the larger chains. As these videos have blown up, the stores have started to raise their prices significantly.
Sometimes it's fair, perhaps they realize the piece is designer and sell it for $20 or 30 instead of $5....but it has started to inflate pricing in general, and there are times that I have noticed crazy prices on items that probably wouldn't even fetch that price on depop or some direct-sell website.
These stores get these items donated, and - ideally - sell them to stay open and to continue to help people with less wealth find affordable clothing and household items.
For 20+ years (since my early teens) I have found 90%+ of my favorite pieces at these stores, and have been able to do it on a thin artist/musician's budget. I have the luxury to say, "well I'm just not gonna go for a little bit and save money," but for folks who have multiple children or family members to care for, my heart breaks as I see these stores blow up their prices.
All that said... Pieces made decades ago were made to last. You can fix them if needed. Pieces made today are often garbage waiting to be pitched, and it leads not only to an insane amount of waste, but they just suck to wear.
SO! Go thrifting!! Just maybe....don't post about ALL your best finds...
This problem has been in the UK for years. When I was young I bought a lot of clothing and furniture from thrift stores. I look at prices now and my heart bleeds for people who are struggling to survive. People who are on good money should stay away from at least clothing in thrift stores. Where are the poor supposed to shop??
It does strike me as unethical when people who can afford good quality new products, instead shop secondhand, or worse, fast fashion. We’ve made the upper-middle class feel like they need to cosplay as poor, and these are the unfortunate consequences
That’s the downside. I wish it had remained a secret for thinking people to discover, rather than blasted all over the internet. It’s not like most of these accounts get compensated for sharing what had been secrets to a mass audience. We need to return to gate keeping or there will be noting of value left in our society
So true! Clothes made of all chemical/synthetic yarns that are horrid. Tailoring (if you can even call it that) that is completely off. I bought a new set of dishes at Williams Sonoma that need to be scrubbed with Bar Keepers Friend to remove the grey marks from silverware!! Williams Sonoma won’t take them back! Who buys dishes to have to scrub them with Bar Keepers Friend? And of course, Williams Sonoma knows of the problem but keeps selling that crap.
Bravo. This general ensh*tification is just part of the ever growing income/wealth gap. Cheaper products for higher prices benefit the stock holders while materially immiserating the rest of us.
I buy secondhand clothes, tools, cars and all sorts of other stuff whenever possible. I have a 1930's ATLAS shaper, a 1940's South Bend lathe, Snap On tools that I have had since the 1970s. 25 - 50 year old cars, a 30 year old tractor. Almost nothing made today can hold a light to most old stuff. These tools are not flashy, but they just work, year after year. Just look at the abysmal quality of new home construction, you see why old houses are actually bringing more than new prices. New stuff is mostly crap.
..and the big thrift shop in the sky, eBay. Most of my sweaters and coats are pre-1990. the only downside? Getting an item soaked, apparently, in Febreeze.
was about the planned obsolesce and enshittification of the streamers. I make a heavy case that this degradation in quality (both for users and businesses) was planned obsolescence. Companies don’t make money when their products perform well. It’s why InstaPot went out of business. In my article I point out that companies spend vast amounts of money on consultants like McKinsey (who was allegedly one of the biggest reason people got hooked on opioids) to find ways to ENSURE people have to keep buying from them. Shein? Clothes fall apart on purpose. Dating apps? Intentionally gamed so you are set up to fail because if you succeed, they stop making money. Doc Martens? Yeah, they don’t make ‘em like they used to. This is an intentional and terrible business practice and I’m glad to see more people calling it out. My article is here if anyone wants to read it.
I especially like shopping for used vinyl records. Pretty much, what you see is what you get. They are discreet physical objects, which carry a history and a meaning.
So just for fun watch Mrs Harris Goes To Paris, a wonderful Cinderella story movie where one can appreciate the downgrade in couture clothing. Women or men who sew have known for decades how to spot quality and fabric. Best defense is to actually gain a skill and learn how to sew, then learn to sew better. It’s fun and creative. Leave all the rest to the thrifts.
It’s not new. The Slow Fashion movement has for years now been highlighting the sins of commercial, global fashion conglomerates, especially unfair working conditions and slave labor. But a big part is simply reducing consumption. There is even the huge industrial waste issue (from crap clothing).
Hear, hear! I’m a long-time thrifter so you’re preaching to the converted. In some ways it’s sad—I used to have an embarrassment of riches at Salvation Army. Almost every item I touched was wool, linen, cotton, or silk, and beautifully tailored. Now even the thrift stores are getting the trickle-down garbage clothes. But yes, when you find a good, real object from the past, it just has a certain gravitas. It’s unmistakable.
Slightly contrary take: the thrift store was always cool.
And it's always been the best place for "booklegging"!
Always cool and never went out of style. BUT, prices have skyrocketed in the past decade at my local thrifts. Definitely not as affordable as they once were. But, from what I can see, still cheaper than buying new.
Yes, unfortunately I've noticed this too.
Anybody who works with tools has known this for years. I snatch up any decent american made tools whenever i find them, bc america used to make some of *the best* shit.
