I was looking at buying a carhart jacket the other day (made in China). Most redwings are made in China now or somewhere other than here. I read sizing and quality was messed up since.

Went in brass pro a couple days ago wearing a size 34 jeans. Tried on redhead brand 36W no, 38W could button it barely, would have taken a size 40W to of been comfortable. A size 40 when I went in the store wearing a 34?

Tags I noticed including what I was wearing, Made in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh, shorts i had on were made in Madagascar etc etc.

When I was a junior in high school I worked for a factory that made gap jeans. They went to I think it was South America somewhere. My grandma worked almost 35 years at a factory that went to I believe Honduras. There wasn't that many jobs in my hometown to begin with. Now those weren't the greatest paying jobs in the world but now they aren't here at all.

What I am interested in is finding decent quality products made in the USA that look decent and not priced 3 times what I would have to pay for something made somewhere else. If im going to have to pay twice as much then it should last. I want to start looking for more and more USA made products.

We always seem to complain nothing is made in the USA anymore but then we keep buying the stuff made elsewhere.

Check on Dillon's Blue Pess mag.; they used to carry American made trousers,perhaps they still do. I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said "
We don't make anything here anymore,but rich executives". Sad but true. I try to as well purchase American made products;just tell me where I can purchase them.

We all (together) have created this mess. It is up to us all, acting individually, to correct it.

But it will take 20 years of effort and personal sacrifices if our nation really wants to turn it around.

First, we will have to make imported goods MORE expensive than home-made ones. That will require major tax changes in laws governing both imports AND foreign investments by ALL corporations allowed to sell in the U.S. (or put differently, "allowed to derive any part of their income from sales in the U.S.). And we will have to quit granting "corporations" all the "rights" of human citizens. They AREN'T, and have NO rights other than those our Congress gives them through its laws regulating their activities.

Secondly, it is going to mean we are all going to have to pay the higher cost of American-made goods without bitching about not being able to get them at third-world prices.

If we keep insisting on third world pricing here, we will have to turn the U.S. into a third-world country to have that, by reducing both labor and raw materials costs here ...and then we won't have the hard currency to be able to buy 1st world products from anywhere...Britain, German, France, the "Scandahovians", wherever...even the U.S.

Changing the corporate tax laws would also indirectly cause the incomes of corporate executives to fall, which would likely be a good thing for everyone, especially our politicians who would have to try to improve their own lot by changing things for the better for everyone, rather than auctioning off their votes to corporate tycoons.

It can be done, and in my eyes is very desirable, but until we ALL smarten up in our individual buying and voting practices, and also teach our successors more about how to set and maintain their personal long-term value structure, it ain't gonna happen.

(Incidentally, ALL industrialized first world countries are experiencing the same problem....about 20 years ago the Canadian GRU/RCMP began buying their official uniforms from China in a weak-minded attempt to "save money".)

I just bought a Carhartt Jacket and it was Made in the USA. Not sure what model you are looking at but some are still made here.

My son wanted a lamp for his room. I made it a point to buy American.

Virtually every lamp for sale in this country is made in China.

I'm not a big fan of China, so I doubled down. No luck. I challenge anyone to find a recently manufactured lamp that wasn't made in China.


If you can, please elighten me.

there are a lot of things made in America- illegetimate kids with moms sucking up a welfare check and dads nowhere to be found

jdollar:

We are apparently misanthropes.

Mean while the masses head to Walmart, a great American story...

quote:

Originally posted by Brad Hinn:
I just bought a Carhartt Jacket and it was Made in the USA. Not sure what model you are looking at but some are still made here.

What store were you in? I went in Academy Sports and Bass Pro and all the Carhart jackets I saw there were made in China etc. I found a couple websites online might go that route

As a long time CFO in manufacturing I can tell you it is nearly a miracle that anything is still made in the US.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
My son wanted a lamp for his room. I made it a point to buy American.

Virtually every lamp for sale in this country is made in China.

I'm not a big fan of China, so I doubled down. No luck. I challenge anyone to find a recently manufactured lamp that wasn't made in China.


If you can, please elighten me.

StillMadeInUsa.com then I clicked home goods or whatever and found some lamps. Didn't look much but expect to get gouged.

Some other websites I found through a google search for different american made products
AllAmericanClothing.com AmericansWorking.com MadeInUsaForever.com MadeInUsa.org AllegianceFootwear.com
Some of these websites have links to other websites for different products that are suppost to be American made

quote:

Originally posted by Jarrod:

quote:

Originally posted by Brad Hinn:
I just bought a Carhartt Jacket and it was Made in the USA. Not sure what model you are looking at but some are still made here.

