Who misses good ole' Made in USA clothing for the farm or around the yard?

[Blade Breaker]

I created a new folder in my internet favorites, titled it USA Made Products. I started adding in the sites everyone has shared. I really appreciate the info and I'm sure most others do as well, hopefully the post will continue. Keep em coming!

Great. Here are a couple more.

Made in the USA Products Directory

Made in USA, Made in America, US, American-Made
http://www.nrastore.com/nrastore/products.aspx?c=31

 

[dragoneggs]

Oh sorry you didn't understand the point, here let me splain it for you. Generally you can buy an IMPORTED item for about 10% of what it is sold for in teh USA. the example posed aside - but the point well made. I mean we can discuss all day long how MOST people buy by price not by designer, but we'll save that for another day.

You and I both know anyone can purchase a designer product and have it knocked off for pennies on the dollar. So AGAIN my point is leather is leather, thread is thread. A designer jacket made of leather in the USA for $1000.00 can be made anywhere in the world for $100 - $200.00, ( India, China, Taiwan etc. ) My point - had you taken the time to understand it was WHY SPEND ( lest use the invisible leather jacket this time so your brain Synopsis don't explode ) WHY SPEND and additional $800.00 for an American made product, when I can SAVE $800.00 and fund a dozen companies rather than just that one selling the over priced leather jacket?
Ya thought so - no answer for that one. You know ALL jackets are out of style in a year so having the AMERICAN made jacket last to hand down to the grand kids - is irrelevant. If my imported jacket "breaks" I can buy five more or one a year for five years and after the fifth year I will still be wearing a NEW JACKET while you will be wearing a five year old jacket - BOTH SPENDING THE SAME MONEY.

So your arguments all FAIL.

Now for the argument no one ever talks about because most are sheeple and only spew talking points never taking a second to think for themselves. I got a patent on a product and tried to get it produced in the USA. The CAD drawing at the time was 12K, the mold was 25K, to produce ea. part was $40.00 ea. or $40,000.00 for the minimum run. So essentially I was out of business unless I could come up with nearly 80K before I sold the first unit. So all you flag wavers, what about that. USA companies were STOPPING me from starting a business - WHAT NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THAT - what only cricket sounds now.

I sent the whole package to another Country - got it made to MY SPECIFICATIONS tested here in the USA to meet MY STANDARDS, and I got the drawings, mold and 500 pieces ( NOT 1000 ) all for under 10K. WELL, WELL, WELL, lookie there now I can hire 25 people, but a building, make HUGE TAX PAYMENTS to the government, buy medical for my employees, send my daughter to private school, all because of ANOTHER COUNTRY DOING WHAT THE GREAT USA WOULD NOT DO.

So don't fly your American worker flag in my face because the American worker / businesses prevented me from making money.

How many more "American workers " are working because of foreign products. I can tell you most of the workers today rely on foreign products to get a pay check.

You want to point your finger, point it at Union Workers who get $70.00 and hour to DO NOTHING. I can guarantee you this no other country pays people $70.00 TO DO NOTHING because of no layoff contracts.

Postal Service Still Paying Thousands Of Workers To Do Nothing

12,000 paid not to work (UAW Union Alert)

Go ahead if you all want to support AMERICAN workers who do NOTHING - go ahead. I will spend my money wisely on PRODUCTIVE workers and companies and if that means outside teh USA - so be it. I will never give a dime to a union worker to DO NOTHING, I'll burn my money first.

Actually I think I do understand your point. But you first need to compare 'apples' to 'apples'. I'm also not sure why you your reply to my post was so vitriolic. I buy Chinese product often... Most of the time I can't avoid it, and as long as the quality/price equation fits my needs then great! I also travel to China often and do a lot of business there. Manufacturing and also selling of American product there. I can tell you that my experience is much different than yours. My company often quotes tools for molding, castings, etc. from US and China sources and it is not the 10:1 ratio on cost that you claim. Again, need to compare apples to apples.

The point I was making was finding quality product 'near home' and supporting a manufacturing base that benefits this country. You are proud to support the service industry here in the USA but when times are tough, what will they be able to manufacture/produce??? Also know I am not a Union guy... I think they outlived their usefulness about 40 years ago or so.

Again, I wasn't trying to argue with you but your attitude and opinion seems a bit narrow minded. I would enjoy speaking with you about getting things produced in China or right here in the good ole USA. My company is a net exporter of product to China (meaning we sell a bunch of US product there rather than the other way around) and how can that be if you can truly get the same apple from China for 10cents on the dollar?

 

[dragoneggs]

Keep it friendly boys! I too buy American when I can-often at a premium. also, I have no objection to buying goods (Like Fein tools-Germany, CMT blades,router bits-Italy) made in countries that are not using slave labor in unsafe facilities-it IS a world economy-

Its the sweat shop countries -Bangladesh, Pakistan etc that some US companies who have outsourced their production to that are starting to have second thoughts and bringing things back.

I know this is a weird way to look at it but the USA is bringing up the economies of these sweat shop countries. Not that I am condoning all practices of US companies abroad, but realize that many people that work in these 'shops' are making 10 times or more what their relatives are making and are very happy to raise their quality of life and provide for their family like never before. As economies grow and improve they outsource to others. Look at Japan. Used to be a dirty word to have made in Japan. Can we not see this as good for the developing countries or should we be isolationists and let them struggle on their rudimentary farms?

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Let's keep this one going fellas

 

[jeff9366]

Big Bill's Logger's Jeans are made from an exceptionally tough, though stiff when new, denim. Logger's Jeans have suspender buttons standard. Available on the web.

