Planned obsolescence most commonly refers to the deliberate
limitation and weakening of the use, usability and durability of a
product or service. Its purpose is to stimulate consumption. Planned
obsolescence is harmful for both users and the environment, and has been
studied from both economical and technological aspects. It also has
several sub-concepts, methods and techniques. This article focuses on
conceptual flexibility of planned obsolescence in terms of the classic
Finnish board game Kimble. It asks, how does a classic product change
the purpose, outcome, and definition of planned obsolescence? This
article presents the author’s lifespan theory of classic products: the
cultural neo-production process in which the same product is
re-introduced to the users several times, and is partly influenced by
planned obsolescence. This article suggests new forms of obsolescence,
adaptive and forced obsolescence, that stress the fact that obsolescence
is a flexible and ubiquitous phenomenon. It is not always planned, nor
is its outcome always perpetual. Classic products need obsolescence to
exist.