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The Maytag man isn’t the only repairperson with nothing to do these days — in fact, it seems like repairmen in general are a dying breed. This certainly isn’t breaking news to most people, but it struck me the other day like a thunderbolt from above: how can my generation be so righteous about being green, and still consume all this essentially disposable crap? Sure, we’re recycling more than ever (a concept pioneered during WWII, by the way, when the nation put used steel goods on the corner to be melted down into bullets and bombshells), but if we bought things of quality instead of disposable things, and we repaired them instead of recycling them, what a difference that would make!
It makes economic sense, too: instead of buying the same couch from Ikea three times in ten years, buy a quality couch and spend the difference getting it repaired once or twice. It’s weird — we’ve supplanted the joy of owning something of quality for a long period of time with the relatively fleeting joy of buying a new thing over and over again. (And still we crave “vintage” things — clothes, furniture, cars — for which we’ll pay a steep premium.)
It’s partly a generational thing, too, I suppose — my grandmother, who barely scraped through the Great Depression with her parents and seven siblings, never threw anything away. Even when disposable things became common, she would save them: plastic trays that came with early-80s microwave dinners, for instance, became dinner plates for years to come. She never adapted to our new disposable society, and it made her into a pack rat!
Straw poll time: when’s the last time you had something repaired? How about fixing a worn-out pair of shoes? Had a chair reupholstered? How about an umbrella, or a toaster, or any cheap electronic device that wasn’t under warrantee?
Comments (41)
Comment
I actually called the Maytag man last year about our washer. Some sort of giant rubber bandy-looking thing had slipped loose and the tub wasn’t spinning properly. He was a sweet little old man who fixed it with no trouble, gave me a good long lecture about making sure my loads were balanced, and cost surprisingly little.
I also had the cord replaced on a vintage chrome toaster that I found in Grandma’s attic, because it’s so awesome looking that I had to use it. It burns my toast, but looks amazing.
I reupholster and recondition my own furniture, as well as random bits of junk that I find in free piles or at yard sales. It’s not that I can’t afford better, but Ikea furniture just has no character, you know?
posted by Megan on 10-8-2007 at 9:09 am
I recently had my washing machine repaired. I find that I’m more likely now, with the amount of how-to information available on the internet, to attempt repairing something myself. Unless of course there’s no way I’d have the necessary part, or might electrocute myself.
I fairly regularly had my vacuum repaired until I decided it would be wiser to invest more in a better vacuum. I have a Dyson now and I’ve never had to fix it.
posted by beth on 10-8-2007 at 9:20 am
I had my washing machine repaired about a year ago (had to repair some switch so it would spin). I have a pair of shoes that I keep forgetting to take to get repaired (Hey Jason, know a good shoe repair place in the Roseland/Livingston/Denville area?)
I like getting things repaired instead of replacing them…makes me feel like I can get my money’s worth out of something!
posted by JaneM on 10-8-2007 at 9:29 am
I recently refinished a desk. It was pretty nasty work, but well worth it, I thought. I have two chairs that I’d love to get reupholstered, but it’s a tough call, because it would cost more to have that done than to just get new chairs. I think I’ll probably do it anyway… just as soon as I get all my new furniture paid off.
posted by Molly on 10-8-2007 at 9:31 am
I will admit that I am thrifty to a fault, and have just started to acknowledge that it’s OK to buy new stuff, from time to time.
I’m still all about fixing things and keeping them for as long as possible, though… and so is the management in my complex, as I still have the original 1970 goldenrod-yellow range and matching hood in my kitchen!
I recently rescued a dining table (with a LEAF!) and two of its chairs (ladderback, one with arms!) from certain demise when someone in my neighborhood was moving out. The chairs were upholstered in ugly 70s tweed, but I found a gorgeous brocade and recovered the seats. Now, the chairs look like thrones.
posted by Mel on 10-8-2007 at 9:34 am
I keep my trusty washing machine and dryer in running order. I have very hard well water, so I have to remove/clean/replace the mixing valve every once in a while on the washer. I also replaced a rubber piece that connects the motor to the washer mechanism. The dryer was soaked in last year’s floods (they are in my cellar), so I had to replace the drive belt… the motor ran just fine once it dried out. I’ve also replaced the heating coils in the dryer in past years… the dryer must be 30 years old by now!
