When they make pens that dont write!
You ever notice how poorly stuff is made these days? I mean even simple things, like a small plastic tube with an ink cartridge inside, are made so cheaply as to basically be worthless. Every single time, in the last 6 months, I have picked up an ink pen and went to write something. The ink pen does not even write!
I can remember the days when this would only happen to those old pens Those pens found in the trunk of a car after five or so years of 
being there. Yea! An old pen like that might need a little coursing first to make it write. But write it would! The pens were made of quality and to high standards and simply worked and they worked well. When I needed to write something on paper.. I could pick up that old trusty pen and every time, it wrote with out fail, a soft motion would make print and with out the least bit of hesitation. They used to make a mean pen. A pen that actually wrote and scribbling first was not required every time it was needed.. The pens made today! Would not write even one small vowel letter, if from the package more than a few days.
I started to think about this here pen.. This here pen that would not write. And asked myself, why do they even make pens? Why do I even own a pen? The stupid fucking pen will not even write and the pretty package it came in is all I have to show for! It shows me just what greed for the almighty dollar does to the quality of our fine goods. As time and technology progress, we learn to make things with more show than go. The products are made cheaper, with fewer real raw materials. Yet, the consumer pays the same price or more for basic goods that are considered necessary. Have you opened up a package of Hostess® cupcakes or Grandmas® cookies lately, and noticed what’s inside? Inside the package, you will find a morsel that is half the size as once was? There used to be almost a small meal inside this package and now there is contained not much more than a bite.
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It’s called price-focus. I am happy there is a trend to look back and evaluate what we had. People start paying more in order to get soemthing “not made in china”. It will take some time,but there will be mroe harmony in this. Right now it seems: either very very price focussed, or very very expensive quality. No golden mean.
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Gyte,
Yea, these big manufactures have figured that raising the price on an item would be sure to trigger “sticker shock” when consumers go to replenish their goods. So, instead of raising the price, the producer’s make products smaller and/or more cheaply. They doll up the package so as to be unsuspecting to the average user..
I totally agree with your point about how the market in everything has become so “price-focus” orientated and this has gone to far. There is no more happy medium.
When this become even more obvious to more people, hopefully more people will take notice and this trend of looking back at what once was will grow..
I would love to see a trend like that grow.. The quality of goods has gone so far out the window that it has become pathetic.
Thanks for your comment, I really appreciate it!
Ry
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This reminds me of the book “Naked Economics” by Charles Wheelan in which he was describing such a trend. He gave an example of how back in the 70’s or earlier when Gas prices were regulated by government, the gas stations would have people nicely dressed up in those suits with the bow tie filling your gas. But now that prices comes into play, it’s self service with bad bathrooms just because they need to cut down on something.
The same can be said for Airlines. Horrible service = good price!
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yes, you are right … stuff just isn’t made with the same quality as it was in the good ol’ days …
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Nice opinion.
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video graphic card reviewsey make pen’s that don’t write! | Far Out
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Indeed you are right about snack food portioning. We haven’t all increased our appetites (although that may still be true). The damn cookies are smaller.
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Lower manufacturing costs = greater profit. You can see quality reduction in everything around you nowadays.
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If you hold the tip of the pen over an open flame (like from a Bic lighter if you can get THAT to work!) will often make the ink flow.
And yes, the snack food portioning is obscene. It should be illegal to put such huge packaging over such small snacks! Very deceiving!
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Hi Ryder,
Nice posting
Thank you
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uv3skczh3gv43xa8
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Of course that way they get you to spend mroe moneyyyyyyyyyyyyy
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i agree and feel your pain brother i use pens all the time and their all poorly made
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Yeah that’s true, where things are relatively cheap, consideration isn’t given to quality. that’s sad and good things are really expensive these days.
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Nice post.
