Planned obsolescence and kids' stuff... aka how I refuse to be a sucker

Assuming you took the 20 minutes and watched the 'Story of Stuff' video I posted about a few weeks ago, you already know what the term 'planned obsolescence' means (you did watch it didn't you? No? Ok, we'll wait....). Alright, alright, for those of you who are too busy to spare 20 minutes to watch, I'll sum it up for you- planned obsolescence is a tactic used by manufacturers to design a product so it will have a limited useful life. The goal is to get us, as the consumer, to purchase a product that will last as short of a time as possible so that we will have to go buy that same product again, thus spending more money than if we were to simply purchase something once and (God forbid) have it last. Until I saw that video, I never really realized how prevalent that concept is. And how does this tactic relate to kids' stuff? If you have ever tried to purchase something that is gender neutral, you know that it is next to impossible. And it's not just clothing. It seems that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find anything that is gender neutral. Thinking back to my childhood, it seems that I had far more items that could be considered gender neutral than what is offered today. I don't remember everything I owned being either pink or purple. But today, everything from tricycles to underwear to blankets to baby gear can be chosen in a cutesy pink version. The problem I have with the cutesy pink version (and, yes, we do have plenty of cutesy pink in this house) is that the item then becomes practically obsolete the moment you have a boy (that is, unless you are crazy, like me) and you are forced to purchase that same item in a boy-friendly color. Without even thinking about it, you were just forced to purchase something twice, use the resources needed to produce the item twice, and ultimately, add twice as much to a landfill. Don't get me wrong, I am not planning to dress my daughter in all blue, or to dress my son in pink, but I do plan to stop and think everytime I am tempted to buy a pink tricycle, "Will my son want to use that?" The majority of the kid stuff I have purchased, from bouncy seats to highchairs to strollers is gender neutral. Also, I am fortunate to have a daughter who loves dinosaurs and puppies, so we have opted to purchase boy pajamas for her, and will also use them when my son grows into them. Perhaps one day there will be a company that does not intentionally take advantage of the consumer in order to make more money and instead prioritizes the quality of the product they sell. Until then, we'll buy as much green and yellow stuff as we can find, and what we can't reuse we will find someone who can.