I found an 1969 ad for a kitchenaid mixer. It's cost $125 in 1969 dollars. That's over $1000 in todays dollars. You're comparing a mixer that costs half as much. And, believe me, fixing the skimp issues that kitchenaid introduced to give the execs a bigger bonus can be fixed for a lot less than $500.

Furthermore, you probably can buy a mixer for $1000 that has a similar chance of surviving 60 years for $1000.