What store were you in? I went in Academy Sports and Bass Pro and all the Carhart jackets I saw there were made in China etc. I found a couple websites online might go that route

I bought it from Amazon because I knew the model that I wanted and I could not find it locally.

This is the coat that I bought. The website does not specifically state that it is made in the USA but my coat was. It might be worth e mailing Carhartt directly. I bet they will tell you what models are made in the US and why. I have been wearing Carhartt coats for 30 years and this one is just as good as the ones that I have had in the past.

http://www.carhartt.com/webapp...tId=146511&langId=-1

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:
We all (together) have created tis mess. It is up to us all to correct it.

But it will take 20 years of effort and personal sacrifices if our nation really wants to turn it around.

First, we will have to make imported goods MORE expensive than home-made ones. That will require major tax changes in laws governing both imports AND foreign investments by ALL corporations allowed to sell in the U.S. (or put differently, "allowed to derive any part of their income from sales in the U.S.). And we will have to quit assuming "corporations" are human citizens with all the "rights" of human citizens. They AREN"T.

Secondly, it is going to mean we are all going to have to pay the cost of American-made goods without bitching about not be able to get them at third-world prices.

If we keep insisting on third world pricing here, we will have to turn the U.S. into a third-world country to have that, by reducing both labor and raw materials costs here ...and then we won't have the hard currency to be able to buy 1st world products from anywhere...Britain, German, France, the "Scandahovians", wherever...even the U.S.

Changing the corporate tax laws would also indirectly cause the incomes of corporate executives to fall, which would likely be a good thing for everyone, especially our politicians who would have to try to improve their own lot by changing things for the better for everyone, rather than auctioning off their votes to corporate tycoons.

It can be done, and in my eyes is very desirable, but until we ALL smarten up, and also teach our successors more about how to set and maintain their personal long-term value structure, ain't gonna happen.

(Incidentally, ALL industrialized first world countries are experiencing the same problem....about 20 years ago the Canadian GRU/RCMP began buying their official uniforms from China.)

Since you are in deep debt to China, no chance of that!
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/...t-Does-China-Own.htm

Why not produce some more arms and sell then to the middle east and North Korea? Or trade them for drugs and punch a big hole in the bottom of the drug market? That would save a pretty penny!

The problem is very simple: in China, the production costs are lower, and prices for manufactured goods - are on world level, so the profit is greater than for production in the U.S. or Europe.
And nothing to do, only to reduce labour costs, i.e. lower standard to living in China - then the American worker will be competitive with the Chinese or Mexicans. Politicians and citizens aren't ready for this.
So the only real protection against foreign goods - it is the policy of protectionism and a ban on the export of productive capital, but American politicians and voters, it is not ready to accept.It should be noted that "globalization" could begin in the 19th century, but then it did not happen because of a very clever policy of the English ruling circles. They slowed down the capitalist development in India and China.

quote:

Originally posted by The Dane:
Or trade them for drugs and punch a big hole in the bottom of the drug market? That would save a pretty penny!

You're kidding, but in recent years, heroin production in Afghanistan has increased hundreds of times compared with the rule of the Communists or the Taliban.

Concerning the Wal-Mart statement;my banker informed me that Wal-Mart was a 90 day pay out with a 9% monthly order policy. Basically by the the time you are paid for your 1st shippment you are 27 behind.Kinda keeps you tied to the beast,does'nt it?Speaking of which;Sears Roebuck + Co. had a policy back in the 40's + 50's.Sears makes nothing,Kenmore is a company that is their filtering agent that was build by finding new/young companies + placing contracts with them . 1st year minimum,2nd year,volume increase,3rd year-major increase. Small business to keep up needs to take out a loan to keep up with the potential volume....Except next year the volume does'nt come,they go belly up + Sears picks up the company.As to the China debt situation;although I do'nt like it we could always do what Hitler did when he became Chancellor."The debts of the Weimar republic are not ours. Nothing will be paid."Probably would'nt work if no other reason that our goons in D.C. would'nt have the cajones to do anything beyond their staus quo.

Um, since corporations are owned by stockholders they do have 'rights'. And since 50% of your income goes towards taxes the only way to get folks to 'buy American' is to lower taxes. Which in turn means less government spending. Which is not going to happen. 'We have met the enemy and he is us' - Pogo.

quote:

Originally posted by Boxhead:
Mean while the masses head to Walmart, a great American story...

