This is the age of not only the high-tech, but also of the disposable. These days the stuff we buy is so technogically complex that it's not only too expensive to mend, but it's hardly worth the trouble. We can simply go and buy another one.
So why is the BBC TV series The Repair Shop - where heirlooms are repaired by experts - so popular?
The skill of the craftspeople is certainly breathtaking. But often it's the story behind the objects that's really at the heart of the show.
So this year, Standing Room Only will feature repairers around the country whose skills are salvaging precious objects. They may be musical instruments, books and furniture, or in this case, teddy bears and dolls.
We go to Palmerston North with Keith and Faith Martin who run The Dolls Hospital. Their patients including die-cast scale models and dolls prams as well as a wide range of toys.
Lynn Freeman first asks Keith how he and Faith came to open a hospital for toys:
Standing Room Only is keen to hear from you about someone who's worked on one of your heirlooms and brought it back from the brink..from silversmiths to ceramic repairs and bookbinders. Text us on 2101 or email standingroomonly@ rnz.co.nz
