There’s a Yiddish proverb that goes, “Man plans; God laughs.” Well, the Creator has certainly been laughing at me for the past four days. I expect His laughter ended today when I bought a new Sony DVD player at Best Buy for roughly half the cost I paid for my recently retired device. Indeed, if my recollection serves me, the combined cost my second (purchased in 2007) and third (purchased today) DVD players was less than that for my first one (purchased in 2001).
I had made this great plan for the two weeks of the holiday season. I would spend the first one largely alone, watching lots and lots of DVDs and considering some important career and personal issues. I would only venture out to buy and ship last minute Chanuka presents–and for a special Chanuka dinner with a close friend. After that, I would make no major purchases, save those related to my dissertation.
As I may detail in a subsequent post, in that quiet period, I had no major insights, resolved none of the issues with which I was wrestling, only reached partial resolution on one issue — and that in a chance conversation with a then-stranger, now potential friend.
Well, back to the new DVD player.
My recently retired player (all of 18 months old if that) had begun to freeze up while I was watching those Bette Davis flicks. I ended up watching a few of them on my computer. It didn’t freeze up on all DVDs, just a few. So, I assumed the defect was in the DVD, not the player. Well, last week, on Christmas Day, it froze up on every DVD I tried to load, even those I had watched previously on that machine.
So, I had to change my plans and venture out to go shopping on a week that was to be dedicated to study and writing. . . .
But, as I bought the new player, spending considerably less than I had anticipated spending, I thought of two closely-linked things, the wonder of capitalism and the disposability today of items which were once considered luxuries.
Was it just over a decade ago that the first DVD players retailed for close to $1,000? Now we have sleeker, better machines for 1/20th that cost. All because capitalism encourages innovation. Through innovation, entrepreneurs make increasingly better products at an increasingly smaller expense.
Yet, where we once valued our electronics, now we just dispose of a product when it outlives its use. Or need repair.
I remember my Dad taking me Swallen’s when I was in high school so I could buy a tape deck with money I had earned as a busboy and had received for Chanuka (and/or my birthday). I was just shy of what I needed to buy decent model, so my father offered to chip in the rest, telling me that I was making a major purchase, something which should last well into my adulthood. He paid for the difference, reminding me to take good care of my new machine. I’d be responsible for repairs if it broke.* I followed his instructions and gave the machine away only when I moved out here. (It still worked)
I thought of that tape deck not long ago when, for less than half its cost (in dollars far weaker than they were when I bought it), I bought a boom box with sound just as good as my component stereo system.
I guess I’ve still retained the mentality I gained when my Dad told me to take good care of that tape deck. I thought there would be some great cost to getting a new machine.
But, now like so much in our society, our products last us now more than a few years. They’re cheaper to replace than to repair.
——
*Have you noted how few TV/Electronics repair shops you see nowadays where once they dotted the urban and suburban landscape?
You got hosed.
You can get a DVD player for $29.99 at Wally World. At any rate, this doesn’t seem to have given you as much consternation as buying a microwave apparently did.
Well, do not leave us in suspense. What sort of DVD player did you get and what was your reasoning behind your choice? I might even follow your lead!!!
surely a movie buff like you bought a blue ray at the new low prices?
Was it just over a decade ago that the first DVD players retailed for close to $1,000? Now we have sleeker, better machines for 1/20th that cost.
Geez, I can remember my Dad spending around this amount for a VCR in the late 1980s to early 1990s. This is why I’m always at the tail-end of the latest tech craze. TGC is right: when an item is sold at Wally World, for at least a year, that’s when it become affordable to buy.
If anyone of you are currently shopping for a very good DVD player, I highly recommend this one. I have a couple of others, but this is the best I’ve found.
Having gotten into new technologies early on ($895 for a microwave and $498 for a VCR) before mass acceptance lowered prices, I have become very conservative when it comes to new “gadgets”. (I might also have been influenced by collecting 234 8-track tapes only to have 8-track players disappear from auto dashes and store shelves.)
I didn’t buy a CD player until some good friends stopped sending Christmas cards and switched to personalized CDs; had to run to Walmart* to get a “boom box”-type CD player. Since then I’ve built up a large CD collection and have returned to Walmart* several times to upgrade my CD players.
I didn’t see a need for a DVD player (that old 1970s VCR still works) until “Brokeback Mountain” came out only in DVD. I went to Walmart* and asked a clerk in electronics, who I knew and trusted, to pick out the DVD player I ought to buy. I expected him to reach for one of the high-end units. Instead he handed me one that sold for $39.95. It still works.
Like you noted, Dan, it’s become cheaper to throw TVs and other electronics away than repair them. And that makes Walmart* an ideal place to shop. (When Congress ordered the switch to high definition it was hard to find a unit selling for less than four figures. Yet, during the Christmas season several quality brand 32-inch sets were selling at Walmart* for from $398 to $488.)
