Buying American

[wrooster]

I pay no heed whatsoever to the origin of what I am buying. (*)

I buy the item that gives me the highest utility at the lowest cost. (And generally, to me that means the lowest lifetime [total] cost, not the lowest initial cost.)

I go as far to expect that anyone who is considering the products my company offers to have exactly the same approach. If we are not fully competitive on features or price, we will go out of business; economic Darwinism in action. No one individual or company "deserves" anything more. Look outside -- see that bird? Sitting on the sofa watching TV and drinking beer is not an option for that bird today, or any day. No one is bringing the food to that bird.

The result of all this is capitalistic market efficiency: that is, the highest quality products at the lowest prices.

Wrooster

(*) In fact, the origin is often so cloudy that it is not possible to make a rational decision.

e.g.,
Is it better to buy a product manufactured in China by an American company (Apple iPhone) than to buy a product manufactured in the USA by a Japanese company (Toyota Tacoma)? Many GM, Chrysler, and Ford products are manufactured in Mexico and Canada -- so are you "buying American" when you purchase from the big three? All BMW X-series SUVs are built in South Carolina -- are you "buying American"? And so on. Anyway, it doesn't matter to me at all. Build a better product and offer it at a price which is commensurate with the quality. You'll have to hire more people to keep up with demand.

 

[ultrarunner]

I pay no heed whatsoever to the origin of what I am buying. (*)

I buy the item that gives me the highest utility at the lowest cost. (And generally, to me that means the lowest lifetime [total] cost, not the lowest initial cost.)

I go as far to expect that anyone who is considering the products my company offers to have exactly the same approach. If we are not fully competitive on features or price, we will go out of business; economic Darwinism in action. No one individual or company "deserves" anything more. Look outside -- see that bird? Sitting on the sofa watching TV and drinking beer is not an option for that bird today, or any day. No one is bringing the food to that bird.

The result of all this is capitalistic market efficiency: that is, the highest quality products at the lowest prices.

Wrooster

(*) In fact, the origin is often so cloudy that it is not possible to make a rational decision.

e.g.,
Is it better to buy a product manufactured in China by an American company (Apple iPhone) than to buy a product manufactured in the USA by a Japanese company (Toyota Tacoma)? Many GM, Chrysler, and Ford products are manufactured in Mexico and Canada -- so are you "buying American" when you purchase from the big three? All BMW X-series SUVs are built in South Carolina -- are you "buying American"? And so on. Anyway, it doesn't matter to me at all. Build a better product and offer it at a price which is commensurate with the quality. You'll have to hire more people to keep up with demand.

I recently bought 50 fire extinguishers for work... the supplier gave me a price and I asked if they were USA made... he said they were imported.

So, I asked for a price on American Made ones and he came back the next day and the total price difference on the lot of 50 was under $40... and they had a much better warranty.

The choice was easy... for less than 75 cents more per Extinguisher, I bought American...

The supplier was even surprised because at first he told me they would be much more expensive.

 

[capt_met]

For the last year I have been going out of my way to buy American. In most cases this has been a little more expensive but has also been for higher quality items. The cost diffrence becomes a wash when the jeans or boots last longer and don't have to be replaced as often. I will continue to buy American and hopefully it will help in a small way. It won't matter how strong our army is when we can't manufacture or transport the supplies they need. To me it also seems we can pay the price for Americans to work or pay for them not to. I prefer paying them to work.

 

[wrooster]

he total price difference on the lot of 50 was under $40... and they had a much better warranty.

The choice was easy... for less than 75 cents more per Extinguisher, I bought American...

Apples and oranges.

For an additional 75 cents per extinguisher you got a "much better warranty". You made a decision based on paying slightly more for a feature differentiator deemed useful to you. This aspect has nothing to do with where it was made.

If you don't believe me, ask yourself this question... If the units had the same warranty interval, and were equal in all respects, but one set was less expensive, which would you purchase?

Wrooster

 

[CowboyRon]

For the last year I have been going out of my way to buy American. In most cases this has been a little more expensive but has also been for higher quality items. The cost diffrence becomes a wash when the jeans or boots last longer and don't have to be replaced as often. I will continue to buy American and hopefully it will help in a small way. It won't matter how strong our army is when we can't manufacture or transport the supplies they need. To me it also seems we can pay the price for Americans to work or pay for them not to. I prefer paying them to work.

