A Return to High Quality
An emerging benefit to the rising cost of consumer goods is that planned obsolescence and the disposable product mentality is no longer cost effective (if it ever was to laborers and the environment). When energy and resources were cheap we could buy limited use items (paper towels, plastic silverware, diapers, etc) and throw them away just to replace them with new ones. A disposable product market makes perfect neoclassical economic sense because it causes a constant need and never allows a slump in production. Because of the rising energy and material costs, manufactures are passing price increases on to the consumers. Because of high prices, people are starting to realize that the small time and effort saved on the disposable is no longer worth the additional time working to pay for the product.
Recently, there have been ads for razor sharpeners because of the high cost of razor blade refills. This product is most likely worthless, but the idea makes perfect sense. Why pay over $100 to shave a year when you can sharpen and reuse your blades. What is the solution then? The solution is to go back to high quality products that were made to last a lifetime. Double-edged safety razors were used a century ago as the standard shaving tool. Safety razors were a great advancement over the straight-blade for protections from cuts. One would think that 100 years later our new razors would be better by leaps and bounds, but this is not the case. Cartridge blades and disposables save time at a higher unit cost and a lower quality shave. Presently, switching to a safety-razor will cost a user $30 for a quality handle, that will last a lifetime, and $15 a year for blades. Although shaving with a safety-razor is an art that requires patience and time, many enjoy it as therapeutic and benefit from reduced razor burn.
Will we see people switching back to old razor blades? Hopefully that and much more. I propose an economic solution that will satisfy investors, workers, and consumers. Let’s produce high quality, lifetime products at a cost that reflects the quality. How would this work? Consumers would pay more money for a product in exchange for an item that will not need to be replaced. Workers will work less since they will no longer have to produce massive amounts of disposable goods. Salaries will stay the same for laborers, but work time will be exchanged for craftsmanship. Quality of life will improve because the public will not be exchanging many hours for hyper-production, but a few hours for refined work. Investors will spend less on raw material and energy because less is being produced. They will make more money per product sold. Investors will also have to provide less amenities to workers because they will be working less hours.
I suspect this was the goal of the artisan. To produce the highest quality good with the greatest efficiency of the buyer and seller’s time, money, and resources. Until nature finishes its course of correction, I suggest that we switch our paradigm about what a bargain is. Replace the disposable with the long lasting. Cheap food is going to cheapen our health. Throw-away items are going to throw away the environment. Increased production is going to increase our time away from family, friends, and life. A long lasting and quality mentality will insure a long lasting quality existence for us.
