# "They don't make 'em like they used to" what \*older\* items do you prefer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 13, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878 "2010-02-13T17:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/61 "2010-02-15T05:06:47Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Tangent: > > I shoot 45 LC in my Thompson Contender and .410 of course. How hot can I go in that weapon? I love that thing, knock a truck over with it. [The Contender series are just as rugged as the Ruger Blackhawks](http://www.chuckhawks.com/high-pressure45.htm) and can handle higher pressure loads Personally, I stick with standard pressure loads, as the brass will last longer and there will be less wear-and-tear on the gun itself I am sorely tempted to work up some classic black powder .45LC loads, but i hesitate to do it, because black powder is very corrosive, and the gun _must_ be detail cleaned, stripped to the frame after every BP shooting session, I think I’m gonna get a BP long gun to scratch my black powder itch, they require less meticulous cleaning, I’m thinking a good flintlock musket would be fun, none of this newfangled matchlock or caplock stuff for me, thanks ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/62 "2010-02-15T05:27:19Z")
This may show how young I am compared to the majority here, but Legos. Sets of Legos are just not made the same way now as when I was young. Back in my days you’d easily get hundreds of pieces and the design would be truly clever as to how they’d fit together to make something specific. Now-a-days you’re lucky if your new set breaks a hundred pieces and don’t worry, all the weird shapes are now made out of one big Lego piece you just stick on. Oh and forget original designs, Lego sets are all based off whatever new big movie is being produced by Hollywood. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/63 "2010-02-15T05:29:26Z")
When I was a kid Lego were just blocks. ‘Special shapes’ were windows. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/64 "2010-02-15T05:31:10Z")
Yes exactly. Go look at a few boxes of new sets and you’ll see what I mean. Don’t be afraid to let a tear out as well. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/65 "2010-02-15T05:45:55Z")
The Japanese have this thing for short, one handed, “pistol gripped” fishing rods that have been forgotten here in the U.S. Fly fisherman also have a thing for Bamboo rods. They’ll pay tons of money for a hand made bamboo rod instead of a rod made from a high tech graphite. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/66 "2010-02-15T15:47:17Z")
Actually, the ‘one big piece’ heresy is dead. There’s fewer parts now, and more custom ones, but they’re rarely that horrible ‘one big piece’ platform, excepting only a certain ‘wing’ shape I can think of that gets used to make body sides. The new Space Police line is very nice. One of my earlier ‘adult’ sets was the original Space line, and there’s some nice callbacks. ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/67 "2010-02-15T18:12:49Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > To add: Having cars made out of metal again would be AWESOME. > I hate cars that weigh less than I do. Um, slight hijack, but cars are getting heavier and heavier. I would agree that they feel less solid than older cars, but the average redesign weighs something like 300-400 pounds more than the previous generation. ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/68 "2010-02-15T18:18:34Z")
> [@FE3O4ENAIL](#): > > I have a 1954 5 window Chevy PU in the barn I need to sell. The cab and box are off of the frame. The cab has rotted out cab corners. She is in rough shape. I think I like the grille design on the 1947-1953 models a little better. Thanks for the offer, though! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/69 "2010-02-15T18:35:41Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Actually, the ‘one big piece’ heresy is dead. There’s fewer parts now, and more custom ones, but they’re rarely that horrible ‘one big piece’ platform, excepting only a certain ‘wing’ shape I can think of that gets used to make body sides. > The new Space Police line is very nice. One of my earlier ‘adult’ sets was the original Space line, and there’s some nice callbacks. I have a 5 year old who loves Legos, and we have sets that were my husband’s originally when he was a kid, and lots of new sets also. We don’t have any that are ‘one big piece’ really, but I guess there are a bunch of special pieces for things like the animal sets (the dino ones come with movable pieces and light up eyes and stuff like that). I actually think kids do more with them now. I remember when I played with them as a kid, I just had the blocks and windows and after a while I just didn’t know what to do with them except build houses. I didn’t have a mind for putting them together, but now that I see all the things my kid can do with them it’s pretty amazing, I think some of the sets now really show off their capabilites more. My husband likes playing with them almost as much as the kids, and when you pair them with K’nex and the motors and stuff you can get now the possibilities are enormous. I still think Legos are great because they work so well for kids that like to follow plans to build things, and also for freestyle type builders. I really can’t think of much that I think hasn’t been improved over the years. Sometimes things like toys and clothes I guess, but I can almost always find what I want if I am willing to look around a bit. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/70 "2010-02-15T20:19:04Z")
