Re: Time to Bail Out?

"Chris F." <zappymanREMOVETHIS@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:SUfCe.61957$Ph4.1872579@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> As a child in the 1980's, I was always fascinated with anything that ran
> on electricity. Whether it was a flashlight, a calculator, or a tape
> recorder, I was always taking things apart to see how they worked, and
> trying to repair them. I remember, when I was about 4, spending a couple
> of
> hours trying to "repair" a disposable flashlight that was getting dim. My
> parents wouldn't let me tinker with the family TV; I'm not sure whether it
> was safety concerns, or the fact that we couldn't afford to replace the
> 19"
> black-and-white set. I'd have to wait until I was older to tinker with
> those.....
> So not surprisingly, as I got older, I knew I'd want to go into this line
> of work someday, repairing consumer electronics. At 19 I began rounding up
> broken TV sets, and then VCRs and other appliances. I began repairing
> things
> for customers before I had gained adequate experience, but it was just as
> well; because by the time I became properly experienced, there would be
> almost no demand for my skills.
> For a while, business wasn't too bad. I kept fairly busy, with customers
> coming and going on an almost daily business. Not bad considering this was
> just a small shop, run in a small building next to my house. At it's peak,
> I
> took in about $6k in one year - that may not seem like much, but it kept
> bills paid and gave me some extra spending money (I had little overhead so
> almost everything was clear profit).
> But in the last 2 years or so, things have gone downhill at an alarming
> rate of speed. At first, sales of used electronics started to dwindle.
> Then
> more and more customers were turning down repair estimates, saying "I'll
> just buy a new one".
> So where do things stand now?
> Earlier this year, the local corner store changed hands, and I set up an
> agreement with the owner to let me sell electronics from a corner of his
> store (the only store in the community). With deals like 25" stereo TVs
> for
> $79.99, you'd think they'd sell fast wouldn't you? Wrong. In the nearly
> two
> months I've had my display set up, not a single television set has sold. A
> few other misc items did sell, netting me a grand total of just over $100.
> In short, the results of this venture have been very disappointing indeed.
> If the store owner decides to give me the shaft to make way for something
> more profitable, I won't blame him at all.
> And while sales have fallen through, it seems repairs have taken a
> drastic
> drop as well. Fewer and fewer items are coming into my shop for repairs,
> and
> those that do are often left there when the owner decides to buy a new
> unit.
> Either that, or replacement parts are no longer available - even for sets
> less than 6 years old.
> I think the best indication of the industries decline, would be the
> things
> I see in the trash each spring. This spring I rounded up what seemed like
> a
> bounty, hoping it would be stuff I could resell. The haul was
> unbelievable.
> More stuff than I could list here. And the vast majority of the items were
> untampered with - it appeared that the owners hadn't even bothered to get
> an
> estimate of repairs, they just threw them in the trash and bought new
> ones.
> Another indication would be the activity of this very newsgroup. In the
> years I've been posting here, I've noticed a big drop in activity. I'm
> guessing it's no coincidence.
> At present, I have two buildings full of hundreds of appliances. Dozens
> of
> nice, remote color TV's, dozens of nice VCRs, mini-systems, audio
> equipment,
> and so forth. Ten years ago this stuff would have been worth a fortune -
> now
> it appears that most of it will end up as landfill. Nobody wants it
> anymore.
> Everyone just wants to buy something new, even if it's just a piece of
> junk.
> Nobody appreciates quality anymore. It seems that the world is rapidly
> going
> to hell in a handbasket.
> So what do I do now? Part of me just wants to trash the whole works of
> it,
> and try to find some other line of work. But it breaks my heart to throw
> out
> so many nice appliances, which could be easily repaired and provide years
> of
> useful service. But what's the point in keeping it all? I can't sell it. I
> probably couldn't even give most of it away. TV's and VCR's could be
> stripped for aluminum and copper, though most sets yield less than $1
> worth
> of such metals. I could just throw it out, but like I say, I hate to do
> that.
> But it appears that I'll have to do something, and soon. There's no point
> in carrying on this charade any longer - the business is dead and it's
> time
> to bury it.
> I also have to wonder what's going to happen within 10 or 20 years, when
> the landfills are full, and the economy perhaps in turmoil. People may
> once
> again turn to the electronic tech, looking for repairs of their sets or to
> buy something used. But by then, such businesses will all be long-gone.
> People will be left with nothing, and those of us who tried to warn them
> today will just say "I told you so".
> I look forward to your input on this subject; I'm guessing the vast
> majority of you guys are going through the same thing.
>
>

Here in Australia I can now buy at a supermarket a TV, DVD player, microwave
oven and other appliances for less than the cost of a basic repair job for
such an appliance. I can buy an electric drill or sander anywhere for less
than I would have spent many years ago on a replacement armature. I can buy
a battery drill for less than the cost of replacement batteries. The
electronic service industry has, in my opinion, already been doomed, but, as
we rush to buy these things (myself included) I fear for our economy in
general. The appliances and tools are generally very well made, but
cheaper - made in countries by people who probably get paid less per week
than I get per hour. Yes, it's nice buying these things we could not
possibly afford otherwise, but it is inevitable that our wages, work and
living standards may have to be reduced so as to "compete" with such
manufacturing countries - countries who have no regard for worker's
conditions.

Henry.


.

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