Made in America

[snafu]

maat, the Chinese factories are downloading a lot of man made aspects of work to 3rd world countries like Vietnam and Cambodia so the made in China label isn't wholly accurate either. I notice they are doing much more trade with African nations and as soon as practical more work will be sent there...waaay cheaper.

[maat55]

As maat said, "if there is a market"...

Upstate store only offers items that are 100 percent USA-made - NYPOST.com

I happen to believe that americans want to buy american products,IMO, they are willing to pay more especially if the product is of better quality. I think many americans are aware of the concequences of buying foreign goods and will buy out of pariotism.

I would love to shop at a truly all american store. I bet it will be the next mania.

[rj.phila]

maat, you seem to have a pretty "pro free market" perspective, im curious-if there IS a market for this, why do you think it hasn't taken off yet? organic veggies, bmw's-consumers certainly will pay a premium for a better made product.
or do you think that its just a matter of time; that this issue of foreign production is relatively new in our free market?

[rob62521]

To go back to the original question I bought two items marked "Made in the USA" -- Pyrex baking dish and a kitchen rug.

I saw in an article in Midwest Living that there is a store in Barrington, IL, that sells only items made in the USA. I believe the name is Norton's.

[creditcardfree]

I bought a set of drinking glasses at Walmart two weeks ago. The package stated Made in America. I was a bit disappointed in the quality. I bought this particular set because they matched some I bought over 5 years ago. They were even similar in price. However, the inside bottom of the glass is not level and the glass seems thinner. They work and I will use, but they are not made as well as they once were.

[disneysteve]

they matched some I bought over 5 years ago. They were even similar in price.

You've pointed out a common problem among consumers. People tend to forget about inflation. They want the item they buy today to be the same price as the identical item they bought 5 years ago. It just doesn't work that way. If I went to the store and an item was the same price for a long period of time, I would question how they've managed to keep the price the same. In most cases, they do so by cheapening the product, using lower quality materials, shrinking the package, etc.

We see this all the time at the grocery store. Have you tried to buy a half-gallon of ice cream lately? Good luck. Most brands are now well under a half-gallon. Many brands of orange juice have cut their 64oz packages to 59oz. They keep the box or carton or can the same size but put less in it. It is very deceptive. People don't realize they are getting ripped off. It is hidden inflation.

So for your glasses, the way they kept the price the same 5 years later is to make the glasses a bit thinner. The way they've kept paper towel and toilet paper prices stable is to make the sheets a bit smaller. The way they keep OJ prices stable is to put less in the carton.

We tend to fix prices in our head - $2 for OJ, for example, forgetting the fact that we've been paying the same $2 for the past 8 years and that just isn't realistic.

[creditcardfree]

So for your glasses, the way they kept the price the same 5 years later is to make the glasses a bit thinner. The way they've kept paper towel and toilet paper prices stable is to make the sheets a bit smaller. The way they keep OJ prices stable is to put less in the carton.

We tend to fix prices in our head - $2 for OJ, for example, forgetting the fact that we've been paying the same $2 for the past 8 years and that just isn't realistic.

Completely agree. I was actually surprised they were still $10. They still work, but likely will break faster with the thinner glass. Next time I need drinking glasses, I will look for better quality.

[disneysteve]

People tend to be much more conscious of price as opposed to quality or value. This directly ties into the made in America issue. Since other countries have lower labor costs and less government regulation driving up costs, they are able to produce goods for a lot less than American manufacturers and sell them at a much lower price.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Last night I stumbled upon a site that was offering a prize if you could let them know of a source of American made ---clothespins! Some clothespins on the market are terrible. Would American made be any better?

I mainly just want to buy well-made, functional, and repairable(!) products, wherever they come from.

[tripods68]

I don't recal things I buy anymore are "Made in America", except groceries or when we go out to eat or movies. From the financial stand point, most American products are a bit expensive if you factor in labor cost (average US $18.00 hourly wage) versus products made in China, Vietnam, etc where hourly labor is less than $1.00 an hour.

[SFIntern]

What we are forgetting is that American made products have been recognized around the world for their quality and durability. My friends work for a farmer while we are home for the summer from college, and the farmer owns hoes from the 1930's! He and his laborers still use them to this day, 80 years old and still holding strong. That is the the quality that America is known for.

I have a cousin in Poland who also works for his parents farm. He has a beautiful horse and wants nothing more than an American made saddle for his horse because he has heard of the quality and the caliber of craftsmanship we had here in the United States.

What we need to do is reduce some of the requlations on manufacturing here in the United States to encourage growth in production so that we can become more self-sufficient as a country. Other industries will branch off of those, and so on and so on. The United States is home to the world's best workers and we have the capabilities to produce quality products here that the world will want.

For example, the auto industry: If we begin to build high quality and extremely efficient cars, ending the political bs that is going on between the govt., lobbyists, and big companies(oil), we can invest in our own domestic talent to develope highly efficient vechicals which every American can afford. Other industries will be revitalized, such as auto repaire shops, and so on and so on.

If we invest in domestic companies we can create more visionaries like Herny Ford:

“I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one — and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces”.

Once we begin production of quality American products which all Americans can afford, our lives will all improve and jobs will be created. Other countries will want American products which we can export around the world. Our products will last more than just a few months or a few years, like goods from other countries.

Higher levels of exports mean more money coming into the country, which means higher tax revenues. Thus our country can hire American companies to improve our infrastructure. Creating a new programs like the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 can improve our economy by creating jobs all around the country while advancing our country in becoming more modernized. Maybe we could invest in a highly efficient train system increase use of public transportation, which could ultimately decrease our carbon footprint. I live in Connecticut and see tons of buildings all around my state which have been out of use for years and I feel as though no company wants to use/lease these facilities because they are outdated.

My suggestion. Invest in America. Encourage manufacturing in the United States. Buy American. Build goods that other countries want. Export, export, export. Increase cash flows into America. Repair and renew our infrastructure. All that together will provide each American with the quality of life we are all looking for. Once we figure out a system that works, we can expand and help the rest of the world.

[disneysteve]

What we need to do is reduce some of the requlations on manufacturing here in the United States

There is a wonderful book called "The Death of Common Sense" that talks about how laws and regulations have strangled businesses. Companies spend so much time and money doing all of the paperwork required to meet the avalanche of government regulations that it impairs their ability to actually do their jobs. And a great many of those laws are pure nonsense. They aren't huge safety or environmental issues. They are stupid rules that exist purely to exist.

[kalimaniac]

no way

You really think America's "decline" is due to the fact that not enough people are "buying American"? You need to dig deeper. It's not that simple and it misses the larger point.

[maat55]

maat, you seem to have a pretty "pro free market" perspective, im curious-if there IS a market for this, why do you think it hasn't taken off yet? organic veggies, bmw's-consumers certainly will pay a premium for a better made product.
or do you think that its just a matter of time; that this issue of foreign production is relatively new in our free market?

I think americans are becoming more aware of why jobs are leaving the country. I think a store based on american products could be a new novelty.

[maat55]

People tend to be much more conscious of price as opposed to quality or value. This directly ties into the made in America issue. Since other countries have lower labor costs and less government regulation driving up costs, they are able to produce goods for a lot less than American manufacturers and sell them at a much lower price.

Which begs the question: Why are we trading with them? I thought the whole point to competition and regulation of monopolies was to provide a level playing field.