[http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/07/31/the-worst-lego-piece-ever-made/](http://dansdata.blogsome.com/2008/07/31/the-worst-lego-piece-ever-made/) Some comments on the ‘Piece Out Of Other Pieces’ problem Lego had in the 90s. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/71 "2010-02-15T20:38:24Z")
Well I admittedly haven’t checked out any sets in recent days but that’s more because our stores barely carry Legos anymore and they’re the small sets that normally don’t have too many pieces. The article **E-Sabbath** links to says that the company has gone back to using lots of pieces like The Olden Days, so if that is true, my sadness for Legos is diminished until I see actual proof. ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/72 "2010-02-15T20:45:13Z")
Our kid recently got this set: > **[Amazon.com: LEGO Creator Stegosaurus : Toys & Games](https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-4998-Creator-Stegosaurus/dp/B00160EZEU)** > > From the Manufacturer Here comes the plate-backed Stegosaurus. This Jurassic dinosaur may have eaten plants, but it was no pushovers just check out the four long spikes on its lashing tail. The Stegosaurus is fully-articulated with eyes that... and it is pretty cool. (although don’t buy it from that vendor - holy overpriced!) Lots of individual pieces and he spends hours making all kinds of creatures. This seems pretty typical of what he gets now, although I agree there is a lot of cross promotion with movies and cartoons, but I grew up in the 80’s so I am used to that. Looks like we missed the horror of the Lego 90’s 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/73 "2010-02-15T20:47:43Z")
> [@Velma](#): > > Our kid recently got this set: > [Amazon.com: LEGO Creator Stegosaurus : Toys & Games](http://www.amazon.com/LEGO-4998-Creator-Stegosaurus/dp/B00160EZEU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1266266423&sr=1-2) > > and it is pretty cool. (although don’t buy it from that vendor - holy overpriced!) > > Lots of individual pieces and he spends hours making all kinds of creatures. This seems pretty typical of what he gets now, although I agree there is a lot of cross promotion with movies and cartoons, but I grew up in the 80’s so I am used to that. > > Looks like we missed the horror of the Lego 90’s 🙂 Damn that thing looks awesome! I’ll be over in about 20 minutes to play with it. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/74 "2010-02-15T21:12:12Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > To be fair, they still make and sell plenty of cast-iron cookware. > > Cast-iron has many superior qualities for cooking. Maybe the only two disadvantages are that’s it’s heavy and that acidic food tends to leach iron and harm the seasoning. > > Neither of which are that terrible. But I just got a beautiful new cast-iron skillet last year for Christmas. So it’s not like they “don’t make 'em like they used to”, it’s more that “people who don’t know how to cook often buy terrible cookware, but the good stuff is still available for people who do. And cast-iron isn’t even expensive!” > > 😃 No, their primary disadvantage is that they take forever to heat up and forever to cool down. They are irreplaceable for certain applications, but not all. ---
**Author:** ![nolonger\_lurking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/41988e/32.png) [@nolonger\_lurking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nolonger_lurking)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/75 "2010-02-16T15:15:02Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Something as mundane as staplers. I’ve a who-knows-how-old ‘Rapid 8 Deluxe’ stapler, an all-metal machine that’s just as indestructible, solid and accurate (huh?) as it looks like. Loading the thing feels like arming a high-end pocket gun. Can’t stand the flimsy, plastic-y current stapler models at all. You may have to do a bit of looking, but I purchased an all-metal Swingline 747 Business Stapler at Costco 6 years ago (it also came with more staples than I will use in my life). It looks new, even though it rides around in my backpack. It may outlast me. I looked online; Swingline still sells them. I think that this is true of most of the things mentioned in this thread. There is a lot of survivor bias- everyone has been making