Appliance/Elevtronic status symbols by the decade

[verizonbear]

A friend of mine is getting his MBA and is specializing in marketing. On the MARC train to DC we had a discussion and made a list of " Appliance&#92Electronic Status Symbols " that represented entry into the upper middle class and became mainstream during that decade. What would you add this list?

1950s : Automatic Washers, Dryers, TV stereo consoles Refrigerator with seperate freezer compartment.

1960s: Dishwashers, Washer Dryer Combos, Frost Free Refrigerators with ice maker, self cleaning ovens, reel to reel audio tape recorders, garbage disposals, color TV, built in wall ovens and cooktops

1970s: Microwave Ovens, Side by Side Refrigerator with ice/water in door, seperate stereo components, 8 track tape players. trash compactors, portable washers and dryers,25 inch console tvs,

1980s: CD players, Microwave/Convection combos, Over the range Microwave Hood, Down draft vented cooktops. Stacked Unitized washer/dryer, cassette tape players

1990s: Ceramic Cooktops, home theater systems, laser disc players, camcorders, white on white appiances

2000s: Dual Fuel Ranges, stainless steel appliances, rebranding of front load washers, dishwashers with stainless steel interior, electronic controls, Dvd players, high depth tv, rebranding of bottom freezer refrigerators, Drawer Diswashers, cooktops with grill, ranges with convection ovens. induction cooktops, surround sound home theater

2010- h2014, French door refrigerators, wine coolers, lcd TVs, sound bars, internet connectivity,

 

[jakeseacrest]

Kitchen Aid Mixers for the 70s and Cuisinart Food Processors would probably be in the 80s.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

1950s: Television

 

[whirlcool]

Looks like you are pretty much right on target with the items/decades.

 

[paulg]

Central Vacuum Cleaners

Is something I would add as a glamour product of the time.
Which decade? Dunno.

 

[xraytech]

Can't forget the VCR in the 80s

 

[turquoisedude]

Central vacs - good one - they seemed to be a big deal here in Canada in the 70s and 80s!

 

I guess ironers were probably a status symbol in the 50s too.  

 

[stevet]

KA mixers....

KitchenAid mixers have been around since the early 20's. I have a Model 3B from the late 40's that I still use and it works like it is brand new!
Food Processors were much in vogue as stated in the 80's and forward.

 

[tolivac]

I have seen Cuisnart Food processors even in the 70's those early versians built for them by RoboCoupe are PRIZED machines-VERY RARE-folks won't give them up!You started and stopped those by moving the lid on the container.There was no switch on the base.It has been said that food processors were used commercially in France even as early as the 50's.Again made by RoboCoupe-they made the first food processors-they are still with us today-they cator to commercial markets-they do make a machine for home use under "Magimix".Williams Sonoma and Chefs Choice catalogs listed those.

 

[electron1100]

the 70s

you have hifi separates but I remember quadraphonic hifi as being a status item then.

Gary

 

[tolivac]

"Quad"or Quadrophonic didn't really catch on in those days-was aimed for music listening.It survives today in another form 5.1 and 7.1 sorround sound formats for movie soundtracks.Now we have theaters installing Dolby Atmos and Auro soundtracks that have even more channels-speakers above the listeners-in front of the screen.And they add two other channels for behind the screen.Some BluRay movies are encoded for these-in hopes that amp makers will make compable amps for this.What will the Mrs think with MORE speakers in the home theater room?In theaters the above speakers are flush ceiling mounted.

 

[electron1100]

Umm

Hi Tolivac

I think you miss my point about Quadraphonic Hi-fi back in the 1970s, my point was about it being a status symbol in the UK Hi-fi world back then, not as to whether it was a success or not.

Gary

 

[frigilux]

I would add cassette tapes to the very early 1970s. Remember seeing one of the first examples in a Sears Christmas catalog.

Prognostication 2015-2020: Google Glass (or similar)

 

[tolivac]

Yes,didn't relize you were talking about UK.Only very breifly here.Remember Elcassettes?Remember seeing them and their machines only a couple times.Another audio "dodo".

 

[electron1100]

Elcaset

That was such a shame, I owned two Sony Elcaset machines the 5 and the 7 and they were both stunning in terms of there performance and build quality, the only non reel to reel machines that could draw me away from reel to reel.
Ah well all the good stuff goes :-(

Gary

 

[tolivac]

Guess the Elcassette died from---Folks already happy with RR machines and not wanting to change.Philips cassette machine owners happy with theirs and not wanting to change-the 70's was the time when Philips style cassettes went from a "dictation" quality format to a Hi-Fi one thanks partly to Dolby,and cassette tape oxide formulas that improved the recording quality of the tapes.-Chromium and Metal type tapes as I vaguely remember.

 

[arbilab]

The 'status' joke was on the passengers of the 8-track boat. Even back in the day you'd see 8trk carts on the side of the road with their guts hanging out like a runover skunk, hearing the echo of the owner yelling expletives around "you've jammed on me for the last time". Oh, and when they DID work they sounded like listening to music-on-hold over the phone.

OTOH, the one thing I NEVER saw was a car with a R2R in it, though that would have been more practical than car TURNTABLES which I DID see.

Early 50s: central air. Only one house on our circle had it, and it wasn't ours.

 

[statomatic]

Compact cassette

The Dolby B was a consumer version of the Dolby A, dolby B is used on most of the decks.
In 1981 the Dolby C was released, it provides a better noise reduction but needs a very precise alignment of the tape deck (bias, sensitivity azimuth...) to prevent audio artifacts like pumping effect and treble loosing.
The DBX was the best in terms of noise reduction and dynamic range expansion but it also needs a perfect alignment and to be decoded (DBX equipped are rare).
There was several other noise reduction systems that were less popular like the ANRS (JVC), the ADRES (Toshiba / Aurex), Super D (Sanyo) and Dolby S (used on some 90's decks).

The tapes gets some great improvements too, BASF invented the chromium dioxide (type II) tape in the early 70's.
The Japanese manufacturers invented "chrome equivalent" tapes (TDK "Super Avilyn", Maxell "Epitaxial", Fuji "Beridox") to not have to pay the taxes to Sony (which was the exclusive distributor in Japan).
In 1975 Sony created the "FeCr" (ferrichrome or type III) tape which has two oxide layers, this tape was excellent when used on a deck with "FeCr" because it has the advantages of ferric tape (great bass response) and chrome tape (low noise and great treble response).
In 1979 the metal (type IV) tape was invented, it uses a pure iron (non oxidized) pigment.
The FeCr tape manufacturing stopped in the early 80's when the metal tape started to have a better success.
In the early 80's there was also cassette shells improvements like the TDK MA-R (metal shell), the Sony Metal Master (ceramic shell), and several others with new plastic formulations.

Yes I don't collect only vintage washing machines !

 

[electron1100]

Oh yes

ha ha we are drifting off topic here but yes being the age I am all this gear etc was around when I could buy it and enjoy it and still do, dyed in the wool analogue fan here.