My dad is a notorious packrat. In his 74 years on this earth, I’m not sure it ever occurred to him to throw away or get rid of anything more sturdy than a gum wrapper. It comes in handy for the rest of us though as we often come begging for a tool, a scrap of wood or a knob for a forties era radio cabinet (true story).

So I wasn’t at all surprised when he handed me this publication – a 1969 brochure for the National Radio Institute’s home study training program called “Servicing Electrical Appliances.”

This 28-page piece claims the program is for beginners, experienced technicians and homeowners alike. There are some great photos mixed in with testimonials and descriptions of appliances students would learn to repair. From clothes dryers to vacuum cleaners, the course even covered air conditioning and small gas engines. 

Every community across America once had a little shop where you could take your toaster, blender or television for repair. It wasn’t uncommon for those folks to make house calls to work on your deep freeze or washing machine. You can still typically have a repairman come to your home for large appliances but it’s so expensive that it’s often cheaper to just buy new then to pay for parts and labor on your six year old clothes dryer. 

I know many people who have replaced refrigerators, washers and dryers every few years for the last decade because, while more technologically advanced and more expensive, the machines don’t last. Personally, I have a washer and dryer that are far more than twenty years old and dread the day I have to replace them. They’re basic, non-computerized, made of metal appliances that just keep going.

When did it become more efficient to throw away a toaster then to have it repaired? When did it become more important to have a computerized dryer than one that lasts?

I wonder when the National Radio Institute saw the writing on the wall that the neighborhood small appliance repairman was going the way of the old wringer washer. Wonder what happened to all those people who gave testimonials in the brochure, saying how this course gained them side gigs, promotions and raises that gave them hope for the future

We spend so much money buying shiny new things that will just be discarded because it’s more appealing to shop than to fix. I think history will judge us for our appetite for cheaply made junk piling up in our landfills. 

Meanwhile, send good vibes to my washer and dryer because I really do want to keep them!