It’s pretty easy work, and a lot cheaper than having to replace the unit. I have also read that newer top-loaders don’t clean as well as the models from 5-10 years ago, and I have to wonder if this is intentional crappiness designed to make us all trade up to front-loaders, which cost about 3 times as much to purchase.
posted by Ken on 10-8-2007 at 9:41 am
I definitely agree that we are becoming a far too disposable society (interpret that phrase as you see fit). But I think people are buying disposable out of necessity, not out of preference. Thanks to gas prices, health insurance, school loans, credit card debt, and the like, it’s pretty tough to save anything, let alone the money for a $2000+ sofa. But there’s a good chance we can scrape together $200 for a new IKEA loveseat.
That being said, there are also folks out there who are becoming more and more interested in the DIY movement and seeing the value in old, quality pieces. Maybe our inability as a society to have a savings account will help us find more frugal, greener ways to live in the long run.
posted by SpaceMonkeyX on 10-8-2007 at 9:42 am
I would much prefer to repair than to replace, but you always get the same answer: It’ll cost you $100 and six weeks to fix it, plus postage, or you can get a new one for $50.
The guy who sold me my used appliances has repaired them, or else swaps them out for some he has previously repaired. He’s a master recycler. I do my own house repairs (up to a point) and I refinish old furniture.
posted by Miss Cellania on 10-8-2007 at 9:46 am
I try to repair what I can if it is worth it. I will sew buttons back on or fix broken zippers, but will throw out socks with holes in them. I will get my appliances repaired if it costs less than half of a new one. I too used to get my vacuum repaired when it needed it, until it started costing me $50 a pop once a year. At that point I got a Dyson and have not had to repair it. I buy for the long term on most things and will try to recycle when I can. But I will admit I send a lot of stuff to Goodwill each year.
On another note, does it bother anyone else how much packaging stuff comes in? I seem to throw away one shopping bag of packaging for every two bags I bring home from the grocery store.
posted by JM on 10-8-2007 at 9:46 am
I got my sewing machine fixed last year, and it was an experience. Sewing is kind of an old-fashioned hobby, even though it’s awesome and trendy, too. But the repair shop was this weird hybrid sewing machine/vacuum cleaners store front that looked like it would have been at home in 1973. The repairs on a $200 sewing machine were about $70 for one new part and a general maintenance overview. The bummer is that they couldn’t fix the real problem without having me sink about $150 into new parts, which is next to impossible to justify when it’s such an inexpensive machine! I hate the thought of just pitching it and getting a new one, but it’s financially impractical to repair it anymore. What’s the solution?
posted by Kristen on 10-8-2007 at 9:57 am
I had a pair of boots resoled, not so much out of thriftyness, but because I couldn’t find another pair I liked. It only cost $5. I was just surprised that I could find a place that repairs shoes.
posted by Beth on 10-8-2007 at 10:03 am
I had my original Gameboy and SNES repaired by Nintendo two years ago. I called the hotline printed on the back of the Gameboy, and surprise, surprise, it still worked. I sent them off for repairs, which cost me around 50 bucks with shipping and handling.
Well worth it, in my estimation.
posted by jenni on 10-8-2007 at 10:50 am
I repair sewing machines for a living, so all day is spent keeping old things running like new.
My wife regularly refinished furniture instead of buying new stuff. We’re pretty much broke so we end up saving/repairing a lot of stuff.
posted by Ian EBH on 10-8-2007 at 11:46 am
I’m a musician so I use the services of instrument and amplifier repair people all the time.
posted by Melissa on 10-8-2007 at 11:59 am
Sometimes it is the green choice to throw something out that can be repaired.
Cloths washers fit that category. Ken mentioned front load washers. It would be a good thing if everyone switched over from top-load to front. Front load washers use about 20 gallons less water per wash and use 30-40% less energy per load; plus, they get more water out of the cloths so the drying consumes much less energy as well.
