[geeks] Wal-Mart

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: Shannon Hendrix <shannon at widomaker.com>
" 
" 
" Also, let's be completely honest: retail items in general are more  
" expensive now, and the quality is lower.
" 
" []
" 
" I think stores like Wal-Mart did a lot of this kind of damage, but not  
" all of it.  This started happening before Wal-Mart rose up.

this is the 'triumph' of the marketplace.  it's easy to compare items
on price, but unless you're technically savvy it isn't easy to compare
features or specs, or evaluate quality.  and if you don't understand
any of that, the concept of repair isn't even on your radar.

i see lots of stuff on my local freecycles that are described as
nonworking and/or with some problem or other, 'an easy fix but we just
bought a new one' or 'but if you're handy...' which clearly shows that
a. they're not, and b. they don't know what they're talking about.
one was a tv which had suddenly dropped blue, which generally means
that the picture tube is bad, and since the tube is the bulk of the
set's cost...

i have two old window fans, same model.  the first i 'inherited' years
ago when my mother downsized; the second i picked up a couple of
months ago two blocks from my house, where it was left for trash
pickup.  it looked like it'd never been cleaned [20+ years] and the
bearings were so dry the motor would barely turn.  unscratched,
undented, an easy r&r.  why was it tossed?  see above.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought