The fact that this is perpetual may be best shown by the fact that I have encountered this as Aesthetic Mason Jar Problem.
Canning used to be...well, it was never cheap, but it was cheaper than it became. And the thing is, when you had empty jars and nothing to can, you could use them for other stuff, and then just wash them when it was canning time again (as long as you hadn't used them for, you know, paint or something).
And so people started using them to make cheap centerpieces for DIY weddings, which were popular in the 00s. You'd pour in some glass beads and stick something interesting in the beads, or stuff them with battery-operated fairy lights and ribbon, or tape photos to a roll of kraft paper that then went inside the jar, and so on. Because they weren't terribly expensive. You could do a ten-table wedding for $25, easy.
And this turned into "wouldn't it be cute to use them as the glasses, too?" And so you would. Because again, remember, they're relatively inexpensive. And people already did this at home when it was the off-season for canning! If you had thirty guests you probably had enough jars for everyone, and if you didn't, buying a single pack would probably fill the gap!
And along the way someone came up with "what if we got hemp handles so you didn't have to deal with condensation on your mason jar glasses."
And that's where it all went wrong.
Because suddenly you could get mason jars already designed to be mugs (that could not be used for canning because they had glass handles and no lid threads). You could get itty-bitty mason jars good for absolutely nothing except maybe a tablespoon of honey as a wedding favor. You could get mason jars designed for crafting, which weren't necessarily safe to can with. You could get PLASTIC mason jars, which would melt when put in a water bath.
And the original mason jars? The ones that were designed for canning, the ones we knew were sturdy and food-safe?
Well, I get mine from the thrift store these days. Because the world is fucking overrun with not-necessarily-safe jars and the ones we know are safe now cost over a dollar a jar brand new, and you can't always find them.
And that's how it went from "this is a nice practical way to use your extra garden veggies" to being a luxury.
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