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Topic: Fixing stuff instead of buying it new
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Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560
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posted 27 March 2004 01:56 PM
I bought a new dress today ($20! Bargoon!), and it's the first new piece of clothing I've bought in months. However, I was reading a newspaper article the other day about a shoe repair store that was closing because the couple who owned it were retiring. And they were talking about how people don't fix shoes very much anymore, they just throw them out when they get a little worn, and then buy new ones.Today, I have a couple of errands to run. One of them is to take my work shoes (basic black no-heel pumps) to the shoe repair place because they're at the point where if I don't fix them now, they'll get too ratty to repair. The other errand is that I'm taking a skirt and a dress, neither of which I'm crazy about right now because of their length, to a seamstress in order to be altered. For ages, I've looked at those two pieces of clothing unhappily, not wanting to get rid of them since they're not worn out and I need office clothes, and thought that they'd look so much nicer if they were cut at the knee instead of between the calf/ankle. Does anyone else ever take their old stuff to repair places when they start to get worn? Or do you just get rid of them and buy new stuff? By the time I get them back, I'll have the equivalent of a new dress, a new skirt, and a new pair of shoes much cheaper than buying them new, and I'll have supported the local seamstress and cobbler. [ 27 March 2004: Message edited by: Michelle ]
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001
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skdadl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 478
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posted 27 March 2004 03:00 PM
Sensible German shoes are definitely! worth repairing indefinitely, as you well know, Michelle. I haven't often remodelled other clothes, but I'm so disorganized that I never clear out my closet, just schlep the old stuff around with me decade after decade, so sometimes the happy inevitable happens: the old stuff is back in style! Or I'm suddenly skinny enough to wear the thin wardrobe again! Or the opposite. It's the household stuff, especially furniture, that I am more intent on keeping repaired. I still have the old stereo and turntable I bought in 1979, and I can't imagine why anyone would ever give one of those up. (I hope the old-fashioned stereo-repair guys don't all retire, though.) An extreeeemely old wooden-slat cabinet that I discovered in my new basement is now, with a coat of paint, my most cool bathroom cabinet. I even have my first computer -- Old Ironsides. *heart* I can't imagine right now what he would ever be useful for, but you never know, y'know ...
From: gone | Registered: May 2001
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'lance
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1064
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posted 27 March 2004 03:30 PM
My first computer -- the Electric Abacus, a 1991 Macintosh Classic II -- died a couple of years back. I dithered about trying to repair it, by buying a logic board on Ebay or something, but then the City of Calgary held a collection day for electronic junque -- TVs, computers, monitors, etc. Everything to be recycled, or so they claimed.I figured the old EA had more than served its original purpose -- all the writing, calculation and formatting needed to produce my MA thesis. So I saw no great shame in returning it to the Great Cycle of Electronic Life. quote: However, I was reading a newspaper article the other day about a shoe repair store that was closing because the couple who owned it were retiring. And they were talking about how people don't fix shoes very much anymore, they just throw them out when they get a little worn, and then buy new ones.
Sometimes I think the whole history of industrialization can be summed up as: an effort to produce goods at a cost less than the cost of repairing and maintaining them -- one goal being to reduce the power of the workers/artisans doing the repair/maintenance. Most recent example I can think of: I had a pair of hiking boots which I bought in 1997 for about $70. Over time big cracks developed across both soles, and I consigned the boots to the back of my closet. Finally, last year, I took them to a shoe-repair place, where they told me replacement soles would run me[1] about $125. Into the trash with those boots (which, of course, were not just "a little worn"). One thing about shoe repair, though: Maybe fifteen years ago or so, I started seeing chain or franchise shoe repair places in malls -- Moneysworth & Best is the name that springs to mind. I've seen more since. So someone has found a way to make money in this sector of the economy. [1] Sorry. [ 27 March 2004: Message edited by: 'lance ]
From: that enchanted place on the top of the Forest | Registered: Jul 2001
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windymustang
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4509
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posted 27 March 2004 05:08 PM
I guess I'm brave too driving an '85 Bronco II, but I keep it in good repair, and rarely drive it on the highway, just around town, so it just costs me about $20 in gas to run.I fix most of my own clothes, backpacks, leather and fabric goods etc. Just pull out a needle and thread with a good thimble and set to work. As far as shoes, I wear mostly runners, so replace them about once a year. I bought a pair of Birkenstocks recently, so will definately get them repaired if I can find a shoemaker in our area. I might have to drive to Hartney for that, which is almost a two hour drive, so maybe will fit in a camping trip with it. I don't wear expensive suits etc. like you would Michelle, so it wouldn't be worth it to have them remade. When I get tired of something, or haven't worn it in a while, I give it to the local second hand store. Edited to add: Oh and we use a perk for coffee, so if that breaks, will definately look for someone to fix it as it is an expensive item. I can do minor jobs like soldering and wiring, but if it's anything more major them I'm stuck. [ 27 March 2004: Message edited by: windymustang ]
From: from the locker of Mad Mary Flint | Registered: Oct 2003
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lagatta
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2534
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posted 27 March 2004 05:21 PM
kuba, buy one of those stove-top espresso coffee makers. You don't have to make the coffee strong if you don't want to (just don't fill up the part where the coffee goes) and you should use a fine grind, but you can get that in any supermarket nowadays. Instant coffee is disgusting, and no cheaper. Thanks, 'lance, for the e-mail advice. My mum can type, so that would be a good way for her to keep in touch. windy, aren't running shoes just as expensive as dress shoes, if not more? I needed a pair for fitness a while back, and was shocked at the price. Moreover, since I live in a city I wouldn't really wear them on the street, so it was expensive for something just for my classes at the Y. I think some shoemakers specialise in resoling them and other repairs, but not all.
