I don't want to tell anyone what to do, but it is important to say that quality products have a history holding their value.
The statement about the same rich people can purchase the high quality items. This is wrong. People today have more purchasing power and buy more cheaply made expensive things things. People have more money today in the US, but we also spend more with 4 cars, running shoes, $3000 TVs
Will the things you buy have any value in years to come? Does this entire situation of demanding cheaper products decrease the value of an engineer.
There is nothing wrong with the consumer demanding sustaining value. And price is not necessarily a cost, it can be an investment.
not in consumer electronics its not. Quality products continue to exist, but availability of cheaper, but functional lower quality goods has its place too. Just an example: I'm a graduate student, so I greatly benefit from this, since I can buy a cheap product, use it for a few years and then throw it away without feeling too bad when I move out of the University town.
We've lived in that world before, it wasn't a better world for anyone. Since the same people who could have afforded expensive, high quality goods back then can today (a tiny subset of the population).
I may not like the style of most of the furniture at IKEA, but I am glad that it exists so that people of modest means can outfit their homes and spend the rest of their money on items that have a greater impact on their quality of life.
I would address the other points in the piece, but I thought this point was worth making on its own.