My dad started the amway deal, which I am not sold on. He put the squeeze on me to purchase a few items from him. One thing I noticed was everything that came in was, made in U.S.A.

 

[ultrarunner]

Apples and oranges.

For an additional 75 cents per extinguisher you got a "much better warranty". You made a decision based on paying slightly more for a feature differentiator deemed useful to you. This aspect has nothing to do with where it was made.

If you don't believe me, ask yourself this question... If the units had the same warranty interval, and were equal in all respects, but one set was less expensive, which would you purchase?

Wrooster

By warranty I didn't do a good job of explaining it...

There is a warranty service center a few minutes from here for the USA made ones... the other ones would have to be shipped solely due to my location...

I still think for less than 2% price differential... I would buy American without question... apples to apples.

The idea is was trying to convey is the American Product was much closer in price than even the supplier realized... maybe it was due to foreign competition which raises a new issue to debate.

I know local business men that only hire locally... I had mentioned why when he could save a little buying elsewhere.

He told the men and material I source locally are also my customers... wouldn't do a lot of good to save money only to have no one to sell to.

 

[kgevans]

Exxon gets demonized for "excess profits" when oil is high. Apple on the other hand is lauded for having huge profits and more cash than any company in the history of the world. Exxon hires a lot of Americans. Apple employes 90% Chinese. Figure this...

 

[BertZegers]

When I immigrated to North America I was looking for a car. I was shocked to see new trucks with RUST on the frames still sitting on the dealers car lot.
I bought a used 1999 Volvo (build in Sweden). Now it is 13 years old, with over 250.000 km, and still no rust. Besides, the fuel milage is great.

My truck is a 2004 Chev Colorado. With not much rust for the age?!
I think the car industry can improve on this one.

The US is the only country in the world using ONLY the ENGLISH system of mesurements. All other countries in the world use the METRIC system. England is dual. The use of "imperial mesurements" does not help exports.

The Japanees and later the Chinees sendt their students to the US and Europe.
Now its time for North American students to go to Europe and Japan and learn from them.

 

[Ken]

Ken,
Whay you say about your use of American money may be true, but on the other side of the coin during over 30 years of driving truck between our countries, vacationing and traveling in the US or buying good old American goods, never has my Canadian dime, quarter or any paper money been accepted by an American clerk. Something that I would argue has almost never happened in Canada.Larry

Larry. Sorry slow in the answering And you are correct I seldom see Canadian money here
keep up the visiting of this country we need the money.

Our Gov. lately is like feeding a hog as your pouring funds into the trough it is looking in the bucket to see how much more is coming.


ken

 

[ultrarunner]

When I immigrated to North America I was looking for a car. I was shocked to see new trucks with RUST on the frames still sitting on the dealers car lot.
I bought a used 1999 Volvo (build in Sweden). Now it is 13 years old, with over 250.000 km, and still no rust. Besides, the fuel milage is great.

My truck is a 2004 Chev Colorado. With not much rust for the age?!
I think the car industry can improve on this one.

The US is the only country in the world using ONLY the ENGLISH system of mesurements. All other countries in the world use the METRIC system. England is dual. The use of "imperial mesurements" does not help exports.

The Japanees and later the Chinees sendt their students to the US and Europe.
Now its time for North American students to go to Europe and Japan and learn from them.

Not true at all... I had to learn the metric system in Calfornia back in the 1960's and it is legal to use the metric system in the US and has been for decades.

Buy any packaged food product and you will see both the metric and U.S. measures on the package.

Also... when the fuel crisis hit decades ago... filling stations started to sell gasoline in liters... the reason was the old pumps could only price up to 99.9 cents and gas was over a dollar... the public didn't like it.

Just about any every vehicle is a mixture of standard and metric threads...

In Europe... I was surprised to see plumbing fitting sold in 1/2" and 1 inch sizes... they are 1/2 zoll and zoll.

Spark Plugs since the 1930's in America have been metric for the most part...