From: Se non ora, quando? | Registered: Apr 2002
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Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560
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posted 27 March 2004 07:51 PM
Hee hee. Expensive suits like me, huh? I don't wear expensive suits either. Business to business casual is the dress code where I work. In fact, the dress I'm having altered is a very plain, unlined one and was a gift, but I've never liked it because it was way too long - down to my ankles! I've worn it anyhow because it fits and it's good enough. But I'm sure it wasn't more than $20, since the person who gave it to me is quite the bargain hunter. The skirt I got at an outlet store, probably for around the same price - I don't think it was even $20. So yeah, I suppose I could have given them away instead of getting them rehemmed. I didn't do it myself, because I don't have a sewing machine and even if I did, I'm not great at sewing and I didn't want to screw it up. The dress I bought today might possibly be too "evening" -ish for work (not really because of the cut, which is conservative, but because of the fabric), but I'm going to wear it there anyhow.
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001
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Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560
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posted 27 March 2004 08:20 PM
I see lots of people wearing sneakers and runners on the street in Toronto. I wear mine all the time on weekends. In fact, you used to hear about people wearing sneakers with business clothes while commuting to work on transit, and carrying their good shoes in a bag with them. I don't see that so much these days, but every once in a while I see someone in a business suit and sneakers on the subway. No, no, windy, you didn't offend me at all. I was just giggling at the idea that I'm some kind of businesswear fashion plate or something. But you're right, I do have to wear businesswear to work, especially for meetings. But it's not like I have to go business formal or anything - no one expects that of admin assistants unless you work for some swanky Bay Street outfit as an executive assistant for a CEO or something. I work in a non-profit atmosphere, which is much more relaxed. [ 27 March 2004: Message edited by: Michelle ]
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001
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Zaklamont
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5106
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posted 29 March 2004 12:09 AM
quote: Originally posted by Michelle: I bought a new dress today ($20! Bargoon!), and it's the first new piece of clothing I've bought in months. However, I was reading a newspaper article the other day about a shoe repair store that was closing because the couple who owned it were retiring. And they were talking about how people don't fix shoes very much anymore, they just throw them out when they get a little worn, and then buy new ones.Today, I have a couple of errands to run. One of them is to take my work shoes (basic black no-heel pumps) to the shoe repair place because they're at the point where if I don't fix them now, they'll get too ratty to repair. The other errand is that I'm taking a skirt and a dress, neither of which I'm crazy about right now because of their length, to a seamstress in order to be altered. For ages, I've looked at those two pieces of clothing unhappily, not wanting to get rid of them since they're not worn out and I need office clothes, and thought that they'd look so much nicer if they were cut at the knee instead of between the calf/ankle. Does anyone else ever take their old stuff to repair places when they start to get worn? Or do you just get rid of them and buy new stuff? By the time I get them back, I'll have the equivalent of a new dress, a new skirt, and a new pair of shoes much cheaper than buying them new, and I'll have supported the local seamstress and cobbler. [ 27 March 2004: Message edited by: Michelle ]
The big problem with repair is that it costs as much to repair as to buy brand new. There is a need for governments to show environmental responsibility by subventing repair shops that will do the work of restoring something used. Also, the Government (provincial?) used to demand that manufacturers keep parts for repair for a period of 10 years at least. Now it is only 3 years, I believe. Government could, increase the period of mandatory part maintenance. That would help. In short, our society is in a crisis situation when something costs more or the same to repair than to buy. Are governments doing anything about it to offset this major human wave of producing waste? No.
