Hi there, I came here to the BIFL Lemmy out of suspicion that the reddit posts are just unlabelled marketing, and I was wondering the possibility of sourcing goods that are more to a BIFL standard? In my area, second hand goods tend to be really quite poor in quality (reselling fast fashion) or otherwise not present, and I have not inherited anything that does last. So I would apprecite advice or reccomendations for finding goods at a BIFL standard. I was also wondering if maybe there would be anyone with good advice for finding sustainable, local textile production so that I may be able to tailor what I need without having to buy from the poor selection aforementioned, does anyone know of any of this?
TL:DR I am suspicious that a lot of what is claimed as ‘BIFL’ has been enshittified, and would like advice on being able to search for sustainable goods for a local area (not specified because I’m hoping for advice with searching, not exactly for specific reccs)
My tiny contribution here is to look things aimed at commercial use, not consumer grade. For example, next time you need to buy a can opener, buy it from a restaurant supply shop instead of Amazon or Walmart.
Same with electronics - instead of a smart TV from Amazon get an industrial TV from B&H or similar (they’re the kind used in store displays like the menu at burger king etc)
I’ve heard similar advice around purchasing restauraunt quantity plastic wrap, so that’s great advice!
To a large extent I tend to think the same way I was taught with cars, simple is sturdy. Skip the fancy features and WiFi widgets and you’ll replace things a lot less often. It’s not always practical, but I’m willing to bet my cast iron cookware is going to be in roughly the same shape far longer than some stamped sheet metal with anti stick coating and a glass lid.
yeah, i absolutely agree. I tend to want very little, which helps me to not have to be buying things too often, especially since I go for things that are simple enough to serve some function without much else. Does ‘simple’ stuff that is made today have a similar quality to things that have proven their durability over years?
I guess that’s hard to say without the benefit of time behind it. Part of why you see some brands show up over and over though is that they have the history to back up the claims and plenty often those places are not going to risk that reputation of reliability to cheap out on the quality now.
Is it possible, yes. There are almost always options for BIFL in whatever product you’re looking for (sans tech etc.). It’s mostly from small niche brands that you’ve never heard of and can’t find in stores that specialize in quality but isn’t cheap. How you treat you’re stuff also plays a huge role on if it will last a lifetime or not, a lot of stuff requires maintenance that people don’t think about. The Iron Snail is a great YouTube channel that covers that type of clothing. And if you’re ever looking for something specific, make a post here lol.
I’ve never been good at finding these things, would you know any methods or resources for finding these ‘small, niche bramds’?
Honestly, no. There’s no easy way to find these brand. It takes a lot of time and effort to find the right brand or product to buy. It has to be basically a lifestyle choice\hobby to buy quality goods. Every time I buy something I’m not familiar with will take hours of research to find one company that makes a decent version, or sometimes not finding a single one.
Over time you can find trusted sources for honest reviews and comparisons in specific fields you can go back to for recommendations. There are some short hand that can help. Like where a product is made tends to make a difference, no company has ever moved production to China to improve quality lol. If a company is privately owned is also a good sign but neither is a guarantee.
Throwing in a little odd advice for the secondhand scene - even if the shops are bad, I’ve had some good luck with estate sales and cleanouts (where a family or realtor basically opens the home to anyone who’ll cary stuff away and save them the trouble and cost of throwing it out). It can feel kinda bad, picking through stuff in that context, but we’ve saved a bunch of nice old tools and kitchen stuff that way, and the houses generally have everything else you might need for a house. Personally I think the best BIFL stuff is old and made before they really perfected enshitifying their products.
The cleanouts I’ve been to we found through postings on our local free groups (which I also really recommend) or word of mouth, but I used to know some folks who went to them professionally, looking for merchandise for their own businesses, so they must be advertised somewhere normal people would find them too.
Ok, I will try to find more dying people in my area, thank you!
You can also search for estate sales proxibid.com
just quickly replying again because my last could have come off wrong, I do genuinely appreciate the advice, I’ll just need to find out how to find these sorts of scenes.
No worries! And good luck!
Like others have said it depends what you are looking for, but durable goods still exist. I’m generally on the look for tech but digital tech isn’t really going to be BIFL no matter what and no one really makes analog or mechanical tech anymore. Asking around in this community and others like it for suggestions for specific things that you are looking for may be your best bet. Additionally, some folks like myself will occasionally write up a review on something that they have bough new that has the makings of being durable.
Basically what I look for is how “stout” does the thing feel (does it feel like it might fall apart just looking at it?), will it fail gracefully (will it remain somewhat functional even if parts of it have failed), how difficult will it be to repair (in the case of tech how is it sealed and are parts available), and what is the reputation of the company in question (do they make trash or do their things last a while). Edit: Another thing I look for is, is the thing overly complicated in design. The simpler it is made the more likely it is to survive the kind of abuse I am likely to put it through.
As for locally made, I wouldn’t worry about that overly much. Just because something was “Artisanally crafted” does not mean that it was necessarily well made.
You mentioned clothing specifically so I’ll put in a good word for Carhartt’s work wear. Most of their stuff that I’ve owned has been destroyed through actual abusive use and not shoddy workmanship. I can also vouch for Saddleback Leather, at least as of about 10 years ago. The bags I’ve bought from them are still going strong despite borderline abusive treatment by me. Not sure of their current reputation though and their owner is a bit “odd”. Military surplus also tends to be well made, assuming it is actual surplus. I’ve seen multiple examples here in the US where cheap Chinese copies have been put on the shelves and called surplus, particularly with uniforms and bags.
