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Original poster

To think the quality of everything has gone down so much in the last few years

35 replies

Coolbreezee · 02/12/2024 19:01

I'm trying to figure out what the reason is.
It is because I am now relatively poor? Things that are decent quality just seem to be ridiculously expensive. I bought some Christmas tree decorations on Saturday and it took me a while to find a reindeer that didn't look completely deformed. I bought a felt advent calendar to recycle every year. I'm happy with it but still can't help notice how thin the material is. Things printed on rather than sewn. I'm not stuck up (really I'm not). I've always taken good care of my things and they last me for years (or forever) but even being careful I'm finding things break so quickly just from normal use. I dont want to buy a calendar every couple of years. I would like to buy one that lasts until my DD is grown up (without spending £50). I think the chocolate Fredos exemplify how much the UK has deteriorated...

Am I being unreasonable. I've just used Christmas stuff as an example, but really it's everything..

OP posts:
stargazerlil · 02/12/2024 21:46

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And duvets didn’t have feathers that fell out or stuck you in the arse while trying to sleep!

Spaffitupthewall · 02/12/2024 21:43

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stargazerlil · 02/12/2024 21:39

Bogeyes · 02/12/2024 21:36

Everything has gone downhill. No pride in anything anymore. Even spelling and grammar is poor including newspapers.

And on here lol.

Bogeyes · 02/12/2024 21:36

Everything has gone downhill. No pride in anything anymore. Even spelling and grammar is poor including newspapers.

stargazerlil · 02/12/2024 21:30

Nesbi · 02/12/2024 21:26

Things aren’t bad just because they are made in China. China is being used as a place where products can be made very cheaply, but they also have factories there with skilled workers making much higher quality products.

If you want quality you have to pay more for it, and most people won’t.

The few people who are prepared to pay more therefore have to deal with even higher prices, because the quality products are made in much smaller numbers - there is no economy of scale to benefit from to help keep prices down.

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I don’t think that’s the case, yes china make expensive and inexpensive products, but I have recently bought expensive products from well known luxury labels made in china and the quality is not the same as the same kind of products I would have bought 20 years ago that would not have been made in china.

Nesbi · 02/12/2024 21:26

stargazerlil · 02/12/2024 21:03

It’s dreadful, it’s because everything is now made in china.

Things aren’t bad just because they are made in China. China is being used as a place where products can be made very cheaply, but they also have factories there with skilled workers making much higher quality products.

If you want quality you have to pay more for it, and most people won’t.

The few people who are prepared to pay more therefore have to deal with even higher prices, because the quality products are made in much smaller numbers - there is no economy of scale to benefit from to help keep prices down.

Spaffitupthewall · 02/12/2024 21:22

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

corianderpomander · 02/12/2024 21:20

Agree. I'm really seeing the benefit of diy and home crafts because of this. Surely getting the family together to make decorations (and it doesn't end there) is better than the tat for sale. It's a quaint win win if you have time.

neverwakeasleepingbaby · 02/12/2024 21:11

Patrick Grant's new book "Less" has a very good explanation of why this is. Basically the need for companies to grow and profit, whilst competing with low quality fast fashion. It drags the quality of everything downwards. The cost of clothing relative to wages has decreased massively over the years, and now people cannot justify spending as much on clothes when can get them for so much less online etc.
I agree that the quality of everything is so poor and it's completely infuriating.
Even expensive brands of clothes feel cheap.
Appliances don't last a decade. It actually makes me quite depressed at how much we're destroying the planet

stargazerlil · 02/12/2024 21:03

It’s dreadful, it’s because everything is now made in china.