Today I want to coin the term junkflation. This is the hard goods sibling to shrinkflation. If a hard good was built a piece of junk to save on costs and it reduces the usable life, that is junkflation.
To make it easy, let's say the % of reasonable usable life stolen is the junkflation rate. Should have lasted 10 years but lasted 5, 50% junkflation.
I'll use it in a sentence.
There is no earthly reason why I need to buy a new hose wye every single year, that is easily 90% junkflation.
This is very much a real thing. The pandemic provided manufacturers (from cars to clothes to electronics) with the perfect excuse to cut corners and decrease the usable life of the products they sell. Lower useful life expectancy, higher replacement frequency, higher profits.
They blamed supply and labor shortages but I can all but guarantee you those had nothing to do with it, and costs or quality will never return to their previous levels ever again. It’s always just been about profit.
When 50 or so companies rule the worlds supply chains and manufacturing, this kind of thing is the inevitable result.
What’s needed is craftsmen, making quality things on a small scale, and sold on marketplaces outside the reach of the oligarchs.
A #nostr based marketplace would be sooo cool.
#bitcoinclassifieds
#bitcoinstore
#zapstore
#buyitwithbitcoin
#grownostr
