This fine Saturday morning I was at a garage sale at the Doctor's Lot-- a popular place in town for locals to put up there sales. I was perusing the goods when I noticed that this young woman had a alarm clock radio like mine for sale. She wanted a few dollars and I told her that it was worth more than that if it worked. She indicated that it did. I smiled. In 1992, I was in college and lived in a quad dorm room. My roommate at the time, a biology major named Stephani, was graduating and getting rid of her stuff. She gave me her clock radio and asked me to think of her when I use it. 18 years later, that same clock radio sits next to my bed, I smack the snooze button 5 times everyday before getting up. That is my routine and has been for as long as I can remember. For 18 years, this clock has not let me down. The radio has a wire antennae that I string into a vases of dried flowers next to my bed. This allows me to pick up the local NPR station so I can listen to Garrison Keilor's morning almanac every morning. This radio has moved with me through graduate school, different states, summer camps, and now here in the mountains. What a treasure! Later on Saturday afternoon, I was purging and decided to finally get rid of the printer that I had bought last May because no matter if I stood on my tippy toes and held a ballerina pose for 10 minutes, this printer would no longer print. It had been a little over 12 months since I had purchased it and of course, the 1 year warranty was no longer applicable. I had no choice but to send it to recycling heaven. This printer had not been used everyday and spent most of its time in the guest bedroom, unplugged and waiting to be used. I qualify it as a piece of junk. I bought it brand new off the shelves at our local Staples store. What a shame that manufacturers no longer make quality products. It is too bad that the whole neighborhood could not share a printer like my office does. We will not replace the printer, rather we will use the local library or the university for our printing needs.Last weekend, a Sunday morning show on NPR had a discussion about this throw- away culture of manufacturing. They made the point that just 20 plus years ago, electronics, televisions, VCR's, stereos, etc...., were made to have replacement parts put into them. Now, all of these manufactured goods are glued together and no longer have replacement parts, rather the consumer has to buy replacement items. This turns my thrifty stomach. My husband is an avid vintage stereo equipment buyer. We have speakers that were built in the 70's and 80's. They might be larger than what people prefer today, but they sound great and they work and have worked for over 30 or 40 years. Our record players date back to the late 80's. My mother had the same stove for over 30 years. I drive a 95 Corolla because I don't like all of the things that go wrong with the electronic systems on new cars. It really does stop and make you think. It takes your breath away. It puts credence in the saying "An oldie but goodie". Amen to that......... and Amen to those of us who choose not participate in this type of consumerism. We would love to hear your stories about old appliances, cars, computers, etc... and your thoughts on the "throw away culture". Feel free to respond on the fan page and begin the conversation. Happy Hunting!
Rosie W. shares the same passion for “reuse and recycle”, and an enduring love for older well- made appliances. Our stove is more than 30 years old. It was in the house at the time of purchase in 1978, and with a few replaced elements it continues to simmer on. Same with the Oster blender; it must be from the early ‘60’s as it was won by my dad in a golf tournament. The glass container has been replaced due to breakage, but the motor purrs, whips and stirs like new; and I should note that I’ve been able to find all replacement containers by shopping with focus at thrift stores or sales.
I always stock up on coffee grinders when they appear for $1. Why spend $20? This provides extras for grinding spices or to pack for road trips.
During last winter’s ice storm I found solace in using the hand cranked LLBean radio I found at a sale. We sat by candlelight and cranked it every few minutes to catch the updates about storm damage.
And then there’s the old Philco tabletop radio, encased in wood, with the tubes in back. It’s basically a conversation piece, but if needed it continues to work. This was a treasure plucked from someone’s garbage in New England in the early ‘70’s.
My desk lamp is an old Tensor lamp. It was made in Brooklyn, New York, (my birthplace), and found at the West Jefferson Methodist sale several years back. It’s sturdy and shows no signs of pooping out any time soon.
If we can avoid big box stores, “stuff” made in China, and throwaway gizmos our landfills and the environment may stand a chance. Anyone else on board?
I always stock up on coffee grinders when they appear for $1. Why spend $20? This provides extras for grinding spices or to pack for road trips.
During last winter’s ice storm I found solace in using the hand cranked LLBean radio I found at a sale. We sat by candlelight and cranked it every few minutes to catch the updates about storm damage.
And then there’s the old Philco tabletop radio, encased in wood, with the tubes in back. It’s basically a conversation piece, but if needed it continues to work. This was a treasure plucked from someone’s garbage in New England in the early ‘70’s.
My desk lamp is an old Tensor lamp. It was made in Brooklyn, New York, (my birthplace), and found at the West Jefferson Methodist sale several years back. It’s sturdy and shows no signs of pooping out any time soon.
If we can avoid big box stores, “stuff” made in China, and throwaway gizmos our landfills and the environment may stand a chance. Anyone else on board?
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