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cheap pens cannot write when it last long or it falls down unlike expensive pens. I guess…
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Its not just the pen and Grandma cookies, its everything. We are paying double sometimes triple the price and receiving less of the good. I understanding price go up but why is the quantity and quality going down!!!
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P. Veazey reply on November 11th, 2009 6:36 am:
Yes, pens made during the 1970s and 1980s are better than the pens of today. They don’t make them like they used to.
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I liked your post. Nice topic
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InkHead has a huge selection of personalized pens and most come with free lifetime refils.
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yeah ! crap they become after they get BIG
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Cheaply made pens are just the tip of the iceberg as they say. Companies these days seem to focus on how they can increase the profit margin whether it’s pens or cars, quality is the shits!
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I have to totally agree with you. I’ve noticed too that the quality of things has severely been degrading. The products made today need a sever quality or Q/C check.
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I was thinking the exact same thing.
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Totally agree with you, I got lot of pens of that kind. And a nice topic to write a post about.
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The worst is when someone is on the phone and you’re scurrying around looking for a pen. Then, we you eventually find one under the sofa, it doesn’t work!
I suppose eventually they will be no need for pen and paper what with the progress in technology.
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I totally agree with your post. I kind of chuckled as I was reading it because it reminded me of a recent experience I had at home where I couldn’t find a single pen that would work! In the current economic conditions, I’m afraid quality will continue to decline as people become even more focused on price.
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Product quality in everyday goods is decreasing as markets open up to Globalisation and they seek to make products cheaper to compete more effectively in the market place. If you want something half decent you have to pay above the odds for it.
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Get a space pen. They should write anywhere.
But then again does anyone besides companies buy pens? Everyone who’s not a company just steals pens. I know I do.
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The best is my car its all plastic now and braking my 69 Chevy is still in perfect shape
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Hi,
I am looking for ink cartridges for the Epson CX3500. I have bought compatibles in the past but the ink quality is not so great or the chips dont recognise. Any help would be appreciated
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my mom still has a television thats older than me. it’s in black and white but its still working. we dont see that anymore today.
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You are absolutely right that they don’t make things like the used to but the cost of doing business is not what it was 50 years ago either. With increased taxes, price of fuel, union mandates and the public’s demand for less expensive products it’s hard to keep the quality.
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It’s quite simple really – everyone produces low quality crap = you can’t buy anything better. And since everything falls apart rather sooner than later you’re usualy left with the need to buy another product. And another couple months later. And another… It just means more money for everyone (except customers obviously).
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I wrote a couple articles about the same subject but you seem to know a bit more about it than I do.
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Wow, I never even thought about this much until now. It’s just a given that when you pick up a pen today, you’ll probably have to spend some time scribbling on the paper before you can write anything, but now that I think about it, it didn’t used to be that way! That’s the way things are nowadays. Makes me sad.
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You have interesting views Ryder. Also i like what you have done with the mustache
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Seriously good observations. that’s totally the way things are today.
@Chalisa: Right on about his mustache. It’s bad ass.
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Ryder reply on May 3rd, 2009 2:00 am:
Thanks Diet Blog,
Glad you like the stache, it cost me a pretty penny.
Ryder
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Great observations! lol – the simple frustrations in life. There is nothing that can ruin a day faster than a pen that won’t write when you need to write something. Thanks for the post
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I want to buy 10 good quality pens as gifts to different people. Can you suggest some good shops(online) and some good quality pen names? I am ready to spend 40$ maximum per pen.
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Yea…I’m totally agree with you its quite really good read but i can wright hi..hi!
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I think the problem is with some cheap pens is that the ink can dry up very quickly. Particularly when a nib is left de-tracted allowing it to dry up.
The usability you get from pens though compared to the little cost you have to shell out, they offer fantastic value.
No matter how much technology evolves, I think the pen will be around for years to come.
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great blog really agree with what your saying needs to be better products out there
jen x
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Nice work dude… It is helpful for me as well as others..
