Dr. Fauci Just Issued This "Sobering" Warning

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

John, I just want a window. I don't want an expensive specialty window. I want something that keeps the weather out and opens and closes.

I can think of an awful lot of things to do with the slack 20% besides producing unneeded items. Take for example the Ball Chain company in Mount Vernon, New York. During the pandemic they used their slack to distribute one of the very few trustworthy KN95 masks from China (made by Powecom in China and sold by Ball Chain under the name Bona Fide Masks). https://www.maxim.com/gear/us-ball-c...ring-pandemic/

The problem with our economy and marketing is that companies no longer start by analyzing what consumers need. They start by inventing unneeded products and then convince people they need them.

Actually the consumer drives it. They make the requests and we see what we can accomplish.

It has been that way forever.

People see old cape cod homes, the slope of the roof is lower than the modern versions, and they sometimes wonder why the front facade has clapboards while the sides and the back have shingles. The answer is that it was easier to produces shingles with a broad axe, while clapboard would require two men working with a saw. Because the clapboard required more work... it was placed on the ''money-side'' of a home.

They ask why old farmers used to paint window sashes black. Black would allow the eye to look past the frame and grille work (muntins) making the window appear larger. Larger panes of glass were costly, and this made the farmer look a bit richer.

Today, clapboard is less expensive... and window sashes are made with dual panes that fill the entire sash. The grille work (muntins) are simply added at an additional cost.

The color options are more because people do not wish the maintenance of painting. Paint can come in about two million or so colors... so the manufacturers try to expand the color line. But certain colors or hues are always more in demand than others.

When demand is very high for those certain colors, none of the lines run the extras colors... those colors become much more pricey and have much longer lead times to get.
For a DIYer, not really an issue. But on new construction or when trying to schedule a contractor... it more often creates issues.
But even the DIYer is likely to switch to the more basic colors rather than wait close to a year to get the project completed.