Another thing that makes perfect sense to replace is the old fridge/freezer. They have gotten so much more efficient that people should replace theirs without waiting for the current one to break. Any refrigerator built before 1993 will use double the energy of and energy star model today. A fridge from the early 80’s will use triple the energy. A model update makes green sense in both meanings of the word.
Most good environmentalists will tell you to go buy CF bulbs now and not to wait until incandescents burn out. That is because the energy savings are so great.
Cars are better to repair than replace, even if you are driving a huge beast (The manufacturing toll is so high for new cars.) However when it finally dies for good, replace it with a Prius or a Honda Fit instead of a Hummer.
posted by n2y2 on 10-8-2007 at 1:00 pm
My thoughts are similar to SpaceMonkey and Miss Cellania. I’d like to buy more quality and keep it for longer, but even the “cheaper” stuff seems expensive to me in most cases - especially furniture.
And I guess I’d do better to learn how to fix more things myself, but a lack of time and knowledge are challenges there. I cringe knowing that you can barely open up the Yellow Pages without the place on the other end telling you it’s going to be at least $65 for a “service call” on top of the outrageous parts and labor charges.
So for me, it often comes down to something like (1) spend $100 to fix a 5-yr-old item that cost $250 new or (2) just buy a new one for $200.
posted by Andy on 10-8-2007 at 1:38 pm
I have repaired a number of items of late.
New tent poles cost almost as much as a new tent, but not the old tent is in use and not in the land fill.
I know people who grew up in the Depression and the 40, and are some of the biggest wasters. I think some people reacted to not having to save every scrap, but vowing never to save anything ever again.
Finally. Z Gallery Sofa $900.00 or so. Reupholster sofa? $1000.00. It’s very hard to find someone to do work locally that can compete with the low wages people are paid over seas for making new products. We just bought a slip cover, so the sofa is still here and still making us happy.
posted by mungley on 10-8-2007 at 1:42 pm
I repair socks, jeans, and all other clothing. I only throw them out as a last resort. Also, I will try to repair anything before throwing it away. Luckily, things around the house don’t break that often.
posted by Kitty on 10-8-2007 at 1:44 pm
i got a TV repaired recently, my grandparents had it for about 10 years and it went out on them but i took it had it sit on my floor for about a year and finally called a company to come and repair it, it cost $130.00 thats alot cheaper than buying a brand new 32inch tv!
posted by Lindsey on 10-8-2007 at 2:18 pm
Problem is, repair people get VERY expensive, and it ends up being cheaper to buy a new one.
to replace the defroster on my Fridge, the repair man wanted me to pay 400dollars!!!! a 25 dollar part (i bought later) and fixed it myself.
posted by Ivan on 10-8-2007 at 5:06 pm
I get my dancing shoes and boots re-heeled and re-soled until the cost of repairs has met the original cost of the shoes. So I’ve had a couple of pairs of boots for 10-15 years, and they’ll probably last at least that much longer. I tend to hold onto shoes until they have unrepairable holes in them, because I have a hard time finding replacements and letting go, since they’ve been well-loved by that point. :)
posted by Erin on 10-8-2007 at 5:12 pm
Kristin–
I get my sewing machine tuned every year. it was such a great find and they just don’t make affordable solid sewing machines these days. I found mine in my aunt’s garage — she bought it 10 years ago and never used it. it cost $50 to tune it up and fix some of the problems it had (as I’m a novice seamstress I did some things that caused damage). I was told to always get it serviced yearly to keep it in tip-top shape. I went back this year and it cost over $100 to service — you can buy one at the store for $60!!!! I wish there was a better solution but there isn’t.
posted by Sarakenobi on 10-8-2007 at 5:37 pm
This reminds me of the 50’s era Fords & Chevys in Cuba that are still running. They manage to find parts from Russia and elsewhere to keep them going!
posted by Lauren on 10-8-2007 at 5:58 pm
I’m always fixing things. My mom had a chair down in the basement that needed to be fixed. I went down there and I fixed it in 2 minutes tops! Now if you mean fixed by a “professional”, then I can’t remember when….
posted by Emily on 10-8-2007 at 6:17 pm
I have things repaired, reupholstered and refinished. I spent $700 to have a solid walnut desk that I’ve had since I was 13 (a long time ago) refinished. I don’t know what it’s worth, but it was worth it to me. I just had a $10 purse repaired for $11.75. I did by an energy star refrigerator to replace the one I had, which was 25+ years old. And I have a 19″ energy star TV, replacing a Zenith that was at least 15 years old.
posted by Barbara on 10-8-2007 at 7:25 pm
I had my secondhand used bike looked at yesterday, and did quite a lot to it (service-wise, no additional parts added) without charging for it. I feel like that’s a pretty common trend for mom ‘n pop bike shops.
