One thing I've kinda admired about IKEA is that they are super straightforward about what materials their products are made out of. Literally everything on thei

One thing I've kinda admired about IKEA is that they are super straightforward about what materials their products are made out of. Literally everything on their website says exactly what it's made of. If you want stuff that lasts longer, you buy the stuff at a higher price point that's made of solid wood, if you are on a budget or don't care about the longevity of it, buy the stuff made from particle board or compressed cardboard. It's not so much that the materials have changed, it's that people are buying the lowest end products and then complaining that they aren't as good as the higher end ones, when IKEA sells a whole range of different quality products. And honestly, their lower end products are usually cheaper and better made than the equivalent versions from other retailers. Those cheap IKEA bookcases are far superior to similar versions from Walmart or Target despite being essentially identically constructed.