Why is old junk like Model F/M keyboards and CRTs now seen as a more premium, high quality, and expensive option over modern equipment? Was some of our shit really higher quality 20-30 years ago?
I swear I used to offload these to dumpsters by the dozens. Now people pay hundreds for them.
Everything new is built as cheaply as possible to reach ever-impossible year on year profits
To add to your point, antiques are often an example of survivor bias. The stuff that lasted the test of time is generally the best stuff.
All the mass produced trash is much less likely to have survived to today, so when you find a well-cared-for antique it’s more likely to be good quality