I think part of the fact that this old equipment can still keep going for this long is in part due to a higher quality of construction but I think mostly it is because it is so relatively simple with standardized, interchangable parts.
Almost everything except maybe some flyback transformers and yokes and some coils in these sets is a part which was pretty much universally used in similar types of equipment. This makes repair a lot easier when the original manufacturer is gone.
Also I think there was a limit back then to how cheap you could make something and still have it produce an acceptable result. Today you can make a DVD player, for instance that will perform great when first bought but is so cheaply made it just doesn't last.
One thing though, I think the capacitors we have today are for the most part a whole lot better than the old paper caps and cardboard electrolytics. A lot of old radios I work on have had to have capacitor replacements when they were less than 10 years old.
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