This is Drew's lunchbag. I bought it from Target at the beginning of the school year. Sure, it was cheap - probably $6.95 or so. But it only lasted a couple months before it started ripping. Last year's lunch bag faired a little bit better - it lasted most of the year at least. Anyone else out there sick of buying crappy products that fall apart quicker than you can blink an eye?
It's a disturbing trend. The quality of stuff I've been buying at Target for years seems to be taking a nose-dive. Take the new winter hat I just bought Drew (he loses them faster than I can buy them!) It's the same style that I bought him last year, but the material is much thinner and less substantial. Ditto for the pages in the photo albums that I usually buy at Target. They used to be durable, but now they rip easily. What gives?
I just started reading The Walmart Effect, by Charles Fishman. It's a powerful look at Walmart's formula for success and the subsequent cheapening of products - everything from socks to seafood. Any company that wants to compete (including our beloved local biz, Target) has learned to play by the same rules. Sure to be an interesting read...I'll let you know more about it later.
Anyhow.... here's the lunchbag Drew will be getting for Christmas. It's made of recycled billboards!! How cool is that?? Relan is a Minnesota company that turns old billboards into stylish bags of all shapes and sizes. They are water resistant and super durable. It cost $26, which is a lot for a lunchbag - but I'm expecting it to last a good long time. Heck, anything will be better than that piece of junk from Target.
Merry Christmas everyone! And may all your gifts be durable!
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Wow- this hits close to home for me. I was just remarking to my DH how, it seems, that all of the things we do not absolutely need in life (toys, accessories, etc.)are now so cheap and all those that we do (healthcare, housing, etc)are so expensive.
After cleaning up the aftermath of broken plastic toys, given to my DS for Christmas, your article on a durable lunch bag, is right in line with my thinking.
At our local Waldorf school the children carry their lunch in wicker baskets, similar to sewing baskets (perhaps they are) with the cloth and drawstring inset. Up to now, I've used brown paper lunch bags on the few occasions my DS has needed to take lunch. I'll have to start considering what to do next year soon.
Posted by: MCMilker | January 02, 2007 at 03:04 AM