For tools, I’m fond of Husky and Kobalt hand tools and Ryobi power and yard tools, though in truth I haven’t had to buy new tools in 10-ish years, Though I did just have a Ryobi leaf blower die on me after 6 years service. Still debating with myself whether to replace it with another Ryobi blower or begin transitioning to Ego. Which is another tool company I hear very good things about.
I myself yearn to still be able to buy analog and mechanical things (varying, obvs; i.e im in good health so i dont need an electric salt shaker, etc) but they’re weirdly uncommon now, you just cant repair electrics the same :( (through random prodding, lol)
thank you for the appraising method reccomendation! I did also wanna quickly say that when I say local I don’t mean ‘artisinal’ but more 'i would rather avoid shipping costs, unneeded transport (for sustainanility reasons), and if you source things overseas, it’s likely a bigger name i.e, prone to enshittification. Is that odd? should I bite the bullet and even buy second hand from overseas?
also, I’ve tried looking at surplus, but it’s really hard to sort through (feels like its your mentioned cheap chinese copies), or is being sold for ‘collecting’ (i.e vintage and very expensive)
I myself yearn to still be able to buy analog and mechanical things (varying, obvs; i.e im in good health so i dont need an electric salt shaker, etc) but they’re weirdly uncommon now, you just cant repair electrics the same :( (through random prodding, lol)
Digital gear is cheaper, lighter, and FAR more compact. The trade off is that it just doesn’t last as long. As for repair, It’s not really more difficult (so long as you can get the chips), it’s just a different skill set is required than in the past. Gen Z would be baffled looking at an old tube amp or spring reverb. God help them if they dug into an old Pinball or DJ machine from the 60’s or 70’s.
thank you for the appraising method reccomendation! I did also wanna quickly say that when I say local I don’t mean ‘artisinal’ but more 'i would rather avoid shipping costs, unneeded transport (for sustainanility reasons), and if you source things overseas, it’s likely a bigger name i.e, prone to enshittification. Is that odd?
I get you. I’m part of that supply chain, drive a truck for a living.
Not sure where your from, but here in the US it is almost impossible to buy locally made for anything except services. Manufacturing is too thinly spread out, assuming you can even find something US made. Best we can do here is to try and buy from local suppliers where possible, which for many of the things I often need is not always possible.
should I bite the bullet and even buy second hand from overseas?
Secondhand junk is still junk. Though, if you can get it for a reasonable price you might get some use of it and delay it’s trip to the dump. Though it has to be extremely discounted for me to bite.
also, I’ve tried looking at surplus, but it’s really hard to sort through (feels like its your mentioned cheap chinese copies), or is being sold for ‘collecting’ (i.e vintage and very expensive)
Military surplus is VERY regional. Here in the US, most of the Cold War surplus got sold off back in the early 2000’s. Iraq and Afghanistan didn’t generate nearly the build up of excess material that Vietnam did, hence the slim pickings. Given the World landscape, I’d say the picking will be slim for a good long while.
Digital gear is cheaper, lighter, and FAR more compact.
can’t say you’re wrong there, its just that when something has a mechanical handle or button it seems so much more reliable (touchscreen cars, anyone?)
Secondhand junk
truly? I had considered buying things pre-owned would mean that they had proven their durability? (In addition to sidestepping ethical concerns, as presented by buying new) i guess theres many kinds of second hand. does military surplus count?
Given the World landscape, I’d say the picking will be slim for a good long while.
Hey, won’t need to look for surplus when conscripted, right?
I think it depends on exactly what item you’re looking for. Plenty of vintage coats out there, I just bought two 40+ yo military wool coats this season since my old jacket is wearing out and isn’t that stylish. There’s probably local jeans manufacturers that also recycle fabric, like Jeansverket in Sweden. Rose Anvil on YouTube is a good source for finding boots that will last decades.
There is definitely enshittification out there, but it’s not impossible to find BIFL out there.
Recycled jeans is actually a really good suggestion that I hadn’t thought of, I’ll look into it, thanks :). May I ask where you bought the military jackets, even if it was just ebay or something? I’d like to expand my knowledge of storefronts, and I am horrid at searching for them.
Look for military surplus stores. Military surplus stores are hit or miss on availability and quality, since they buy in bulk containers. Check over the piece of clothing thoroughly for damage.
You can also buy some of coats brand new from manufacturers like London Fog. They make an English officers coat that is lovely
yeah, the jeans I bought weren’t recycled, but they do have a system for recycling them when they’re worn out.
I bought a 1942 army great coat off of ebay, lots of them up there. I bought a 1980’s navy peacoat at a random vintage store somewhere around Alphabet City in NYC. Be aware that most people size those coats 4-6 down because they’re meant to go over multiple thick shirts, blouses, and midlayers in military use, but with a normal shirt and sweater you don’t need them so large.
Military and police gear tends to be local, high quality and available as second hand. If you can tailor and it somewhat suits your style then it is a good option.
If you are able to tailor, try to find a group. They will have local knowledge and know where to find quality cloth and other products.
thank you for the recommendation :) I’ve looked at military disposal sites local to my area before, though they’ve seemed a little off, but I will redouble my efforts. Do you know of any good ways to find sites that sell proper used mil/pol gear, rather than just being named so?
apologies for the doomer title, I’m just truly out of my depth and hoped it would bring more eyes over :)