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yep i think that is where be have ended up, thanks for sharing the info dude , keep up the good word
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They do all these gimmicks and call it as marketing strategy. As people rely more on ads to judge their purchase, they do all these baits.The marketing strategy heralds that”Good products will speak for itself”. People should understand that and make their purchase more judiciously.
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Unfortunately I think the poor quality products are a result that companies are slashing the costs of a product at the cost of the quality, which in the end can be good for our wallets, but sometimes depending on just how bad that product has become, it can be even worse in the end
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Yup the manufactures reduce everything now, I would prefer to pay more but they still give the best quality rather than reduce the quality and make customers disappointed.
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I can definitely agree that quality has dwindled all across the board. New pens don’t last for more than a few months if that…
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thanks for information. It is helpful for me as well as others..
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The quality of the goods is poorer than that before.The vendors only want to earn money but not consider the quality.Awesome.
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Poor product will not stand for long and will loose its shine one day or the other and Grandmas and other such products are classical case studies for such eventuality.
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I know exactly what you mean, todays products are just not made with the same quality as they were years ago. Pens are a load of rubbish now, and half the time break when you use them!
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You do realize that ink pens are considered evil by 9 out of 10 nations, yes?
Everyone who is anyone now days is using gel pens. Gel is a superior substance from Plant X, only recently discovered by the Church of Scientology…
NAW! just kidding!
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You can have it cheap, or good quality, or done quickly. Pick two out of three. Good quality costs more. Cheap foreign labour means you can get a lot of stuff cheap, these days, but you can’t then turn around and complain why it isn’t the same as something hand-crafted by Germans.
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I agree and I would add that everything is made less perfect than few years ago. All the producers are focusing only on getting maximum income, with minimal expences. And these are effects of that behaviour.
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yep i think that is where be have ended up, thanks for sharing the info dude , keep up the good word
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I agree with you, now a days there are many products that are cheap but are substandard. Like the one that you stated which is a pen that doesn’t write, what’s the use? I really frustrating!
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Yeap! you got it!Cheap is always cheap in all the way! So if you spend more money than you could expect good ones. Does it make any sense?
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People are careless about product creation. And people need things for less money or is it for competition.
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The whole level of production is going down because expenses reducing politics. Every company is trying to earn as much as it can with the lowest possible costs. That is normal situation for our economy, but surely not the situation I admire.
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“The pens made today! Would not write even one small vowel letter, if from the package more than a few days.”
I noticed the same thing, too. Years ago, pens would still write after not having been visible for along time, but yes, nowadays, pens don’t write so well anymore. It’s sad that quality has been compromised for increased production.
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“Yet, the consumer pays the same price or more for basic goods that are considered necessary.”
The market really needs to make more room for answering consumer’s needs rather than just making sure there’s something produced.
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i totally understand how you feel about the pen! i bought what i thought was a decent pen, a bit expensive than average ones… well it did write, but for some reason it didn’t want to the following day..
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I’m not an expert in pens
, but I agree… the production values and quality of items has been going down. Gotta save that money…and put it in their pockets!
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Why do they make pens that don’t even write? The manufacturers probably think that pens are not really very necessary, with all the gadgets we have today. Maybe they created pens more for aesthetics rather than functional purposes. Don’t you agree?
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Price is a fact. Better rice means a better value menas a better product, whatever it is. Many thanks for writing such a great article.
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Greeting! I am thoroughly impressed with your knowledge of Bow Down Lyrics. Your insights into this article about Bow Down Lyrics was well worth the the time to read it. I thank you for posting such awsome information. Signed Megan Henderson on this Day Tuesday.
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Thats right! You can have it cheap, or good quality, or done quickly. Pick two out of three. Good quality costs more. Cheap foreign labour means you can get a lot of stuff cheap, these days, but you can’t then turn around and complain why it isn’t the same as something hand-crafted by Germans.