From: Ottawa Ontario | Registered: Mar 2004
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Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560
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posted 29 March 2004 06:49 AM
You're probably right. For the shoes, the cost of repair was definitely less than buying new - $22. Of course, I wouldn't fix a $20 pair of shoes for that price, that's for sure.The dress and skirt, I kind of agree with you. I was seriously thinking it through because the one cost $15 and the other cost $22 (and I tried a few places and they all had the same prices). I was thinking, "I could get something new for that." But...I already had these ones, I already knew they fit perfectly and that I liked them and that they would suit me perfectly when they were done - and no hassle of going to the maul and hunting for a bargain. And basically, those two pieces will be a major part of the work wardrobe for spring and summer. So I did it. In general, I also think it's a shame that it's more expensive to fix things than to buy new. However...the reason for this isn't because the price of fixing things is too high. I think $15 for hemming a skirt is quite reasonable - people should be paid properly for their time. The thing is, we're used to being able to go to a store and buy a skirt for $15-20 (I'm not talking Armani here), and for a store to make profit on a $15-20 skirt, that means someone along the line didn't get paid properly for their labour, generally the sewers. So when you go to get a piece of clothing fixed or altered, you're paying someone properly for their time. But when you buy it new, someone's getting stiffed. That's what accounts for the difference.
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001
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radiorahim
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2777
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posted 31 March 2004 02:04 AM
Well, I actually have a pretty good TV repair guy in my neighbourhood.A few years ago, my aging Mitsubishi TV died. As I recall, it cost me about $600 back in the early 1990's. It had a picture tube that was made at the old RCA picture tube plant in Midland, Ontario ...the last of the Canadian-made picture tubes. I took it into the shop, told the guy I was willing to put $100 into it. A few days later I got a phone call telling me to pick up my TV and the bill was only $75. Its been completely trouble-free ever since...and for now one less TV leaching toxic chemicals into a landfill site. Sometimes its worth fixing stuff, sometimes its not, but its always worth checking it out. It also helps to know people who are handy with stuff!
From: a Micro$oft-free computer | Registered: Jun 2002
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praenomen3
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4758
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posted 31 March 2004 11:01 AM
I don't know how I'd fare with a DVD player, but I've been able to fix two VCRs - both from folks I knew who were about to trash them - and they lasted for years after, and I'm not very technical.Had to have an engine part in my bench saw replaced, and it was about half what I paid for the whole thing new. Shoe and clothing repair, definitely. I've got a pair of Sperry's that are 13 years old. When the sole started to wear on the heel, just covered it with a film of silicon and re-applied every so often, and the wear never grew. It seems that well-made low-tech utilitarian items lend themselves to continued repair and use. I have old chisels, planes and spokeshaves, some of which are nearly a century old, and work fine. Computers are the worst. Even if they work long and hard, peripherals alone conspire to make them obsolete (like the SCSI-USB evolution). You’ll notice that when charitable groups ask for things to be sent to the Third World, they often specifically decline computers.
From: x | Registered: Dec 2003
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andrean
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 361
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posted 31 March 2004 12:37 PM
I've taken so many pairs of shoes to be repaired that I'm on a first name basis with my shoemaker. Michelle, did you go to the one on Bloor Street or the one on Ossington? I always go to the one on Ossington, just across from the station.Shoes, no matter how old or worn or unwearable they are, are difficult for me to part with. I just moved in with my GF and she made me get rid of several pairs of my shoes, claiming that if she'd never seen them in the two years we'd been dating, I surely wasn't getting enough use out of them. I gave in, but I was really sad to see the combat boots that I wore when I was 16 (and repaired three times) go. I can do some sewing myself, so minor alterations, hemming for example, are not an issue. More complicated stuff I don't trust myself with, and when I lost a lot of weight a couple of years ago, took a lot of my favourite garments to a dressmaker. The alterations were costly - more than $35 to take in one dress - but worth it because I liked the dress so well. We do live in a disposable culture, so repairing damaged items doesn't spring immediately to most of our minds. It requires effort and commitment, which there isn't much incentive to make.
From: etobicoke-lakeshore | Registered: Apr 2001
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Trinitty
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 826
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posted 31 March 2004 08:30 PM
quote: After my last pot, a gift died, I came up with a solution: instant coffee.
