Christmas Lights

What is up with Christmas lights! They only come out of the box once a year, they worked when you put them away in January, but when you take them out after Thanksgiving half the string will not light! Or they will light only when held at a certain angle. Then there are the times when the damn thing blinks when it's not suppose to! And all the styles! When I was little there were between three and eight styles of lights. String lights in color or clear, bubble lights, chasing lights in color or clear, and C9 bulbs that hung outside. Now you have rope lights, cluster lights, novelty shape lights, icicle lights, the list is endless. And each one never seems to last more than two years, if that. Why on earth can't they make a Christmas light that will last?