By some accounts, only a fifth of the repair shops that were open 15 years ago are around today. Even the computer-service business is slow, as evidenced by PC Service Source's descent, last year, into Chapter 11. In the good old days, the repair trade was a business where you were guaranteed a steady stream of customers. Today, about all you're guaranteed is a long lunch break. When it comes to most manufactured goods, these are the good old days.
Products are more reliable and more durable than ever.
In a recent survey, Consumer Reports found that, in most product categories, repair rates were between just ten and twenty per cent. The average life of a car is up by nearly half since 1970. All this, and stuff often actually costs less. If you buy a TV, you're going to get a good picture, and if you buy a stereo you're going to get great sound. In fact, the guy who used to test stereos for us told me that you cannot buy a bad stereo.