Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleF
Yeah, I first realized how silly it was that things were being thrown away for something as silly as zippers or batteries.
MEC used to repair their gear for life. It was just a matter of whether it was free or a small fee. I remember kids blowing out a zipper or getting a small rip and throwing the bag away. One time, I asked to have the bag, went to MEC to get it repaired. I think my parents still have the bag.
Battery, I was in Asia and looking at watches. I liked a watch, but it wasn't working, so I asked if they had a working one.
"Are you going to buy?"
"If you have one that is working."
*Looks at watch*
"It's just the battery, so stupid."
*pops off back, replaces battery, puts back on, checks watch... in legitimately like 13 seconds*
"OK works now. You pay. You can go."
I remember looking at the watch, walking away slightly bewildered because he didn't charge a battery replacement fee and was so fast. I was familiar with battery replacement for $10-20 in Canada... seeing a pack of 20 watch batteries for $2 CAD a few stalls down and what I had witnessed started to make more sense to me. 13 seconds without scratching the back... that was extremely skillful.
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The downfall of MEC is actually very saddening.
I remember when I started Jr. High my parents got enough money together to my sister and I MEC backpacks, I dont even know how much they cost, I was a kid at the time. Prior to that we're been using those crappy semi-plastic ones that last a couple of months?
That backpack has been with me through all of Jr. High, all of High School, 3 trips to Europe, University and then...I gave it to my youngest daughter, so it did another trip through Jr. High and High School, a few North American trips to Chicago and San Francisco and another 5 years through U of L and she convocates at the end of this month and is STILL USING IT!!!
That to me is the legacy of MEC! If you bought something, you bought something GREAT! It can be repaired but it'll last.
That backpack is practically a member of my family.