4 ms·

I live in Asia and can always find a shoe guy or garment lady to fix my stuff for $1-$5. They are found in market stalls or the side of the road somewhere. Yo

I live in Asia and can always find a shoe guy or garment lady to fix my stuff for $1-$5. They are found in market stalls or the side of the road somewhere. You can't find as many of these "tiny businesses" in developed countries, perhaps because licensing costs too much to make it profitable, licensing isn't permitted for street vendors, varying climate doesn't make it as easy year-round, or ... Anyway, I really like this about Asia in 2015 and wish it were more prevalent in the US

gherkin0 11y ago
> perhaps because licensing costs too much to make it profitable, licensing isn't permitted for street vendors, varying climate doesn't make it as easy year-round, or ... I'm not sure that someone would be able to make a living in the US repairing everyday imported clothing items. The few times I tried to get something repaired by a tailor stop in the US, the cost at US wages was a significant fraction of what it would cost to buy a brand new replacement (made overseas at much lower wages). Admittedly, those were complicated repairs, but everyday clothing is just so cheap (in price and quality) that repairing it doesn't make sense.
- rukuu001 11y ago
  > the cost at US wages was a significant fraction of what it would cost to buy a brand new replacement This is why I get the highest-quality stuff I can and repair it. Instead of replacing mediocre things every year or two, I have a few superb things that I spend $100-$200 a year maintaining (total, not each).
  - lmm 11y ago
    I'd be surprised if that ends up cheaper once you take into account the inconvenience of arranging repairs.
    - Tepix 11y ago
      If you factor in the cost for the environment, absolutely!
      - maxerickson 11y ago
        I wonder if the drive to the shop has a higher environmental cost than a new shirt.
    - jschwartzi 11y ago
      It absolutely does. Four years ago I replaced a cheap stamped-steel chef's knife bought for 20.00 with a forged knife bought for 100. I have to keep it sharp and hone the edge, but so far I haven't had to replace it, and it's not even showing signs of wear. Buying expensive cooking tools is definitely cheaper over time than buying whatever crap gets stocked at the grocery store.
      - jmagoon 11y ago
        Totally the case with cookware. The difference in quality between my $60 cutting board and my $5 cutting board is incredible. The $5 one has already been trashed, while I've had the $60 one for 7 years now and it's still going strong. Same for a Creuset that was gifted to me. There's a good chance I'll be able to pass it on to my children, just like my parents passed on their high quality ceramic crockpot to me. Forged knives, copper pots, real sheet pans (not the flimsy quarter inch crap sold at walmart), etc. are all things that last almost forever, even with repeated, high use. You can see why restaurant kitchens almost always go for high quality--the parable of the workingman's boots.
- ghaff 11y ago
  It won't be $1, but once every year or so I routinely take a handful of items down to a local cleaner to fix/replace zippers, repair a split seam etc. The cost tends toward $5 or so per item. (More for things like zippers.) It's certainly economical if the clothing is otherwise in decent shape. Doing a button myself takes a few minutes--however long I procrastinate about it :-) I agree the overall economics of having clothing repaired isn't as attractive as it was 20 years ago. But it can still work--especially for more utilitarian and better-made gear.
ptaipale 11y ago
I think it's more that in countries with social security, people aren't forced to work on such low wages (or more precisely, on low income as a self-employed person). If people have their rent and food and medical care paid for, and have access to a spectrum of free public services, it's not worthwhile to take the toll of labouring and fixing the clothes and shoes for others. I can typically buy new, good quality shoes (made in Asia by people who have no social security) for the price of one or two simple repairs to shoes. My current favourites are six years old now, made by Ecco somewhere in China, and they show no significant signs of wear outside. I had to have them fixed once when a puppy chewed the heel of one of them a bit. The problem is bigger in European welfare states than in the US. It's going away, though: the welfare state structures will be ramped down radically within a decade or two.
- guard-of-terra 11y ago
  That's where basic income would shine. Both social security and repair stalls! People that do it for socialising and odd buck.
  - ptaipale 11y ago
    That basic income still has to be funded somehow, and even without it the public services (plus some self-employed or begging income) of modern welfare state provide a standard of living that is far better than the income of large numbers of people in poor countries. Opening the borders with current welfare structures (or any "basic income" that covers everyone) will lead to insolvency of the public sector and loss of confidence to government by the people who pay taxes. Welfare system or open borders, choose one. This is a bit simplistic, but there's no escape from this problem.
    - guard-of-terra 11y ago
      Welfare system!

