Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

[jamespowers]

The makes and models I could tell you about, based on what I do at work.
In a 12yr period of time, I've noticed the quality going down.
Just by looking at one vehicle, compared to a newer one on the lot.
Although I do have to say the new Ford Escape surprises me.
At least on this years model, quality seems to have returned.

I would hope that quality would go up but I still doubt it. Every time I look at new cars the fit and finish just seems to get worse.....

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The makes and models I could tell you about, based on what I do at work.
In a 12yr period of time, I've noticed the quality going down.
Just by looking at one vehicle, compared to a newer one on the lot.
Although I do have to say the new Ford Escape surprises me.
At least on this years model, quality seems to have returned.

I took a test drive in the new 2014 Chevy Impala last week. The new model has been greatly improved over the '13. Seemed solid..much better fit and finish. Interior would compete with some luxury imports. The 3.6 moved it down the road well. I think things might be changing for the better again..maybe. All the high tech accessories are the achilles heel to me though.
HD

 

[jamespowers]

I think things might be changing for the better again..maybe. All the high tech accessories are the achilles heel to me though.
HD

It is just more crap to go wrong.....

 

[Zombie_61]

The concept for work is that you earn the pay you receive. What you do must have enough value to cover the wage. Not doing a good job just because the pay is low is not an excuse, it is a type of theft.

Sadly, most of the people I've worked with over the last three decades never seemed to understand that concept; most of them were of the "As long as I show up and do something, they have to pay me," mindset. Conversely, one of the reasons I was at my last place of employment for 18.5 years was because I did everything they asked me to do, and if I didn't know how to do it I'd ask them to have someone teach me. Ultimately, when they had to lay people off, I remained while people who had more seniority left simply because they weren't as versatile (i.e., useful to the company) as I was. From my perspective, doing different things on an almost daily basis kept things interesting and broke up the monotony of doing the same thing every hour of every workday.

It is just more crap to go wrong...

Too true. Also, why can't a car simply be a car? Why does everything have to have multiple purposes these days? Transportation? No, it has to be a mobile entertainment center! Cell phone? No, it has to be a camera, and a laptop, and a game console, and a television, and a movie theater, and a coffee maker, and a microwave oven, and a defibrillator, and...well, you get the idea. :rage:

 

[Dragon Soldier]

Too true. Also, why can't a car simply be a car? Why does everything have to have multiple purposes these days? Transportation? No, it has to be a mobile entertainment center! Cell phone? No, it has to be a camera, and a laptop, and a game console, and a television, and a movie theater, and a coffee maker, and a microwave oven, and a defibrillator, and...well, you get the idea. :rage:

Try and sell a phone that just makes phone calls...

The quality issue is one I wonder about also. I look at some of the items I have in my collection and I can see as much in built obsolescence as I can in my modern gadgets. It just takes a different form.

My brass pressure stoves won't require replacement every few years, they are fuel inefficient though and their jets, seals and washers will require changing. They will need a semi-regular decoke, which used to be a dealer service. these days you're on your own and need the equipment to do it.

So over twenty/thirty years or more (many of mine are older) I do rather wonder if my aged, durable, "quality" stoves would not have cost as much/more than buying a new "latest innovation" version every five years or so.
You should probably also factor in an allowance for the fact that should an item last decades, it's built on decades old technology (obviously). Possibly not an issue on a site peopled by vintage lovers, but look at it in terms of the mobile phone. If my first phone had been "built to last" and were still operating perfectly today, it would still be in the bin because it was based on pre-GSM analogue technology, the cells no longer support the standard.

 

[Zombie_61]

Try and sell a phone that just makes phone calls...

Well, now, yeah, that would be a problem. I just wish they hadn't started with the whole "camera and apps" thing in the first place. The last two times my wife and I went to Verizon to upgrade our phones, the salespeople went on and on about all of the different things their phones could do and, both times, when I stopped them to ask how they operated as telephones they froze and looked at me as if I'd suddenly grown a second head. lol Apparently, the thought of using a cell phone as a phone hadn't occurred to either of them. :eusa_doh:

 

[Gregg Axley]

I paid extra just to get a phone that calls ONLY.
Now it can do other things, but it doesn't have "I" in the name, or any more "G's" than is required to call someone.
It also has a camera, and I use that frequently, to take pics of the dogs.

 

[LizzieMaine]

A phone that's just a phone?

No problem.

 

[HudsonHawk]

A phone that's just a phone?

No problem.

Look at you, with your fancy-schmancy dial phone...

*click* *click*...hello..Sarah...get me Sheriff Taylor...

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The phone is the new Swiss Army knife.

 

[Dragon Soldier]

I've probably still got dial phones in the loft. Pulse dialling is no longer supported on UK exchanges though. So they'd be an incoming only option.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

It is just more crap to go wrong.....

...says the guy with the Escalade

 

[Dragon Soldier]

The phone is the new Swiss Army knife.

There is a degree of veracity in this, it's actually amazing how much you can do with one.
As well as the obvious comms and location utilities I have a partition on mine with a live Linux boot image and a few wee tools, which makes life easier in some technical respects and can be quite impressive when someone's machine goes down and you can do "21st century magic" on it. Although the camera on my phone is relatively poor, even by phone standards I always have a camera on me. The Kindle app means i always have at least a week's worth of reading in my pocket... Useful when you spend as much time sitting about waiting as I do.

 

[jamespowers]

Sadly, most of the people I've worked with over the last three decades never seemed to understand that concept; most of them were of the "As long as I show up and do something, they have to pay me," mindset. Conversely, one of the reasons I was at my last place of employment for 18.5 years was because I did everything they asked me to do, and if I didn't know how to do it I'd ask them to have someone teach me. Ultimately, when they had to lay people off, I remained while people who had more seniority left simply because they weren't as versatile (i.e., useful to the company) as I was. From my perspective, doing different things on an almost daily basis kept things interesting and broke up the monotony of doing the same thing every hour of every workday.

Too true. Also, why can't a car simply be a car? Why does everything have to have multiple purposes these days? Transportation? No, it has to be a mobile entertainment center! Cell phone? No, it has to be a camera, and a laptop, and a game console, and a television, and a movie theater, and a coffee maker, and a microwave oven, and a defibrillator, and...well, you get the idea. :rage:

Yes, I know well what you mean. My wife's car has just about all of that. The problem is that I have had to have just about every one fixed or replaced. :doh:

 

[jamespowers]

The last two times my wife and I went to Verizon to upgrade our phones, the salespeople went on and on about all of the different things their phones could do and, both times, when I stopped them to ask how they operated as telephones they froze and looked at me as if I'd suddenly grown a second head. lol Apparently, the thought of using a cell phone as a phone hadn't occurred to either of them. :eusa_doh:

Yes, they have grown beyond their intended purpose so much so that they have no idea how to make a call with them.

 

[jamespowers]

The phone is the new Swiss Army knife.

No scissors or saw though.

 

[jamespowers]

...says the guy with the Escalade

Which is why I know. I have replaced a laudry list of things in that that should have been correctly done at the factory----in the first place. From window motors to NAV. They all went within the first year.:doh: It wasn't like I bought some cheap pile either.

 

[Dragon Soldier]

Yes, they have grown beyond their intended purpose so much so that they have no idea how to make a call with them.

Titter ye not! I had difficulty answering mine for weeks.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I can crack walnuts with my phone. Can any of your fancy-pantsy technological doodads do that?

 

[sheeplady]

I can crack walnuts with my phone. Can any of your fancy-pantsy technological doodads do that?

Well they can, it's just the last thing they'll ever do.