Here's the thing about those appliances built in the 1950s, though: they were expensive as shit. Wedding registries were invented because it was assumed to be impossible for a young couple--or even that young couple's parents--to purchase even a fraction of the things they would have needed all at once. See
here for some sample ads:
Basic 2-slice toaster: $21 in 1951 =
$206.32 in 2018
21-inch TV: $339.95 in 1951 =
$3,340 in 2018
Washer & Dryer set: $494.90 in 1953 =
$4,643.02 in 2018
Electric Can Opener: $16.95 in 1957 =
$153.26 in 2018
Hoover Vacuum Cleaner: $79.50 in 1956 =
$740.28 in 2018
And you may say, "Ah! But I would gladly pay $200+ for a toaster that lasted!" But you can. There are professional/commercial versions of everything, and in my experience they cost roughly the same as the inflation-adjusted prices above. I paid just over $200 for our waffle iron, and it works like new after nearly 9 years of restaurant-level usage. Meanwhile a shitty waffle iron will cost you $25, which means you could destroy one every single year--and you probably wouldn't, with the average family's usage--and still come out about the same.