Quantity has surely won out over quality, just about everywhere you look. This is all just so a sliver of the population can get rich. And our inability to pass on a decent work ethic to each generation.
But high quality things will always have a high value. Talented craftsmen should take note, you can make a killing in the near future.
We're trending towards everything being disposable. Thats how we keep this house of cards called the economy viable. But this also has huge implications for our culture and society, which is easily seen already. Wont be long before people are on that disposable list(some might argue thats already, or has always been the case).
And i cant help but notice how every topic leads to this web of shittiness that has infected our world. Cant *imagine* how that came to be..
My 50 year old SNAP-ON Tools are still as good today as they were when they were first unboxed. There is no way I could afford these same tools today if I had to replace them. I have many Kowa Seiki (Japanese) tools as well, very high quality. I look for Made in USA, Made in Germany, Made in Japan for the best quality tools.
Made in Germany, at least, no longer means what it used to. Apparently the auto companies now have the ability to design cars to last for a certain length of time. Prior to the CAD era they didn't really know how long their cars would last, so they overbuilt them to be sure. Especially Mercedes. Now they can be much more precise, because they know. BMW is particular is now known for being hideously expensive to keep driving once the warranty is up, so resale values are nil. New Mercedes, similar. My friend said he was actually told by someone in the shop at his Audi dealer that they were only designing cars to last 150,000 miles. So why would anybody buy them, when for less money you can get a Toyota/Lexus that will last twice as long? Or even better, a used one? We have to stop buying by brand name or nationality, and examine fitness for use. We have to stop buying for status. Maybe pay cash for an older car without an infotainment center in it. We have become a country that rolls up to the drive thru at Mickey Ds, presses a button to roll the window down long enough to get the food, and drives away. We call this "living."
German tools, not German vehicles. Their cars are maintenance nightmares.
If there are still German tool companies doing well, good for them!
I come from a state (CT) that used to be filled with factories, even factories that made the tools that made the tools, such as the famous Bridgeport machine tool. The remaining manufacturers are mostly in defense-related industries who can afford to build here, and have members of congress pushing for them to stay here.
My family used to own a textile factory, which eventually became impractical to continue because of competition from lower labor costs in the American south, then that dried up too up when the work went to Asia.
It is very very hard to make things here anymore if you have to compete with low cost labor overseas. Look where our money went instead: tech, health care, education, finance. Everything else got squeezed out, including people.
I love this, thank you. The quality of appliances these days is criminally abysmal.
They say 5 years is what to expect on new appliances😱
Yep, because of the delicate electronics and capacitive "touch panel" controls. Plus, everything has an app and requires Wi-Fi connection these days. I had a 15 year old Bosch dishwasher that just died. $400 for a control board, I bought a complete new and very similar BOSCH Unit, the entire appliance dost just a few dollars more than one crappy control board. Underneath, most of the parts inside the unit were IDENTICAL: to the older one. I doubt this one will last as long. Tell me why refrigerators and freezers need internet access and a huge screen on the door?
Because investors want access to your money.
I’ve experienced less than 2 years more than once!
But buy Frigidaire or Whirlpool, only ones made in US or Canada. You do NOT want to rely on foreign parts. Find and keep a good appliance repair guy. They’re the ones blowing the whistle. Bosch, LG, Samsung - garbage.
Thanks, great information! I would add Speed Queen for those who can afford it. I wised up with my last washer and got as few bells and whistles as possible - I think those cause a lot of problems.
I second speed queen. My grandmothers washer and dryer, at least older than me at 44, are *still* giving good service to my laundry. 3 selector knobs on one, 1 on the other, and none of those controls have *ever* given me a problem.
By far the smart money is on a speed queen. I asked a used appliance guy in town about used ones and he laughed and said we *never* get those in here
One of the best examples of this is Levi’s.
Once a storied American brand, Levi’s jeans were the gold standard from the 60-90s. Then they became a public company and started cutting corners and outsourcing manufacturing outside the US.
Now, their jeans aren’t nearly as high quality anymore.
Their vintage jeans from the 60s-90s go for hundreds of dollars and are referenced by many of the Japanese denim brands.
Around 90% of my wardrobe is second hand. There’s no questions that secondhand is better than new.
The only thing that went up on LEVI's is the price. WRANGLER jeans are the same story.
Levi’s, Wrangler, and Lee
All 3 of them are the same story
I still wear 100 percent cotton Wranglers, and 99 percent cotton Lee jeans. Both have heft to them. I consider them winter jeans.
There is another interesting side of this phenomenon that I have experienced, and my partner has to a more extreme degree, especially in the realm of jewelry. The rise of videos based on thrifting - "thrift-tok" - has caused a surge in pricing on thrifted items, especially at the larger chains. As these videos have blown up, the stores have started to raise their prices significantly.
Sometimes it's fair, perhaps they realize the piece is designer and sell it for $20 or 30 instead of $5....but it has started to inflate pricing in general, and there are times that I have noticed crazy prices on items that probably wouldn't even fetch that price on depop or some direct-sell website.
