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Re:The fate of antiques and heirlooms in a disposable age by kevin_thibedeau on Tuesday August 25, 2020 @02:12PM (#24274235)
The first wave of beneficiaries of the industrial revolution were able to display status with mass produced "luxury" goods that were barely affordable and needed to be reserved from every day use. These attitudes carried on through their children and grandchildren.
Re:The fate of antiques and heirlooms in a disposable age by tonyedgecombe on Tuesday August 25, 2020 @03:54PM (#24275361)
It's not even that long ago, when my wife and I bought a house it took a couple of years before we had furnished it. My son filled his flat in a day at Ikea.

It's less valuable to people because it is so easily available.

Re:The fate of antiques and heirlooms in a disposable age by throwaway0a5e on Tuesday August 25, 2020 @06:07PM (#24276778)
And that's a good thing. Compare how the poors lived in 1950-1970 vs today. How many project apartments or leaky rural shacks you think you'd have to combine to get one household worth of (fully functional) furniture and appliances? Cheap furniture, window A/C units that cost about a day's labor. Not that they don't have problems but the cost decreases that have enabled the middle to treat things as disposable has very much enabled the less fortunate to greatly increase their standard of living.