Decades ago, there were no computers to aid in design. The result was that many products were overbuilt. You got kitchen mixers that could seemingly mix concrete.
Before you wish we could return to those days, I did a quick web search and found an ad for a stand mixer from the 1950s that cost $53.95. Run that through an inflation calculator and you’ll find out that’s between $550 and $640 in today’s money, depending on the exact year the ad is from.
What we consider today common household items were, back then, luxury products. And they were priced accordingly.
You can get a top-quality stand mixer today and it’s about $450. And it’s built like a tank — I know, I use one. It’s lasted me about 15 years now and is still going strong.
Or you can choose a $20 hand mixer. As it says in the comic, they don’t hold up. But they’re cheap. You can buy 20 of them for the cost of a good mixer. That wasn’t an option in the 1950s. The only option was outside of most people’s price range.
There was never a time when products were all cheap and top quality. Mostly, products were well built and quite pricy.
I have a 60 yr old Champion juicer I inherited. Still works. Can’t get new blades for it, no longer made. I have an equally old ice crusher. Still works great. Both were purchased by working class folks. Little money, just carefully planned for purchases with the expectation they’d last for a very long time. They have.
Made a peanut cookie dough that was so thick it actually burned out the mixer as I was using it. Silver lining – they never got mixed enough to bake, so no one had to eat them.
Yakety Sax 9 months ago
Do tell!
markkahler52 9 months ago
And they used grout for cake frosting
uniquename 9 months ago
What was she doing with the concrete?
Ed The Red Premium Member 9 months ago
Decades ago, there were no computers to aid in design. The result was that many products were overbuilt. You got kitchen mixers that could seemingly mix concrete.
Before you wish we could return to those days, I did a quick web search and found an ad for a stand mixer from the 1950s that cost $53.95. Run that through an inflation calculator and you’ll find out that’s between $550 and $640 in today’s money, depending on the exact year the ad is from.
What we consider today common household items were, back then, luxury products. And they were priced accordingly.
You can get a top-quality stand mixer today and it’s about $450. And it’s built like a tank — I know, I use one. It’s lasted me about 15 years now and is still going strong.
Or you can choose a $20 hand mixer. As it says in the comic, they don’t hold up. But they’re cheap. You can buy 20 of them for the cost of a good mixer. That wasn’t an option in the 1950s. The only option was outside of most people’s price range.
There was never a time when products were all cheap and top quality. Mostly, products were well built and quite pricy.
Rista 9 months ago
I have a 60 yr old Champion juicer I inherited. Still works. Can’t get new blades for it, no longer made. I have an equally old ice crusher. Still works great. Both were purchased by working class folks. Little money, just carefully planned for purchases with the expectation they’d last for a very long time. They have.
PlatudimusAtom Premium Member 9 months ago
Made a peanut cookie dough that was so thick it actually burned out the mixer as I was using it. Silver lining – they never got mixed enough to bake, so no one had to eat them.
Cactus-Pete 9 months ago
My respect, also. She knows the difference between concrete and cement.