Ugh! That's foul. Keep an eye open at garage sales, flea markets and thrift shops for the Melita ceramic set. I got a pot, with a lid and a ceramic filter funnel for the top for $5. You just put coffee in the filter, put it in the funnel, put the funnel on the pot and pour boiling water through it. I'm sure there are other brands too. When our gift coffee maker dies, we'll go back to our Melita.
From: Europa | Registered: Jun 2001
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ReeferMadness
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2743
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posted 09 April 2004 03:27 AM
This is one of my pet peeves about capitalism in general. There are three main problems:1. Stuff (like clothing, furniture, and childrens' toys) is shoddily made and not made to last. I don't know how many damned buttons I've sewn on shirts because they don't sew them on properly. And don't even get me started on particle board furniture. 2. Electronic stuff is quickly obsolete, ridiculously expensive to upgrade and almost impossible to recycle. I remember trying to fix a cassette deck about 20 years ago and it was so expensive to fix, I wound up throwing it out. 3. Parts are deliberately made non-standard to thwart the aftermarket and protect high profit margins. The automotive industry is famous for this but I understand that it applies to all kinds of industrial equipment as well. I remember back in the 70's, the auto makers used standardized parts and the jobbers made them cheap. Now, everything from headlights to brake pads are being made specifically for a few models or perhaps a single model and they're hellishly expensive. My 2 bits.
From: Way out there | Registered: Jun 2002
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N.Beltov
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4140
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posted 09 April 2004 10:34 AM
quote: Originally posted by ReeferMadness: 3. Parts are deliberately made non-standard to thwart the aftermarket and protect high profit margins. The automotive industry is famous for this ...
Case in point: Volkswagon, in their old beetles, used to have the fuel pump mounted in an accessible position with two bolts for quick removal directly in front. They re-designed the fuel pump so that there was one bolt in front, one in the rear...and the latter could only be reached by purchasing some ridiculous tool that is able to turn a bolt around a corner. Bastards! I was always going through fuel pumps. In those days, my career goal was to become Juan Manuel Fangio. Now I ride a bike. I recently fixed a pair of winter boots with ...crazy glue. I had to resist the urge to go to a shoe repair place. It's amazing how we get programmed into helplessness sometimes. Happiness is never having to say that you're bourgeois. [ 09 April 2004: Message edited by: N.Beltov ]
From: Vancouver Island | Registered: May 2003
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HalfAnHourLater
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 4641
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posted 09 April 2004 10:56 AM
quote: Originally posted by ReeferMadness:
3. Parts are deliberately made non-standard to thwart the aftermarket and protect high profit margins. The automotive industry is famous for this but I understand that it applies to all kinds of industrial equipment as well. I remember back in the 70's, the auto makers used standardized parts and the jobbers made them cheap. Now, everything from headlights to brake pads are being made specifically for a few models or perhaps a single model and they're hellishly expensive.
There is however a flip side to this. Many countries (EU) are driving to the heart of the matter, with mandatory 'take-back' policies. That is a company which produces a product, is also required to dispose of, not just their own product, but their competitors products as well (At least in Germany for Appliances, I believe the EU policy is only for companies to take back their own products see here ). This includes everything from electronics to automotive( one of the first industries to have this implemented, (esp. on plastics, tyres and chassis parts) and as such many models or companies are standardising their own parts as they optimise their production processes to cope with the take-back requirements. Volkswagen whoes TDI engine and chassis can be found on VWs, Skoda's, Audi's,etc. are standardised, not only to optimise production, but also because the company has to deal with many (not all) of the used parts...although initially an expensive captial investment, in the end a company tha can also recycle their competitors products as a market advantage in terms of resource procurement and production optimisation. This is one of the more comprehensive and interesting approaches to recycling and reusing in general (all lot of the parts on used cars,etc can suimply be directly reincorporated into new production units). A brief overall view can be found here [ 09 April 2004: Message edited by: HalfAnHourLater ] [ 09 April 2004: Message edited by: HalfAnHourLater ]
From: So-so-so-solidarité! | Registered: Nov 2003
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skdadl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 478
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posted 09 April 2004 05:15 PM
Me three, half. That is a most interesting link. We must get inspired, you guys. That is a campaign for the short term, y'hear?!And N.B.: quote: Originally posted by N.Beltov:
I recently fixed a pair of winter boots with ...crazy glue. I had to resist the urge to go to a shoe repair place. It's amazing how we get programmed into helplessness sometimes. Happiness is never having to say that you're bourgeois.