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You are right, a lot of things are very poorly made and some are very expensive. Even when it comes to websites. But you can always find great website design companies that deliver even better results even though they are cheaper. Many just do not think the consumer does any research.
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Yes, the old days things were made better. Even when people learnt things they learned thoroughly through apprenticeship, it wasn’t shallow internet courses, lol.
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Well…you are quite right Ryder…Pen that you buy to day don’t work…I asked a company that make these…gift pens…and his replay was they are through aways…I just had to share…Thanks..have you ever noticed? the pens in the bank never work…
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Well, Seems to be great. The pens does’nt seem to write nowadays. Its not as usual as it was in the past.
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Unfortunately it is not just product quality that has gone down hill. I have noticed, too, that service quality has been sliding as well. I don’t know if it was the advent of the internet and the lack of human contact that started the spiral or that more people just have a crappy attitude due to the current state of things. Either way, there are still some of us out there trying to do right by product, service and customer. Thanks for the post.
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Hi,Nice Post…Sounds good.
Thanks for sharing.Once again many thanks for writing such a great article.
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Cost cutting and the Asian tiger that is “Made in China”. Always better to buy quality rather than merely go for whatever is cheapest. Usually it is cheap for a very good reason – it is no good and will break at the first opportunity.
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Yes, the quality of modern goods really bad
… but sometimes you can find very good things
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Hi,I agree with your post.This is a nice topic about pens.Really pens made today do not write even one small vowel letter,if they are from package more than a few days.The pens that are made of quality and to very high standards are worked well.Thanks for sharing…
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This is a nice interesting blog indeed. I think this is happening to reduce cost. Poor raw material is using to make things cheaper.
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It’s in human nature to upgrade their things according to their life style, But these days companies aren’t paying attention on consumers likes or dislikes, but they prefer their product to be produced using less raw materials, with effects the quality. You have raised good points & examples. Even now a days we can’t even have a good pen to write something.
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This article made me really laugh. Not an hour ago did I pick up a pen to write out my sister’s birthday card and found it didn’t work. Then another, then same. Then another, the same! I was about to give up, when……….
……..I was rummaging through the drawer and spied an old Parker Duofold fountain pen. Now we’re talking 1950s old. I’d kept meaning to get it refurbished as the clip was cracked and the ink filler was perished.
I looked inside it and there was a cartridge in there. I hadn’t used it for at least 5 years and so I thought “let’s see if I can get it working” (more out of curiosity). As soon as it touched the paper the ink flowed and it wrote perfectly!
I understand our drive for better cost efficiencies when producing products these days. What we seem to be suffering is a lack of product longevity these days. Things are built to do what you need them to do, mostly on the day you bought them and for a while after. But, past that, there is no long term reliability anymore.
Well, not when you buy high volume, low cost. Top quality, top price still does tend to work.
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I noticed the same thing, too. Years ago, pens would still write after not having been visible for along time. stuff just isn’t made with the same quality as it was in the good ol’ days
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This is definitely clearly that price is going up but the quality and quantity going down!!!
Right now, with this economic crisis where the cost of everything going up in the entire world; what the companies are trying to do is to reduce the expenses and make more profits. The companies are definitely focus in reduce cost and increasing the profit.
But definitely when you buy a top brand product that you really KNOW and TRUST, it seams to work much better.
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I noticed the same thing, too. Years ago, pens would still write after not having been visible for along time. stuff just isn’t made with the same quality as it was in the good ol’ days
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What a nice opinion you have.You’ve made it simple but very clear to your readers, that they should know how to look back with the past but must live in the present and of course they should always give importance to the smallest things around them. Good one!
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nowadays,there are many products with poor quality.Manufacture use low price to attract consumers.Once the deal is done,it is out of their responsability. their aim it to make profits.as a consumer,we need to be cautious especially when meeting low price products. donnot be cheated by low price.what we want is not just affordable price, but more quality.