Also, I repair my favorite pair of sneakers quite often with super glue. Works like a charm!
posted by Kate on 10-8-2007 at 7:29 pm
I just repaired my washing machine. The little plastic parts that help turn the agitator had gotten worn and the agitator was slipping instead of turning. I went to the fabulous website RepairClinic.com and figured out what parts I needed and how to get them in and out, dropped by my local appliance parts store and bought them for $12 and fixed the washer in about 20 minutes. I would have had to pay a repairman a whole lot more than that to fix it for me!
posted by Michael on 10-8-2007 at 8:02 pm
I am an electrican/maintenance/repair man. Thank you to my father who taught me so much when I was growing up. We were poor so he had to fix everything and was very good at it. this taught me that if you have a few tools and some abillity to use them and a desire to fix something, you can ususually do so.
posted by sandburr on 10-8-2007 at 9:23 pm
I am a 28 year old sewing machine repair guy. Sorry, just chuckled a bit. I am officially on the endangerd species list. Not only because I repair things but (double jeopardy) I repair things that repair other things.
There was a machine that came in recently that had been stored in a barn. A 75 year old lady brought it in to be resurected. A little oil (ok, a lot), the liberal use of a ball peen hammer and the removal of a dirt dauber nest and it was in sewing condition.
The machine had been her mother’s. It was almost a century old. When I asked her if there was time she needed it repaired by she replied “Sometime before I die.”
I always hated the saying “They don’t make things like they used to.” Now I totaly agree.
posted by Shawn on 10-9-2007 at 12:16 am
I fix my own bikes, and those of friends, co-workers and neighbors. The Bosch repairman will be coming to my home to repair my oven door on Thursday.
I take my shoes to the shoemaker for new soles and heels - I try to buy shoes that can be repaiered. My father’s Lord Elgin wristwatch that he got just after WWII is at the jeweler’s getting a new crown. So yeah, it just depends.
posted by fixedgear on 10-9-2007 at 4:56 am
Is there a difference between “having an item repaired” and “rigging the thing by myself so that it continues to work… ish”? If not, then about half of my stuff has been “repaired.”
posted by Andi on 10-9-2007 at 6:28 am
The toe of a recent pair of $100.00 shoes I bought had a hole worn in them only after a month or so of wearning them. I returned them and got a new pair. However, I immediatly took the new shoes to a shoe repair place and had the toes reinforced. I generally get clothes repaired or altered rather than replacing them. I even spent $150.00 to get a $400.00 lawn mower repaired. However, paying $75.00 to get a $100.00 string trimmer repaired was definitly not worth it. I did spend $250.00 on the new string trimmer hopefully this one will last. It is also hard to justify getting a $125.00 DVD player replaced when the repair shop wants $75.00 just to look at it!
posted by Barry on 10-9-2007 at 9:11 am
I’m a huge Birkenstock aficionado and have been wearing my very first pair for close to 7 years now. You can find companies online offerering fantastic repair services (at not horrible rates). On your standard pair of clogs, a total resole where they replace everything but the leather (or synthetic, for you vegans) upper and the buckle runs anywhere from about $45-$65 (still only half the cost of the original pair of shoes). I’ve had some of my pairs recrafted up to 4 times, and everytime they come back looking brand new. You also get a little environmental bonus since the footbed is made from real cork, a renewable resource.
posted by Karen C on 10-9-2007 at 11:32 am
10 years ago I took a VCR and a boom box that wasn’t working to the only repair shop I could find and they just laughed at me. They said they don’t even mess with that sort of stuff anymore and just buy a new one.