You should have known Fang. I cannot tell you how many times I had to make the support-your-local-craftworker argument to get him away from the crazy glue. Sometimes I think he believed he could rebuild the entire house with crazy glue. I mean, there's rigour and purity, but then there's mad iconoclasm. We must learn to stop short of crazy glue.
From: gone | Registered: May 2001
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flotsom
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2832
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posted 15 April 2004 03:14 PM
I haven't had a reason yet to be unhappy with any Ecco footwear. Ecco's shoes are all manufactured either in Portugal or in Denmark depending on the model. Check out the Receptor, it's a non-sweatshop runner for women. (click "products" along the top.) http://www.ecco.com [ 15 April 2004: Message edited by: flotsom ]
From: the flop | Registered: Jul 2002
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R. J. Dunnill
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1148
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posted 15 April 2004 03:54 PM
quote: Could someone inform me about updating a (slighly newer) Mac Classic II?
I'd recommend getting a homebuilt PC instead. Macs are proprietary machines, and obsolescence is designed into them. In contrast, homebuilt PCs can be incrementally upgraded, in some cases for over a decade (my mom's husband's AT desktop, originally purchased in 1990, is still in daily use). quote: Every coffee pot I (or anyone I know) has had stops dripping properly, makes cold coffee, etc etc precisely one day after the warrently expires.
I don't know how old my green Procter-Silex is, but it was already old when I first got ahold of it four years ago. I got around the "lukewarm coffee" problem by boiling water and carefully pouring it into the basket. Works great. quote: Computers are the worst. Even if they work long and hard, peripherals alone conspire to make them obsolete (like the SCSI-USB evolution).
You can solve that problem to a large degree by not buying proprietary machines like Apples or Dells. So a new interface like Serial-ATA is out? If you must use it, mail-order a $30 PCI adapter card from one of the reputable e-tailers like Newegg. Problem solved. quote: Electronic stuff is quickly obsolete, ridiculously expensive to upgrade and almost impossible to recycle.
I bought my Nakamichi cassette deck used in 1990. It still works fine. I acquired my turntable used and broken; a new drive belt and a cartridge restored it to perfect operating condition. As for LP records themselves, they can be converted via a combination of PC hardware and software to modern formats and burned onto CD. No need to replace your vinyl with pre-recorded CDS! quote: Parts are deliberately made non-standard to thwart the aftermarket and protect high profit margins. The automotive industry is famous for this but I understand that it applies to all kinds of industrial equipment as well.
My MX-3 is the most difficult car to work on we've ever encountered. However, when the CV-joints and alternator began to fail, we turned to rebuilt parts (and replaced the timing and accessory belts and water pump in the process). The only factory components we had to buy were specialty nuts and bolts and a couple of suspension links. Rest assured, there's still a vibrant aftermarket for auto parts.Cheers, RD
From: Surrey, B.C. | Registered: Aug 2001
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Timebandit
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 1448
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posted 15 April 2004 06:18 PM
quote: Does anyone else ever take their old stuff to repair places when they start to get worn?
I take my favourite shoes to be fixed, a nice little repair shop around the corner and a couple blocks down. The guy who runs it works alone, so he's super-friendly and very chatty when you go in. Last time I was in, he gave me rawhide laces for my moccasins free of charge, since I'm a regular. Like andrean, I am something of a shoe fiend. I keep old ones, even when they're clearly out of style. I have a pair of little granny boots with triangular heels that I adore, and have to get special lifts ordered in. But you just can't find the like of them right now, so replacement is out of the question. As for clothes, I do most of my own repairs. Since I have to alter a lot of my clothes and the wee grils' clothes (you can't buy pants to fit Ms B), and it's so expensive to hire out, I've learned basic alteration (3 courses in costume design and construction in theatre school helped with that). Also helps that my mother has a sewing machine and serger that I can use whenever I want to. And then there's the needle and thread approach. We tend to buy old furniture and fix it up, too. I'm nearly finished with a little old wash stand we found at the farm. Under 7 coats of paint, some of them the most garish and gawdawful colours, is a lovely little solid wood cabinet. I think it'll make a terrific side table in my living room. We salvaged barn wood to build living room furniture, too. Edited to add: I also recycle clothes that I get tired of before they're worn. I take my cast-offs to a consignment shop, and often buy from them as well. What they don't want gets donated elsewhere. I rarely throw out clothes that haven't been worn to shreds -- those that have become paint/cleaning rags! [ 15 April 2004: Message edited by: Zoot Capri ]
From: Urban prairie. | Registered: Sep 2001
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