[icelancer]

> For example, old lawnmowers lasted forever

These types of goods are still around today and priced the same when adjusting for inflation. Commercial and industrial buyers are their main market.

The best washing machines and vacuum cleaners aren't made by your brands you find in basic stores, they're at the specialty shops or catalogs. The Internet enables you to find out what they are and where to get them. They're just REALLY expensive compared to the cheap, Chinese-made alternatives today. But they're still around and the same real price as before. It's just that people race to the bottom and prioritize price first.

> is WalMart actually cheaper

This is pretty indisputable. I've done a lot of shopping there when I was poor and the differences are enormous, especially on boxed and cheap food staples.