I can buy good quality shoes for $1-10 at a garage sale, much less than the cost of repairing the ones I have. I’m about to sell a huge box of children’s shoes at my garage sale for $.25 - $1.00 a pair. Only my husband takes his expensive shoes to the repair shop. The only shoe repairman in town is ancient, once he dies, who will even be able to resole shoes?
I can buy good clothes at the thrift store and garage sales - for much less than the cloth would cost me, not to count buying a pattern or the cost of my time. But I and my daughters sew for the pure pleasure of it… We do save by doing our own hemming, alterations, and buttons rather than hiring someone to do that.
The only repairs we pay for are for the house and cars. And my expensive sewing machines.
posted by Kim on 10-10-2007 at 8:59 am
I just refinished 2 nightstands that my grandfather made. It almost felt like I got to visit with him again. And I just don’t understand not repairing clothing — however I do draw the line at darning socks. I cut the cotton ones up to use as rags, though.
I will bring up the reason for the demise of television and electronics repairmen, though. One simply cannot repair a circuit board. These circuit boards are incredibly reliable compared to the old tubes, etc. of TVs and radios in “the old days”. We’ve had the same television for almost 20 years and never had a moment’s trouble with it. Believe me, this would not have happened 50 years ago!
posted by Larriann on 10-10-2007 at 9:03 am
I’m blessed to have a wonderful shoe repair shop within walking distance from my office, and I have had some pairs of shoes and boots resoled several times. I wear size 9EE, so it’s very hard for me to find shoes that fit and are comfortable, so getting shoes repaired is a necessity.
posted by Ginny on 10-10-2007 at 12:57 pm
i have been in the appliance parts and service business for 35 years. to the person who was told 400 dollars for a defrost part either your repairman was a crook or incompetent. the guy that says to buy new stuff to save energy,well it is true that new appliances are more energy efficient they are also much less reliable and way more costly to repair. many appliances today are over engineered. they have all kinds of bells and whistles and electronics that just add to their unreliability and expense. the average life span of most new appliances today is 10 to 15 yrs. less in some cases. if you have a older machine and can still find parts for it i suggest keeping it as long as you can. most repair/parts places like where i work offer technical advice for the do it yourselfers, or we will service it for you. we are not cheap but we are competetive. people do need to realize that to put a fleet of trucks stocked with parts and a technician insured and bonded on the road and pay for gas,vehicle maintainance,and insurance is very costly. but you get the convenience of in home service rather than having to bring it in to a shop like you car,tv stereo, computer or most other consumer products.
posted by JERRY on 10-10-2007 at 1:29 pm
We had our old washing machine looked at when it broke because we couldn’t afford a new one. It cost 50 bucks for the guy to look at it and tell is it would cost 250 bucks to fix it. That wasn’t going to happen so I ended up paying $300 for a brand new one. The problem with having repairment for small applainces is it is often cheaper to buy the same thing only new, and hopefully less likely to break again.
posted by Lauren on 10-11-2007 at 9:55 pm
I actually just called the furnace repairman today … what a Godsend!!!!
posted by Latharia on 10-12-2007 at 9:30 pm
The biggest problem is that large manufacturers don’t produce well-made products anymore. (Especially things like electronics and appliances.) They make poor-quality products so that they break down in a few years and are much cheaper to replace than repair. It’s called planned obsolescense.
I think everybody should read the book Cradle to Cradle. The authors present a business model that considers products as services. So you buy a washer, it breaks after a few years, you send it back to the manufacturer and buy a new one. You get a new washer, they don’t have to pay for new materials, everything gets recycled.
posted by corey on 10-13-2007 at 10:39 pm
All six cars I had were either second-hand (at least) or reconditioned like the last one (2002).
When I moved into my home I bought the furniture from the previous owner and use it all like now!
My fridge has had repairs twice since I paid off for it, the last time I had shoes re-soled was in 2003, but that repair is a bit of a pinch, literally!
It seems the process they used reduced the size slightly but in a noticeable manner, ouch! My arches and bunions let me know until I got new pairs in early 2005.
posted by Ian Bourne on 10-14-2007 at 4:51 pm