Thanks to advancements in technology, materials, and manufacturing, the last few decades have witnessed profound changes in both lifestyle and consumption habits. Every homes used to have a handyman. Now, they largely don't.

Until the late 1980s and early 90s, the majority of household items and appliances were built from metal, wood, and rubber. They were also designed to be more easily serviceable. Polymers had been around for over a century, and plastic was gaining favor amongst consumers. But the single-use plastics we're all familiar with today were yet to enter the market.

Therefore, food and beverages were served in ceramic pottery, sold in glass pots, tin cans, jars, and bottles, and carried everywhere in wood crates. Toys were made from tin or wood. Meat, bread, veggies, and other fresh stuff came wrapped and taken home in paper sheets and bags. 

Recycling on an industrial scale was not yet a thing. 

However, "everyday" recycling was commonplace. Containers, vessels, and many other non-consumable items were reused, repurposed, exchanged, or rebuilt into something else. Even nails and wrapping paper saw multiple uses before being thrown out. It was common for wearables and appliances to get fixed or reconditioned. 

Electric motors got rewired, furniture repainted and redressed, shoes re-soled, and broken or worn parts replaced. With that, washing machines, blenders, and toasters worked for decades, sometimes even passed down the generations. My parents have a beautiful, sky-blue 1960 vintage fridge that belonged to Granny. It has a freezer and still works. That was the era.

The household handyman: a near-extinct species?

My grandpa had an entire room full of shelves stacked with all kinds of stuff. I mean, all kinds, really: radio valves, fuses, canvas bags, leather pieces, circuit breakers and switches, wires, pressing iron resistances, all sorts of bolts and nuts. He'd stock up on new and recovered bits and parts to use again in domestic repairs and keep the house going. 

It was a very common custom back then, but it sadly is not as frequent anymore. As mentioned above, the world has changed, and so have the skillsets necessary to deal with everyday situations. I suspect today, Grandpa would be called a "hoarder" and end up as an attraction in some TV show. 

This is not a throwback to ancient ways, nor a critical look at modern life. 

It's just what it is. But it's also a fact that being a jack of all trades can prove highly advantageous during recessions and depressions. When people have less money (or none), the price of stuff rises, or goods and services become rarer or even disappear, the value of things changes a lot. 

In poorer countries, rural areas, and the countryside, people still need to be more hands-on if they want to keep everything running. Knowing how to use tools and being minimally able to repair, create, improvise, and solve practical problems is quite reassuring, no matter what or when.