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They didn't necessarily think about lifetimes back then. LEGO bricks used to be made to withstand nuclear holocaust because, well, the Engineers though they sh

They didn't necessarily think about lifetimes back then. LEGO bricks used to be made to withstand nuclear holocaust because, well, the Engineers though they should be 'durable'. It was hard to convince them to scale back a bit. They are still 'durable' as anyone walking with bare feet near children can attest, but just not quite as invulnerable as before. They saved a lot without compromise. Fridges may not need to last 30 years, it costs a lot to do so, so let consumers decide. What should happen is something about 'lifetime and warranty'. Some people might want 'long lasting things' in which case we should be able to clearly differentiate.

ricardobeat 4y ago
“let consumers decide” is a dark joke. In practice, the market will race to the bottom, and the only quality items left will be at the other end of the spectrum, unaffordable for 99% of consumers. You see this everyday, it has become very hard to find great manufacturing quality on every kind of product, from appliances to phones, cars, even mundane stuff like a lemon juicer or a light fixture. Everything at market prices is not built to last more than a handful of years.
- jollybean 4y ago
  I don't think it's a scam, 'lower price' is such a hugely powerful thing as a first order issue. Wallmart + China has changed the world, middle and lower class people now have material abundance that was unthinkable in the past. I mean 'too much stuff'. If we can get to the point of being able to recycle materials effectively, I'm fine with it becoming normative. "The Robot made me this really great cappuccino machine it breaks in 6 years but that's fine because I want the new one, with the newer features" Or "The Robot made me this 'metric' wrench system for really cheap, which won't last long, but that's fine, I use it literally not even once a year around the house, but I really do value having it around and available"
ggm 4y ago
Not all Lego bricks. Some early bricks were a weak plastic which deformed in the little "cups" underneath. Had 1960s lego, some was good, some wasn't. They definitely had a pre-stable window (and these were real Danish lego, not some 3rd nation knock off)

ricardobeat 4y ago

“let consumers decide” is a dark joke. In practice, the market will race to the bottom, and the only quality items left will be at the other end of the spectrum, unaffordable for 99% of consumers. You see this everyday, it has become very hard to find great manufacturing quality on every kind of product, from appliances to phones, cars, even mundane stuff like a lemon juicer or a light fixture. Everything at market prices is not built to last more than a handful of years.

jollybean 4y ago
I don't think it's a scam, 'lower price' is such a hugely powerful thing as a first order issue. Wallmart + China has changed the world, middle and lower class people now have material abundance that was unthinkable in the past. I mean 'too much stuff'. If we can get to the point of being able to recycle materials effectively, I'm fine with it becoming normative. "The Robot made me this really great cappuccino machine it breaks in 6 years but that's fine because I want the new one, with the newer features" Or "The Robot made me this 'metric' wrench system for really cheap, which won't last long, but that's fine, I use it literally not even once a year around the house, but I really do value having it around and available"

ggm 4y ago

Not all Lego bricks. Some early bricks were a weak plastic which deformed in the little "cups" underneath. Had 1960s lego, some was good, some wasn't. They definitely had a pre-stable window (and these were real Danish lego, not some 3rd nation knock off)