IsPhil t1_j3rcpb4 wrote
Unfortunately there are 2 cases that often happen when someone posts an item here
- Post something old that has survived
- Can't find it anymore
- Not built the same anymore
- Possible survivorship bias
- How old is too old?
- Post something that is new
- People claim it hasn't been around long enough to be properly tested
- People claim the company hasn't been proven
- It is against the sub rules
It's tough to decide whether an item really does fit in this sub which is why someone made another subreddit a while ago I believe.
But there isn't necessarily anything wrong with posting old possibly bifl items, but yeah sometimes people do post too much, and sometimes they don't check to see if others have survived.
For example I wouldn't have learned about how good old washer/dryers were compared to new ones if it weren't for people posting about their grandma's kenmore that's been around for longer than I've been alive. That seems like a fair bifl post. You can still get used washer/dryers from the old days. Often people just throw them out. With a couple part replacements you can probably get it running and lasting longer (for cheaper) than if you bought a new machine.
Something that might be a bad post is "look at grandmas fridge from 1940 that's still running". Not only is it gonna be impossible to find that fridge, but it's also an inferior product compared to many fridges today due to efficiency (which is why you can't find extras on the market). But the subreddit doesn't say anything about that being against the rules. It was a product that was "durable, practical, proven and made-to-last".
Captain_Bignose t1_j3sd81e wrote
Agree, it gets old seeing people post 1980 alarm clocks, razors that are literally just a piece of metal, or appliances from 1950. Same with all the reposts about Stanley mugs, socks, and the like. The most interesting part about this sub is the discussion about what to look for for potential bifl items and overall build quality.
nionvox t1_j3yyh94 wrote
>"look at grandmas fridge from 1940 that's still running". Not only is it gonna be impossible to find that fridge, but it's also an inferior product compared to many fridges today due to efficiency
This. I inherited a house from an older relative, and thus, had some old stuff in it. The fridge was from '52. It theoretically still worked (needed a new part installed) but would've been incredibly inefficient and expensive to run compared to just buying a new goddamn fridge, which is what we did. It also weighed 330lbs and was no fun to get down the stairs.
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