gherkin0 11y ago

> perhaps because licensing costs too much to make it profitable, licensing isn't permitted for street vendors, varying climate doesn't make it as easy year-round, or ... I'm not sure that someone would be able to make a living in the US repairing everyday imported clothing items. The few times I tried to get something repaired by a tailor stop in the US, the cost at US wages was a significant fraction of what it would cost to buy a brand new replacement (made overseas at much lower wages). Admittedly, those were complicated repairs, but everyday clothing is just so cheap (in price and quality) that repairing it doesn't make sense.

rukuu001 11y ago
> the cost at US wages was a significant fraction of what it would cost to buy a brand new replacement This is why I get the highest-quality stuff I can and repair it. Instead of replacing mediocre things every year or two, I have a few superb things that I spend $100-$200 a year maintaining (total, not each).
- lmm 11y ago
  I'd be surprised if that ends up cheaper once you take into account the inconvenience of arranging repairs.
  - Tepix 11y ago
    If you factor in the cost for the environment, absolutely!
    - maxerickson 11y ago
      I wonder if the drive to the shop has a higher environmental cost than a new shirt.
  - jschwartzi 11y ago
    It absolutely does. Four years ago I replaced a cheap stamped-steel chef's knife bought for 20.00 with a forged knife bought for 100. I have to keep it sharp and hone the edge, but so far I haven't had to replace it, and it's not even showing signs of wear. Buying expensive cooking tools is definitely cheaper over time than buying whatever crap gets stocked at the grocery store.
    - jmagoon 11y ago
      Totally the case with cookware. The difference in quality between my $60 cutting board and my $5 cutting board is incredible. The $5 one has already been trashed, while I've had the $60 one for 7 years now and it's still going strong. Same for a Creuset that was gifted to me. There's a good chance I'll be able to pass it on to my children, just like my parents passed on their high quality ceramic crockpot to me. Forged knives, copper pots, real sheet pans (not the flimsy quarter inch crap sold at walmart), etc. are all things that last almost forever, even with repeated, high use. You can see why restaurant kitchens almost always go for high quality--the parable of the workingman's boots.
ghaff 11y ago
It won't be $1, but once every year or so I routinely take a handful of items down to a local cleaner to fix/replace zippers, repair a split seam etc. The cost tends toward $5 or so per item. (More for things like zippers.) It's certainly economical if the clothing is otherwise in decent shape. Doing a button myself takes a few minutes--however long I procrastinate about it :-) I agree the overall economics of having clothing repaired isn't as attractive as it was 20 years ago. But it can still work--especially for more utilitarian and better-made gear.

ptaipale 11y ago

I think it's more that in countries with social security, people aren't forced to work on such low wages (or more precisely, on low income as a self-employed person). If people have their rent and food and medical care paid for, and have access to a spectrum of free public services, it's not worthwhile to take the toll of labouring and fixing the clothes and shoes for others. I can typically buy new, good quality shoes (made in Asia by people who have no social security) for the price of one or two simple repairs to shoes. My current favourites are six years old now, made by Ecco somewhere in China, and they show no significant signs of wear outside. I had to have them fixed once when a puppy chewed the heel of one of them a bit. The problem is bigger in European welfare states than in the US. It's going away, though: the welfare state structures will be ramped down radically within a decade or two.

guard-of-terra 11y ago
That's where basic income would shine. Both social security and repair stalls! People that do it for socialising and odd buck.
- ptaipale 11y ago
  That basic income still has to be funded somehow, and even without it the public services (plus some self-employed or begging income) of modern welfare state provide a standard of living that is far better than the income of large numbers of people in poor countries. Opening the borders with current welfare structures (or any "basic income" that covers everyone) will lead to insolvency of the public sector and loss of confidence to government by the people who pay taxes. Welfare system or open borders, choose one. This is a bit simplistic, but there's no escape from this problem.
  - guard-of-terra 11y ago
    Welfare system!