cheap plastic stuff for a long time now, but you can still find the durable, high quality products if you care to look. In 30 years, no doubt my children will talk about their dad’s stapler or whatever I have that has lasted that long. The plastic travel stapler that was packaged with it and disintegrated in my backpack will be forgotten. I lack the personal experience to assert that it is as easy to find the high quality durable goods today as in the past, but I suspect they are no more expensive (adjusted for inflation) than the ones still standing from 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/76 "2010-02-16T17:12:06Z")
> **[Amazon.com: LEGO Space Police Hyperspeed Pursuit (5973) : Toys & Games](https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Space-Police-Hyperspeed-Pursuit/dp/B001URY5GM)** > > From the Manufacturer Space Police alert. The Skull Twins are getting away with a safe full of gold in their hyperspeed Skull Interceptor. Hit the turbo-rockets and give chase in the super-fast Space Police VX-Falcon, but watch out for the... (Them Duke Boys are in a heap of trouble now!) > **[Amazon.com: LEGO Space Police Smash 'n' Grab (5982) : Toys & Games](https://www.amazon.com/LEGO-Space-Police-Smash-Grab/dp/B002RL7W74)** > > From the Manufacturer Priority one to all Space Police units in Galaxy City. Squidtron has just smashed into the Space Bank and stolen an asteroid ATM – asteroid and all. It’s up to the Space Police commando to stop the space-crook before he... (Yeah, Lego Tow-Truck stealing a space-ATM.) This is all made by fairly common parts. Some Technic mixed in, but all of this can be, and has been, repurposed over a dozen sets. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/77 "2010-02-16T17:33:27Z")
I have a floor scrubber that I was my mother’s. It has to be over 40 years old, possibly over 50. I loved it for my tile floor since it could scrub the grout but it recently stopped working. I’ve been thinking of making a sculpture out of it as an homage to how some things were better made years ago. I think the brand was a Kenmore but I’d have to look at it to be sure. I don’t think they even make these things anymore, I haven’t seen any in stores, so it really can’t be replaced. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/78 "2010-02-16T17:41:34Z")
RE: “Lawyer Triggers” I don’t believe they are a result of anything legal. They are a result of keeping costs down. The older guns were nicer, in many ways, because of the amount of hand work done by skilled workers. A really good trigger is the result of skilled labor. Modern guns can be tuned by a skilled smith to have good triggers, too. Typically, the smith basically just polishes the parts of the trigger mechanism and makes sure they fit together precisely. This polishing requires skill and knowledge and used to be done on good qulaity firearms at the factory. Cheap old-timey guns had lousy triggers because they skipped the polishing/fitting steps then and for the same reasons as now. In most modern guns, they don’t fit parts, they just assemble them. Everything fits together well enough to function safely, but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/79 "2010-02-16T18:10:57Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > Flat disposable razor blades - like the original Gilette ones. You can still get them over here, but you have to look. They’re much cheaper than the “modern” disposables and IMO last longer too. Good ones are tough to find here. The most common ones (sold in Walmart, Rite Aid, etc) are made in China and they go dull astonishingly fast. Gillette still sell blades under their name that are made in Russia that are much higher quality, but aren’t nearly as easily found. One can, of course, order blades from all over the world over the internet, but I really miss the convenience of being able to buy good blades at the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878/80 "2010-02-17T00:25:34Z")
Lots of small home appliances. Toasters, mixers, fans, humidifiers, phones, sewing machines, heck even the microwave. It’s not just that the materials are cheapers now, but there are tons of extras that are needless and just waiting to break down. I don’t need a clock on my phone. My floor fan doesn’t need a remote. Why can’t I find a simple humidifier instead of one with digital displays and a ton of setting I’ll never use. I’ve got a 15 year old microwave that I’m betting will long outlast the new one that came with the house last year. I envy my mother’s 50 year old sewing machine with a metal case. Sure, it only sews straight lines, but then that’s most of what I do. I’d love to have my grandmother’s potato ricer. It had heft to it. It’s still in working order at about 80 years old, and my grandmother served potatoes all the time. All the ones I can find now are cheap cheap metal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-dont-make-em-like-they-used-to-what-older-items-do-you-prefer/528878.md?page=5)