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products that last – 25

products that last – 25

My new Camera My digital camera is six years old.

It still works pretty well, apart from the little flap that should open and close when the telescopic lens comes out and goes in. I have two batteries, one of which cannot be trusted. The optical quality is great. Resolution in new cameras, however, is considerably higher.

However, I see a desirable camera of a different brand, with better zoom capacity, plus my income is improving and I’ll be going on holiday soon. That pushes me over.

So I start looking at the newest cameras of my preferred brand and there is an even better one. I decide that I want. I can afford it, but I decide I’ll opt for the cheaper earlier version. Then I go to the camera shop. There I learn that there is only one left, at a different branch. And it is white. That does it: I purchase the latest camera.

Utility Fashion During WW 2 materials became hard to come by. The UK government started a Utility Fashion scheme. ‘To save material, unnecessary pleats, double breasted jackets, and long socks for men were not allowed. Buttons, buckles, zippers, clasps and elastic were limited because metal and rubber were needed for the war industry. Skirts were knee-length, coats were shortened, and boys under thirteen were not allowed to wear long trousers. (..) Colours, however, were not restricted. Fabric prints for dresses for example were often small, busy patterns of colourful flowers that were easy to put together without having to waste fabric to make the motif connect. The Board of Trade estimated that millions of meters of cloth were saved by all of these regulations.’ (Marjanne van Helvert, The Responsible Object, Valiz Publishers, Amsterdam 2016).

Her new instrument My eight-year-old granddaughter has been taking drum lessons for over a year now, so the choice for a birthday present was obvious. A musical instrument stimulates acquiring fine motor skills as well as knowledge and experiencing the joy of music.

Ambition is the only limit apart from the budget. This last requirement led to choice for a second-hand. Was it going to be a colourful rock kit or a digital one? Browsing revealed that almost all rock kits are black. The world of rock-’n-roll was less colourful than imagined. A digital one is ideal for smaller apartments with thin walls, because it is compact and one uses headphones. Still, as soon as she masters this kit she’ll want an acoustic one, because it sounds so much richer and is more adventurous: pure magic. And it doesn’t need current!

Some samples of what contemporary amateur photographers can afford. Do they need it? No. Do they want it? Yes.

Drumming without a kit. Aerodrums works with reflectors, light, a camera and a computer to make them work. It was created for the musician who wants to be expressive and versatile while solving the problems of portability, space and noise associated with regular drum kits.

Millions of choices and plenty of opportunities to get everything.