I think the parent also makes a very good point about creating a better market for reselling older products. The impact of new products being more expensive should be a relatively short-lived one given that consumers who do want the new, shiny gizmo will have much greater incentive to resell what they have, and those who want/need to pay less will just need to seek those used products out. Instead of buying something brand new that will only last a year or two, you're getting something with the same durability to you, but without the environmental impact of making an entirely new Widget.