A lot of what ends up in thrift stores are the previous versions of things that people received for holiday gifts, etc. Excellent working crock pots, countertop skillets, toaster ovens, convection cookers, grills, many of these are still the best items to use instead of the new all-in-one devices. Every year at xmas I tell people please don't give me appliances. I like my cast iron skillets and versatile devices. My Mom used to get one-function things to try and they were soon neglected (egg cookers, hot dog cookers, etc.) I found a George Foreman grill for $3 at an estate sale (the plates top and bottom both heat, and the grill is sloped so grease drains, in my case, to a small plate put in front of it.) Fish, beef, pork, chicken, any kinds of meats, but you can also stack on cut vegetables and drizzle olive oil, etc for a great fast meal.

Family and friends know for my fondness of thrift stores so will let me know when they need something. My ex had an expensive and well-used older bread machine in which the bread tin inside had cracked. Could I find another of the tins? I ended up finding a bread machine that had the tin but was missing the rubber gasket and beater bar for kneading (for $20). He ended up putting his gasket and beater in the new tin and started using the much newer machine. Marrying devices like this means less stuff in the landfill and doesn't trigger a sale that indicates a manufacturer should make more.

Modern industrial nations are so wasteful. As a way to run an economy Capitalism can bring out the worst in investors and businesses who make things instead of building the best and fixing them when needed. Planned obsolescence is an obscenity.