January 26, 2018
Why Are 80s Retro Items Expensive?
In my post about nostalgia I talked about the fact that we recollect not space or time, but feelings. Still, problems related to time (and space) can and do creep in. Have you notice how expensive retro items have become?
For instance, I couldn’t have imagined when I was a kid, growing up in the 80s, that items such as my Casio wristwatch, my Tomy water games, or my board games, would three decades later be worth 10 times their value. To some extent, this is something you can expect with retro or vintage items.
And yet, one would think that such should be the case with something that is either far older (say, a toy from the 1920s) or far more rare (say, a limited-edition camera). To see a simple plastic toy from the 80s, which was surely produced in substantial quantities, cost a hundred euros or more, is baffling. What could be the reason for that, why are some 80s retro items expensive?
Why Are Retro Items Expensive? Two Possible Explanations
Perhaps, to put the phrase into its proper context, I should ask this: Why are 80s retro items expensive in relation to other decades?
Purchasing Power
The element of temporal context should give you a hint about the first possible option. If you think that children of the 80s are nowadays about 40 years old, then you realize certain things having to do with economic reality. Namely, that – in comparison to other times in the recent past – they are the 40-year-olds with the greatest purchasing power.
When my mother was in her 40s, I recall she really didn’t have the luxury to buy any kind of retro items from her childhood. An additional reason was that they were far harder to find (no eBay). It wasn’t “a thing” in the sense it is now.
Aspects of Quality
Some time ago, I ordered from eBay the new version of a popular, well-known board game (it doesn’t matter which). It was a game I liked a lot as a kid, and it was exciting to see it available once again. When I received it, however, I realized that my enthusiasm was a bit premature.
The board itself was badly made (of thin carton) and could not be unfolded properly – a far cry from the heavy, solid board of the original 80s version. The pieces were flimsy, misaligned, and I suspect they will break after a while – far, far inferior to the solid plastic of the original game.
This was just my personal experience, but I’ve read similar ones for so many other items. So, what happened? Surely, we haven’t lost the ability to construct quality products in just three decades?
No, the explanation lies elsewhere. Namely, you can see it in the increasing greed that surrounds us all. You can spot it in the increased drive for more and more corporate profit.
Why make something of good quality that costs more (and leaves a lower profit margin) when you can prepare it in some Chinese sweatshop and pocket the money?
As a result, I think that people have begun to realize that, if they really want to relive their childhood, it’s disappointing to do so relying on modern copies. This is not only because “it’s not the same thing”, but because the quality just isn’t there. That board game I bought won’t live for long. Sooner or later, I know it, I will have to try and find the real thing. And this will cost me money.
2 Comments
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I blame idiocracy. My generation and the generations since at least the 1980s have been spoon fed propaganda (mostly from the left) while the right have stood silent even with many opportunities to call out. People are increasingly have HAD IT and unplugged from the web. I know as Reddit and others have become a huge circle jerk. The good people either left or were bumped.
I never get people seeing my posts and new posts don’t get seen unless they are mems and gifs. A lot artificially bumped up by AI bots some posts even produced by AI’s that are farmed in Russia/China for various reasons but it boils down to control.
Also rise of phones people don’t read as much as phone people live a fast paced life. Hell my posts likely won’t get seen.
Trump is actually working hard and his Tarrifs to some degree have some success as I am seeing cloth from other countries THEN China that are NOT fully communists. The quality is SO much better but the Tarrifs are hurting the retail scene because they rely strictly on China and won’t compromise.
When you tie with China you are pretty much stuck as you can find out if you follow certain Youtube channels ADV and China Uncensored. They (China) can make it so you cannot leave if they don’t like you then your stuck there and owe ‘ransom’ money. China screws businesses unless they kiss up.
The reason your not getting any noticed is Google blocked blogs and any websites NOT phone only. Phone people generally don’t read past headlines. It’s TMI for them and it uses up minutes.etc. Your posts are too long to be seen on a phone.
(For clarity, I consolidated your multiple comments into a single one)
I’m not entirely sure of the connection between your comment and this post (other than the indirect reference to Chinese sweatshops), and – with respect – your take on left/right, China, Trump, etc. is superficial.
You do have a point regarding memes and gifs (and generally, trash) floating above other, perhaps more quality content on the net, but it’s not a matter of AI bots “farmed in Russia/China”. The West (and the USA in particular) has been particularly capable of manipulating public opinion. Indeed, I’d argue the US is a world leader in techniques of disseminating cultural propaganda – both domestically and internationally.
In a sense, your views on the (nowadays largely irrelevant and misleading) divide between left and right are arguably a sign of this very propaganda at work: an attempt to create distractionary division and block the line of sight toward a more holistic appreciation of the actual circumstances behind decision-making.