These stores get these items donated, and - ideally - sell them to stay open and to continue to help people with less wealth find affordable clothing and household items.
For 20+ years (since my early teens) I have found 90%+ of my favorite pieces at these stores, and have been able to do it on a thin artist/musician's budget. I have the luxury to say, "well I'm just not gonna go for a little bit and save money," but for folks who have multiple children or family members to care for, my heart breaks as I see these stores blow up their prices.
All that said... Pieces made decades ago were made to last. You can fix them if needed. Pieces made today are often garbage waiting to be pitched, and it leads not only to an insane amount of waste, but they just suck to wear.
SO! Go thrifting!! Just maybe....don't post about ALL your best finds...
This problem has been in the UK for years. When I was young I bought a lot of clothing and furniture from thrift stores. I look at prices now and my heart bleeds for people who are struggling to survive. People who are on good money should stay away from at least clothing in thrift stores. Where are the poor supposed to shop??
It does strike me as unethical when people who can afford good quality new products, instead shop secondhand, or worse, fast fashion. We’ve made the upper-middle class feel like they need to cosplay as poor, and these are the unfortunate consequences
That’s the downside. I wish it had remained a secret for thinking people to discover, rather than blasted all over the internet. It’s not like most of these accounts get compensated for sharing what had been secrets to a mass audience. We need to return to gate keeping or there will be noting of value left in our society
Actually I noticed in our area prices began rivaling retail shortly after Macklemore made" popping tags" popular.
So true! Clothes made of all chemical/synthetic yarns that are horrid. Tailoring (if you can even call it that) that is completely off. I bought a new set of dishes at Williams Sonoma that need to be scrubbed with Bar Keepers Friend to remove the grey marks from silverware!! Williams Sonoma won’t take them back! Who buys dishes to have to scrub them with Bar Keepers Friend? And of course, Williams Sonoma knows of the problem but keeps selling that crap.
Bravo. This general ensh*tification is just part of the ever growing income/wealth gap. Cheaper products for higher prices benefit the stock holders while materially immiserating the rest of us.
I buy secondhand clothes, tools, cars and all sorts of other stuff whenever possible. I have a 1930's ATLAS shaper, a 1940's South Bend lathe, Snap On tools that I have had since the 1970s. 25 - 50 year old cars, a 30 year old tractor. Almost nothing made today can hold a light to most old stuff. These tools are not flashy, but they just work, year after year. Just look at the abysmal quality of new home construction, you see why old houses are actually bringing more than new prices. New stuff is mostly crap.
Great news! I’ve been gifting secondhand stuff for ages. Now I’m finally hip!
Lol, i had a similar thought.. oh shit im a trendsetter! Ive *been* doing this!
..and the big thrift shop in the sky, eBay. Most of my sweaters and coats are pre-1990. the only downside? Getting an item soaked, apparently, in Febreeze.
I really dislike that thrift stores like Goodwill spray febreeze all over the clothes - then deny it! I won't buy anything that stinks.
Older Hand tools are far superior to anything made after the 90's I prefer the 50's quality.
My most read post of 2025
was about the planned obsolesce and enshittification of the streamers. I make a heavy case that this degradation in quality (both for users and businesses) was planned obsolescence. Companies don’t make money when their products perform well. It’s why InstaPot went out of business. In my article I point out that companies spend vast amounts of money on consultants like McKinsey (who was allegedly one of the biggest reason people got hooked on opioids) to find ways to ENSURE people have to keep buying from them. Shein? Clothes fall apart on purpose. Dating apps? Intentionally gamed so you are set up to fail because if you succeed, they stop making money. Doc Martens? Yeah, they don’t make ‘em like they used to. This is an intentional and terrible business practice and I’m glad to see more people calling it out. My article is here if anyone wants to read it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/klamediagroup/p/lets-talk-about-the-enshitification
Looking ahead, by hyping this trend we may have big sellers buy up second hand shops and jack up prices. Support charitable and ethical businesses.
It’s already happening.
I especially like shopping for used vinyl records. Pretty much, what you see is what you get. They are discreet physical objects, which carry a history and a meaning.
Many of the records are no longer available in a new format.
So just for fun watch Mrs Harris Goes To Paris, a wonderful Cinderella story movie where one can appreciate the downgrade in couture clothing. Women or men who sew have known for decades how to spot quality and fabric. Best defense is to actually gain a skill and learn how to sew, then learn to sew better. It’s fun and creative. Leave all the rest to the thrifts.
The Great British Sewing Bee is an inspiration as well!
Where can I find that?
It’s not new. The Slow Fashion movement has for years now been highlighting the sins of commercial, global fashion conglomerates, especially unfair working conditions and slave labor. But a big part is simply reducing consumption. There is even the huge industrial waste issue (from crap clothing).
Hear, hear! I’m a long-time thrifter so you’re preaching to the converted. In some ways it’s sad—I used to have an embarrassment of riches at Salvation Army. Almost every item I touched was wool, linen, cotton, or silk, and beautifully tailored. Now even the thrift stores are getting the trickle-down garbage clothes. But yes, when you find a good, real object from the past, it just has a certain gravitas. It’s unmistakable.