 

[Red Horse]

I know this is a weird way to look at it but the USA is bringing up the economies of these sweat shop countries. Not that I am condoning all practices of US companies abroad, but realize that many people that work in these 'shops' are making 10 times or more what their relatives are making and are very happy to raise their quality of life and provide for their family like never before. As economies grow and improve they outsource to others. Look at Japan. Used to be a dirty word to have made in Japan. Can we not see this as good for the developing countries or should we be isolationists and let them struggle on their rudimentary farms?

well uyou raise a valid point. However, the way I look at it, we lost solid blue collar jobs because to a large degree, our regulatory agencies made the cost of doing business in this country too high- be it safety (OSHA). air/water issues (EPA) etc etc. Case in point, a wood working magazine I subscribed to had an article on foreign sourced power tools. Thrust of the article was it was up to American firms that had contracted out their work to specify levels of quality. In article was a picture of assembly workers in I believe Taiwan working on blower cases for dust collectors. The guys in the picture were sitting on milk crates, wearing sandals and shorts with no eye protection! And we wonder why our costs are higher?

I don't object to regulations be they focused on worker safety or environmental issues. What I do object is its okay for American industry to look the other way and get the absolute cheapest deal in some overseas dump and rthen still command a premium price for it. c
Companies like L.L. Bean should have an obligation to make sure the only reason they are able to get the deal they are getting by outsourcing overseas is because they are willing to accept goods manufactured in a less than safe, environmentally friendly operation.

 

[Blade Breaker]

well uyou raise a valid point. However, the way I look at it, we lost solid blue collar jobs because to a large degree, our regulatory agencies made the cost of doing business in this country too high- be it safety (OSHA). air/water issues (EPA) etc etc. Case in point, a wood working magazine I subscribed to had an article on foreign sourced power tools. Thrust of the article was it was up to American firms that had contracted out their work to specify levels of quality. In article was a picture of assembly workers in I believe Taiwan working on blower cases for dust collectors. The guys in the picture were sitting on milk crates, wearing sandals and shorts with no eye protection! And we wonder why our costs are higher?

I don't object to regulations be they focused on worker safety or environmental issues. What I do object is its okay for American industry to look the other way and get the absolute cheapest deal in some overseas dump and rthen still command a premium price for it. c
Companies like L.L. Bean should have an obligation to make sure the only reason they are able to get the deal they are getting by outsourcing overseas is because they are willing to accept goods manufactured in a less than safe, environmentally friendly operation.

You nailed it. To bad our government doesn't care.

 

[Blade Breaker]

well uyou raise a valid point. However, the way I look at it, we lost solid blue collar jobs because to a large degree, our regulatory agencies made the cost of doing business in this country too high- be it safety (OSHA). air/water issues (EPA) etc etc. Case in point, a wood working magazine I subscribed to had an article on foreign sourced power tools. Thrust of the article was it was up to American firms that had contracted out their work to specify levels of quality. In article was a picture of assembly workers in I believe Taiwan working on blower cases for dust collectors. The guys in the picture were sitting on milk crates, wearing sandals and shorts with no eye protection! And we wonder why our costs are higher?

I don't object to regulations be they focused on worker safety or environmental issues. What I do object is its okay for American industry to look the other way and get the absolute cheapest deal in some overseas dump and rthen still command a premium price for it. c
Companies like L.L. Bean should have an obligation to make sure the only reason they are able to get the deal they are getting by outsourcing overseas is because they are willing to accept goods manufactured in a less than safe, environmentally friendly operation.

You nailed it. To bad our government doesn't care.

 

[dragoneggs]

well uyou raise a valid point. However, the way I look at it, we lost solid blue collar jobs because to a large degree, our regulatory agencies made the cost of doing business in this country too high- be it safety (OSHA). air/water issues (EPA) etc etc. Case in point, a wood working magazine I subscribed to had an article on foreign sourced power tools. Thrust of the article was it was up to American firms that had contracted out their work to specify levels of quality. In article was a picture of assembly workers in I believe Taiwan working on blower cases for dust collectors. The guys in the picture were sitting on milk crates, wearing sandals and shorts with no eye protection! And we wonder why our costs are higher?

I don't object to regulations be they focused on worker safety or environmental issues. What I do object is its okay for American industry to look the other way and get the absolute cheapest deal in some overseas dump and rthen still command a premium price for it. c
Companies like L.L. Bean should have an obligation to make sure the only reason they are able to get the deal they are getting by outsourcing overseas is because they are willing to accept goods manufactured in a less than safe, environmentally friendly operation.

Believe me, I am a firm supporter of made in USA. My company manufactures specialty fasteners and we export quite a bit to other countries. It is very hard to compete on commodities that can be made elsewhere for less cost (and often lower quality) but regulations are a big part of what is driving businesses to source outside the USA. Extreme environmental policies definitely force the issue to be competitive globally. If the US regs are much higher than those those countries with competing manufacturers then what is the choice but to join them. Ultimately the consumer decides. Cost vs. Quality. I think it is obvious that even all things are equal, 99% of us would strictly buy USA and then as close to home to support your community.

Free competition dictates price... I can't blame American companies. It is a business. If another company can do the same thing for significantly less cost, they will get in the competition regardless of what country they are from. Again it is the consumer that can get caught up in fashion/brand and pay 'too much'. The consumer gets to decide what companies they want to support based on price, quality, and business practices.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I usually scour the Sears tool sections for the occasional random Craftsman Made in USA tools that appear from time to time as most of them are now made in China. Granted some are still made here, but the selection keeps getting slimmer. All of my Craftsman hand tools are US made and I have most of what I need from the last couple decades of buying tools. I refuse to buy any of their imported product. Tonight I popped in and found an older stock set of Craftsman full polished, deep offset metric box wrenches. I haven't seen a US made set of these in years. Only set there, so to the toolbox they go.