My cell phone (a service I didn’t get until three years ago) illustrates how old-fashioned I am about new technologies. Between October 15, 2007, and October 15, 2008, I made a total of 15 calls on my cell phone and currently have 1,098 in carried-over minutes. I have no idea how to text message, download music, access the Internet, receive photos or take and send photos. And no inclination to learn how.
Jack, do you own Wal-Mart stock?
I’d guess that Jack lives where WAL*MART has driven out all other retailers & has few options beyond W*M & a looooong drive.
Shorter Jack:
“I am the last person in the world that should give advice about the purchase of electronic media devices as every purchase I have ever made has been a poor choice and I don’t even know how to use new technology. Nonetheless I am certain that the best course of action is to buy something cheap and crappy from Walmart.”
Many years ago I bought a camrecorder for a $1000. I used it a lot and really enjoyed it. Years later I bought a VCR for about the same price. I half ways learned to use it. Now my daughter gave me a DVD and my friend gave me another one. They are determined that I would learn to use them. I am still looking for the switch that turns them on. I guess I was just born too soon.
I’d guess that Jack lives where WAL*MART has driven out all other retailers & has few options beyond W*M & a looooong drive.
I didn’t know you could access blogs back there in the 50s. The same type of crap was predicted when strip centers came along then when malls came around in the 70s and 80s.
What’s more, it’s funny how the liberals always hate on Walmart, but don’t seem too concerned about Target, Costco, HD, Lowes etc. And why do I keep finding liberals at Walmart? I’d be interested in which towns have had all their retailers driven out. My town has 3 Walmarts and the retailers do just fine.
To #7, Ignatius — No, I don’t own stock in Walmart* but I sure wish I did!! I can’t remember the exact percentage, but a survey of consumers taken during the recent holiday shoppping season indicated over two-thirds of all consumers were in a Walmart* at least once during the shopping season.
I strongly disagree with those who think Walmart* is something evil.
I live in a rural area — there are only 10,000 people in the entire county, about 2,800 of them in the county seat where our Walmart* is located. To get the merchandise selection Walmart* has at other stores it is necessary to drive from 35 to 50 miles each way. That is certainly not practical even with gasoline now at $1.40 or so and near insane when gasoline was $4 or more.
Until two years ago our Walmart* was small, with no grocery section. They then built a new, small “super center” of 100,000 sq. ft. (If I’m in the nearest big city, 50 miles away, I’ll stop by one of the 200,000 sq. ft. super centers and if I’m in the nearest big, big city 120 miles away I make sure to stop in one of the 215,000 sq. ft. super centers.)
WHen our larger Walmart* opened, no locally-owned business went out of business because of it. The local super market has struggled but has recovered because a lot of people are willing to pay more in order to get in and out of the place more quickly than at Walmart*. I try to buy many of my groceries at the super market but sometimes am not in the mood. Clerks at Walmart* make me feel welcome and appreciated and the sullen teenagers at the super market checkouts act like they don’t give a f— whether I’m there or not. (Complaints to both the manager and owner have not made the hired help more welcoming and friendly –I guess the spoiled and pampered kids raised by the most recent adult generation don’t care.)
I don’t know if the county seat is typical of small towns, but I can see why consumers appreciate having Walmart* around. Despite having a larger Walmart* and a growing number of wives who have to work and must shop evenings and weekends, the locally-owned retailers still close at 5 p.m. weeknights, close at noon on Saturdays and close all day on Sundays. (I dropped by one of the so-called “mom and pop” stores the other day at 4:49 p.m. and the owner refused to wait on me because it would take past 5 p.m. and he asked me to leave so he could close.)
And I have another reason for liking Walmart*. I spend about $750-800 a month at Walmart* (which is lot since I live alone and don’t have a family’s grocery needs). A few months ago I did some price checking and estimated that the same merchandise purchased elsewhere would cost me $900-950 a month. That’s $1,800 a year I have to spend on other things I want to do.
Besides, we know liberals could give a sh*t less about “mom & pop” businesses (or any business for that matter). The Walmart hatred is all about the unions who spend tons o cash on getting liberals elected. It’s also about Walmart doing more to help Americans (many low-income) than liberals have.
I had to sell my tv and a few other items for a big move across country. I was thrilled to find a 46″ 1080p plasma and a panasonic bluray dvd player for 1200 at costco.
Forget walmart. The best thing of all is if the price drops in the next 90 days I just take my receipt back and get credited the difference… Oh yeah and costco treats give gay employees dp benefits. Oh yeah and the dvd player upscales my old dvd’s just awesome.