On one hand, a while back, I noticed some tools and foods I liked were either changes in a way that largely eliminated their special attraction or they simply discontinued the item, so there is something to say about buying things you like when you find something you really like.

On the other hand, the quality and utility of the merchandise has generally improved. Back in the 70s it seemed like every flea market, discount store and corner market had Buck folder knock-offs for sale at ten dollars a pop. By my estimation all of them were made of cheap Pakistani and Indian stainless that was so soft it refused to hold and edge and bent in normal use, if it don't snap. Now you can go to any discount store and find a knife for the same ten dollars that is usable and practical. It won't be pretty or the best that has ever been made but, as long as you avoid extreme designs, like skeletonized versions, you will generally have a useful product.

Used to be a $20 backpack was a bad joke. Now, it isn't hard to find a solid and usable product for $20. Most everyone will want to spend more to get a little more durability and a few features but on average the amount of money you have to spend to get functional gear has gone down as the average quality has gone up.

This trend is driven by market forces and automation. The difference in materials and labor between good quality and poor is trivial compared to the cost having to run a second line to produce the lower quality item. Automated machining and finishing cuts the difference even more. In the end it is simply more practical for a manufacturer to produce something that works. You pretty much have to into the $2 bin to find gear that is so substandard that it has no use.

There is no reason to believe that things will change much overall. For sure, the brand names and where things are made may change. An economic slump in the US may end up with manufacturing coming back to the US. China might buy GM and produce Chevys over there and Dai-Wu light industries might open a plant over here but I don't see much chance that many products will disappear or that quality will go down.