Authors
Julia Mead1; 1 University of Chicago, United States Discussion
Even among those who take a nuanced approach to the history of state socialism, there persists a belief in the inferiority of socialist appliances. Without the motivation of capitalist competition, the thinking goes, clunky state enterprises could not produce quality goods. A small but committed community of Czech hobbyists disagrees. The group, which calls itself Teletym (television team), maintains a large collection of socialist-era domestic appliances, including televisions, radios, refrigerators, and washing machines, repairing them and displaying them in informal exhibits. This paper explores the history of these objects, how they came to be in the hands of collectors, and their enduring allure. It argues that socialist appliances are uniquely well suited to repair and renovation because they were produced in an environment without a culture of planned obsolescence, a profit motive, or a high expectation of innovation. When durability rather than efficiency is considered the primary indication of quality, socialist appliances tend to outshine their capitalist counterparts. As contemporary states reckon with the growing problem of electronic waste, the history of the durability and repairability of socialist appliances can offer useful lessons. 