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I had the same problem until I found something that quality wise was ok. Look for the Pentel Energel. I found it Business Depot. made in japan so that might explain the better quality.
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I totally agree with your point about how the market in everything has become so “price-focus” orientated and this has gone to far. There is no more happy medium.
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This is a nice interesting blog indeed. I think this is happening to reduce cost. Poor raw material is using to make things cheaper.
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what can we do, businesses are keeping up with the times, and this is the inevitable result. gone are the days when we could depend on quality products that are worth our money.
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I couldn’t agree more. Ryder, it’s high time you should write something new .
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Isn’t it odd to “brag” about a surplus while millions of American grandmas and grandpas were suffering?
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Yup the manufactures reduce everything now, I would prefer to pay more but they still give the best quality rather than reduce the quality and make customers disappointed
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You’re absolutely right on it. The older pens were great and my old ink pens were great even after 2-3 years and the new ink pens I bought were not as good as those, they were somewhat uncomfortable to write as well.
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Double boilers. Wood boilers. Grain boilers. Hot water boilers versus steam boilers. Outdoor wood boilers. How direct vent boilers work. Condensing boilers….
Manufacturers nowadays use low price so they can sell your products in low prices as well so the quality of the products is affected.
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Yes it is a fact.
You’re absolutely right ! But this applies not only ballpoint pens but a great many things in our lives.
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Pens before they were much better…When only remember how once written …Can also say that older book much better than new, do you think so?
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I like to write good article butt my pencil dont
I want be little writer!!!Please help me somebody?
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Remember on Seinfeld, when Jerry got the pen that could write upside down. It’s hard to find a decent pen anymore.
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my pen can usefull ou’re absolutely right ! But this applies not only ballpoint pens but a great many things in
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Yes, times have changed but not necessarily to the better. Regarding the pens my experience is that they just last only a short while. Every time I get so annoyed about it.
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my pen can usefull ou’re absolutely right ! But this applies not only ballpoint pens but a great many things in
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Really nice!!!
He-he!
Nice explanation!!!
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Remember on Seinfeld, when Jerry got the pen that could write upside down. It’s hard to find a decent pen anymore.
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Great!
Nice beginning of the post!=)))
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The quality of the goods is poorer than before the seller to make, but don’t consider, got on.
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although sometimes we think the pen, not be in use by both for today because of the quality of materials used to manufacture the pen away from a good word, perhaps even under the standardization of manufacturing plastic pen, and ink a bad selection, but can not avoid the creation ..
pens have been created long ago, maybe even centuries ..
so, now is the time for companies that manufacture the pen,
plstik attention to quality materials and the selection of the best ink,
to create a quality pen …..
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Cars used to be almost indestructable and made out of heavy metals. Now they are cheap plastic or aluminum which squishes on impact : /
They need to start making things good again.
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I think they put as little ink as they can in pens now to save money lol Just like everything else these days, whatever can save the company money, not what’s best for the customer.
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If you open a package of potato chips these days, most of the bag is full of air, not potato chips! LOL
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All natural lip glos reply on July 1st, 2010 11:27 pm:
The products are made cheaper, with fewer real raw materials. Yet, the consumer pays the same price or more for basic goods that are considered necessary. Yes i am totally agree,looks big but the inside almost no chips.before the quality is going nicer but now will be going down.
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Once the quality of the product was taken seriously. Today however it seems that products are made to fail in a certain amount of time. I guess that if you make a quality product you lose money because they won’t have to be serviced for a long time.
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yes, you are right … stuff just isn’t made with the same quality as it was in the good ol’ days …
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I could pick up that old trusty pen and every time, it wrote with out fail, a soft motion would make print and with out the least bit of hesitation
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Hello! I am thoroughly impressed with your knowledge of Bow Down Lyrics. Your insights into this article about Bow Down Lyrics was well worth the the time to read it. I thank you for posting such awsome information. Signed Megan Henderson on this Day Tuesday.
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