I'm not so sure. You know the saying, "I'm too poor to buy cheap". Cheap crap often ends up being bought again and again, because it breaks so often.
I'm not convinced that raising the minimum quality floor would increase prices or make cheap products disappear. I give two reasons for that: one, manufacturing costs are usually only a fraction of the sticker price, and two, supply and demand - people of limited means are a market too, they have some money and want to buy stuff.
My biggest worry here is that companies could respond by changing their business model from selling stuff to "hardware as a service" - i.e. since crappy products are disallowed, we'll make only premium products, but we'll only rent them out.
All true. But what's wrong with renting? Who needs to own a toaster? Why?
I've long imagined a lifestyle-as-a-service business. Imagine pledging some (large?) fraction of your income for inclusion in an association that provides housing, transportation, appliances, food choices, vacation rentals etc as a service. A sort of concierge life. Just join and move in!
I feel this would work only for people who live the exactly average lives. You know, "people made out of ticky tacky, who all look just the same"[0]. The moment you want to make something outside of the catalogue, or outside of the standard schedule, you'll be hitting the limits of service model.
That said, I find myself wishing for some of my life to be turned into a service. I'd gladly give away a large fraction of my income in order not to have to bother with most house appliances, food, shopping and clothing. But I suspect different people would prefer a different set of services. The risk is that, as everything becomes a service, there will be no products at all, and you either take a service or live (die?) without it.
All in the design. Don't like your service? Join another. Not a big deal to move - no belongings, just show up at another complex tomorrow night!
And options have to be a big part of it. Sign up for the pub-crawl package, or the comicon package, or join the swinger subgroup or whatever. Upgrade your appliance package, get a good kitchen or no kitchen at all. Need garage space - choose from the brochure from basic oil change to grease rack.
Cute vid by the way. But I always was suspicious of that song - calling a house 'ticky tacky' is bourgeois talk (oh look they can't even afford the best) which is at odds with the message.
I'm not convinced that raising the minimum quality floor would increase prices or make cheap products disappear. I give two reasons for that: one, manufacturing costs are usually only a fraction of the sticker price, and two, supply and demand - people of limited means are a market too, they have some money and want to buy stuff.
My biggest worry here is that companies could respond by changing their business model from selling stuff to "hardware as a service" - i.e. since crappy products are disallowed, we'll make only premium products, but we'll only rent them out.