Do we know what we "need" anymore?

The wider point though, is perhaps built-in obsolescence, when a product (especially hardware or software), is made with the intent that it should be useful, functional or popular for only a limited length of time; mobile phones being one example.
Or when a product is designed and made with parts that are known to fail after a specific time. This means a new part or a new product will have to be bought to replace it - for example my first fridge lasted for more than twenty years, but when I wanted to get a subsequent one fixed after only nine years the engineer told me that I'd been lucky as most fridges nowadays only last for up to eight years.

Can't beat a good stainless steel frying pan imo!

Thanks, Absent, for putting me right about Teflon. I'll never tell anyone about that again! Hadn't realised Teflon was that old, and I wonder how much we all have inside us, considering how many Teflon pans we have probably all worn through.
Why did Nasa need Teflon coating on the outside of nosecones?

Perhaps something to do with extremes of temperature, djen, but i don't know. You could ask NASA. They have a good website.

Thanks, mice.

The thing is though as Eloethan said people are "permanently dissatisfied"
They rarely seem to get any lasting pleasure from their often very expensive purchases!
No sooner have they got what they wanted than they then want something else, & on & on it goes.

Very weird, Bags. I searched for Nasa, and did a search for teflon on the website. The first article I looked at mentioned heart surgeon De Bakey.
De Bakey's name is given to the classification of aortic dissections, which is what I had last year.

I think the heat generated on re-entry by friction with the atmosphere as space vehicles hurtled down through it was so extreme that it would melt the metal, so NASDA covered the surface with heat-resistant teflon tiles. Sometimes a few fell off, which caused problems.

Stainless steel sticks! Unless you use a load of oil. Which sizzles and splashes were everywhere.

Sorry. Was back on frying pans.

And the Lakeland Catalogue!

We are all locked into a huge, avaricious system that depends on the continuous replacement or acquisition of manufactured products. The greater the amount of stuff produced, the lower the unit cost, and the more we buy. Technology just doesn't stand still and powerful media and peer pressure is very successful in persuading us to buy, buy, buy, and we do, so many of us end up with mountains of redundant items.

For example, I have a large bag of old mobile phones, and a couple of old computers, which nobody wants - and, of course, there are the security implications which means you can't just throw those sort of things away. The other night we worked out that our oldest domestic item is an ironing board purchased in 1966 and still in regular use. Can anybody beat that?

I tend to buy people ironing boards cause I've realised that it's one of the last things that people think of replacing [and not something that gives one a great sense of satisfaction when buying one]. My daughter had one passed on from her FIL so I bought her a new one saying she'd never get round to replacing it so she'd better start off with a new one. Mine must be over 35 years old, cause I can't remember buying it [although I don't have an iron ]. Re stainless steel pans; you can scrub them when things stick with a stainless steel scourer; I burn everything, even when using non stick. Also, when my ex did his MsC it was about polytetrafluoethylene and I had to type it so many times I hate it [grrrr].

I have had my ironing board since 1972. It was bought at a sale in the village hall. Every time I use it, I swear I will go out and buy a new one which doesn't wobble but never do. I have the same problem with colanders - they are so cheap but I just can't bring myself to do it, however when it comes to investing in iPad/TV/furniture I have no problem ....

I like colanders. Got a blue one and a fuchsia pink one.

You buy people ironing-boards, Tegan?
I've still got the one my future SIL gave me in 1973, although it's redundant now...

Maybe I just like to inflict torture on people ...

Tegan I would HATE to be given an ironing board. In fact it would be the death of a friendship. I bought the best one I could in1969 when I got married . Still with me as is my stainless steel colander grater and set of prestige pans.

I don't think I need anything except time. And the love of my family . And the desire to understand a mobile

Papaoscar I am still using the ironing board which was a wedding present in 1966. It is not in the least bit shoogly. Just had a wee walk around and spotted cutlery, dishes, pyrex bowls, dirty linen bin and two wardrobes which were also wedding presents and are still in daily use and that's not to mention cutlery, dishes, table linen & blankets which were my Mother's wedding presents back in 1940, along with Kleeneezy sweeping brushes, two chairs and innumerable other items inherited from DM & MIL, some of which the DDs used to set up their student flats and which are still providing good service in their current homes.

Just last week I binned my Mum's cane carpet beater which was left hanging outside the back door and suffered terminal injury in this winter's storms. Stuff was made to last in those days - as I pointed out to the plastic replacement windows salesperson who was offering a ten year guarantee with his products. Our original sash and case windows are 128 years old now and with a little maintenance from DH work perfectly.

I've only ever bought an ironing board for my daughter; the point I was trying to make is that we live in a society where we replace things constantly but no one replaces ironing boards so, if, when you're starting out with your first home you inherit an old ironing board, unless someone buys you a new one it will never get replaced. By the way, the words on here keep getting larger and smaller; is it just my pooter that's gone peculiar? .

I have a dinner service – almost complete that dates from the 1950s, some sets of glasses – almost complete – that date from the 1930s, and loads of sets of cutlery that date from the 1930s and 1980s. The oldest kitchen appliance is probably 40 years old and some of my clothes – well I wouldn't like to say.

absent

I have reached the conclusion that a section of my wardrobe could be put to better use...don't ask...so I've taken a pile of stuff [all good, clean, may-wear someday] to the school recycling bank. The school benefits with cash payment according to the weight. I've ear-marked other garments for my friend. She is a good with a needle. The fabric can be cut and re-used.

In the meantime, MacSporran continues to hump stuff from one area of the loft to another. Every so often we hire a skip. What we cannot understand is...how is it that we have this much clutter in the loft, when our previous Cornish cottage, from which we moved, was so much smaller/compact and had no loft/decent cupboard space. It's a mystery.