The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same

[launderess]

Average U.S. household income for 1958 was only around $5k. Adjusted for inflation that's $53,067.07 in today's money.

https://www2.census.gov/prod2/popscan/p60-033.pdf

That $50 for a second hand wringer washer would have consumed quite a bit of family income. It couldn't come out of housekeeping but was often an investment saved up for, funds came from some sort of windfall and or worked towards. Other option was credit such as easy payment plans offered by all sorts of dealers of major appliances large and small.

Key to Sears having more appliances in homes across America than anyone else was their easy payment/credit plan.

Alice Kramden did it on Honeymooners but plenty of real life wives also had a go at their husbands over mod cons. If he wouldn't (or couldn't) provide funds many wives took in some sort of work or got jobs to provide "pin money" for household. These funds went towards providing many of the mod cons associated with middle class living. Including going towards making payments for things bought on credit.

Many old enough to remember will recall there was a time when many local appliance stores offered "easy credit" terms. One could get washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, televisions, radios... all sorts of electronics or major appliances on credit terms. Each week or month you went down to said store to make payments. If one missed payments for too long stores could (and often did) send someone to take all that stuff back.

[this post was last edited: 11/2/2023-08:07]

 

[Unimatic1140]

Home appliance were certainly more expensive relative to today in 1955, however the big ticket items is where 1955 was much more affordable compared to 2023.

In 1955 according to google the median home price in the USA was $18,395 or $211,528 in today's dollars compared to $410,200 in June 2023...
https://www.bankrate.com/real-estat... States,association started tracking the data.

Same with cars, in '55 a New Dodge Sedan, 6-passenger: was $21,091 in 2023 dollars compared to $34,876 in 2023.

 

[launderess]

Back in day "major" appliances or white goods were just that; things designed to last.

Whereas appliances of old (that were largely mechanical in nature) lasted 20-30 years or longer. Today's modern appliances on average last only 10-15 years. All those added bells and whistles including motherboards, electronics and so forth add functionally I suppose, but at cost of durability. Once they go and appliance is out of warranty it rarely makes sense economically to repair.

This goes long way in explaining why fleaPay, CL and other online are full of older appliances from 1960's through say 1980's that are still perfectly operational. Whereas you have modern stuff barely ten years old falling apart and or otherwise busted.

People will say modern fridges, dishwashers, washing machines, etc... use less energy than in past, so there is that. But if one has to replace things after just say fifteen years how much is really being saved?

 

[maytag85]

Reply #22

I ask the same thing. If modern appliances are more efficient but yet, have to be replaced every 10 years, where’s the savings in energy? It takes an insane amount of energy to process steel, even when you recycle steel, still takes a lot of energy to do so.

To give you guys an idea on what it takes to produce steel from scratch along with recycling steel, I suggest check out this film from the Ford Motor Company called Steel On The Rouge from 1968.

 

[aquarius1984]

Watch a 55 year old film about steel production LOL

I’d imagine steel processing has moved on since then. So no. I’d rather watch something that is really up to date and actually reflective of how it’s produced today.

 

[henene4]

I did that calculation on here before.

Energy usage during use is the significantly higher CO2 factor compared to production.

I think the emissions for production was between 200-400lbs for an appliance.
A kWh emits about a pound of CO2.

Came down to 5-10 years to break even, IIRC.

 

[maytag85]

Reply #24

Steel is produced very much the same as it was 55 years ago. There have been some changes over the years but remains very much the same. Biggest difference is they went from open-hearth furnaces to oxygen based furnaces which could produce more steel in less time. In recent years, electric arc furnaces have started to become more prevalent but require lots of juice to run so they aren’t common. The blast furnace aspect hasn’t changed since then, that’s for sure.

 

[combo52]

Energy needed to build a new washing machine etc

It takes vastly less energy to make steel today, and then couple that with the fact that a new washing machine only has about 1/3 the amount of steel a belt drive whirlpool had or a dependable Care Maytag had in it.

Yes, I agree that appliances should be kept used as long as possible But Reality is all appliances especially those that use water have a limited life nothing last forever in this category automobiles do not last forever, etc..

A front loading washer will use one quarter of the energy and water that an old dependable Care Maytag or belt drive whirlpool, or even a direct drive washer used so it really does pay to replace them when they were out and even if they only last 5 to 20 years instead of 10 to 30 there’s a huge savings with new machines.

John

 

[maytag85]

I simply don’t buy that newer appliances are more efficient. It’s simply “green washing” by corporations who claim to care but behind the scenes, they don’t give a damn.

 

[maytag85]

Reply #27

Why are you so fixated on energy consumption and such? If you are so worried about energy consumption, then why do you collect vintage appliances?

 

[combo52]

Reply number 28

Hi Sean, the only thing I can’t figure out is how you keep sand and dirt out of your eyes and nose.

Reply number 29 what does my collecting appliances have to do with energy efficiency, none of the appliances we collect were purchased new so they don’t cause a waste of steel and energy. They were all slated for recycling when we acquired them,

We don’t even have to heat or air condition that building that they’re in, you simply don’t make any sense in your comments.

John

 

[maytag85]

Reply #30

You don’t make much since either when you are constantly contradicting yourself in your posts, and on other people’s posts/threads as well. There’s plenty of evidence of that in the archives.

 

[combo52]

Sean, it makes perfect sense you have your head stuck in the sand when you make ridiculous statements that new machines don’t use less energy than old ones.

Modern refrigerators and freezers use 1/2 to 1/4 of the energy they once did new washing machines use one 10th the hot water they used to use less than half the electricity and less than 1/4 the total water.

New dishwashers use 1/4 of the water and electricity they used to use, I could go on and on these are facts. If you want to dispute them no one‘s interested in talking to you, you might as well just go drive your 1966 galaxy and stop driving around in modern cars like you’re doing if old things are so energy efficient.

John

 

[maytag85]

Reply #23

No one will be interested in talking to you since you since you always bring up the subject of energy consumption and politics in your posts.

Actually, you have your head stuck in the sand since when people tell you the truth and facts, you seem to get pissed off then start going off on your tangents and such ALWAYS WITHOUT FAIL. It’s hypocritical to tell me when I have my head stuck in the sand when you have had your head stuck in the sand all along.