You damn right, the "masses" as you so disparagingly refer to them are your fellow Americans who are spending their money as they see fit. Walmart's has improved the quality of life for millions of people because of their continual drive for lower prices. Are all their practices admirable? Obviously not but Sam Walton was a hunter, and a visionary who helped the "masses" improve their lives.

I don't have any connection to Walmart's, nor do I own any of their stock.

Here's a simple story that illustrates why Walmart's helps people and hurts small businesses. Some years back, I needed a simple single pole light switch to replace a bad one. In an effort to support local businesses, I went to local hardware store. Bought a switch. $3.79.
I hadn't bought one in a while but I thought, "that seems kind of high". Next week was in Walmarts (12 miles from local hardware store) and same exact swith was $1.59. Any wonder why people shop at Walmart's?

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Originally posted by Boxhead:
Mean while the masses head to Walmart, a great American story...

You damn right, the "masses" as you so disparagingly refer to them are your fellow Americans who are spending their money as they see fit. Walmart's has improved the quality of life for millions of people because of their continual drive for lower prices. Are all their practices admirable? Obviously not but Sam Walton was a hunter, and a visionary who helped the "masses" improve their lives.

I don't have any connection to Walmart's, nor do I own any of their stock.

Here's a simple story that illustrates why Walmart's helps people and hurts small businesses. Some years back, I needed a simple single pole light switch to replace a bad one. In an effort to support local businesses, I went to local hardware store. Bought a switch. $3.79.
I hadn't bought one in a while but I thought, "that seems kind of high". Next week was in Walmarts (12 miles from local hardware store) and same exact swith was $1.59. Any wonder why people shop at Walmart's?

+1

Now my Wal Mart rant (I have this rant pretty often with a friend of mine who lives on the Upper West in NYC - never shops at Wal Mart but owns Wal Mart stock)

2008 Wal mart 2.1 mil. employees - $348 bil. in sales

2014 wal mart 2.2 mil. employees - $483 bil. in estimated sales

Wal Mart just did not become efficient in last 6 years - its been an superbly efficient organization for a long time. Sam Walton was the greatest merchant/retailer ever.

Wal Mart has just stopped really caring about its core customer - stores not well stocked, bathrooms dirty, long lines ect. You get what you pay for at Wal Mart.

Its a pure cash flow machines and at the rate they are buying back stock with free cash flow - soon Walton family will own it.

I also think Wal Mart (along with other low paying corporations) have been the main reason for the increase in food stamps. I am also not a big fan of minimum wage and think food stamp is to a large degree a corporate scam.

I am a Costco person - its like the best social service provide by a corporation - 13% max mark up drops to 10% if you use their credit card and are a executive member. Problem is it is mainly for the top 20%. Pay their people pretty well too.

I do hate one thing about Wal Mart and that is the whole buy American ads they do. Wal Mart is among the top 20 export counterparty for china including other countries. Wal Mart has the best retail information technology. They very easily can show what percentage of their merchandize is made in the US and they don't. I don't care that they don't I am a free trade person. I don't like the fact the run this whole ad saying they are jobs in the US when they in reality are buying more and more from China/overseas.

Rant over. Don't worry Alibaba and Amazon in next 15-30 years will far exceed Wal Mart.

Mike

quote:

Don't worry Alibaba and Amazon in next 15-30 years will far exceed Wal Mart.

I won't be around to find out, but I'd take that bet.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Don't worry Alibaba and Amazon in next 15-30 years will far exceed Wal Mart.

I won't be around to find out, but I'd take that bet.

I originally had 20-50 years

I should have clarified on Market Cap

Baba is already bigger

Amazon will get there soon

Walton family will get much much more richer with Wal Mart going forward as they will own a boatload more of Wal Mart than they currently do.

Sam Walton was a great American.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

Here's a simple story that illustrates why Walmart's helps people and hurts small businesses. Some years back, I needed a simple single pole light switch to replace a bad one. In an effort to support local businesses, I went to local hardware store. Bought a switch. $3.79.
I hadn't bought one in a while but I thought, "that seems kind of high". Next week was in Walmarts (12 miles from local hardware store) and same exact swith was $1.59. Any wonder why people shop at Walmart's?

I buy from a local hardware because they have an inventory. If I want a 1/2-20 bolt, it's on the shelf. For that I'll pay extra for the stuff that WalMart sells for less.

For what it's worth, 12 miles at 50 cents a mile doesn't make a bargain.

mostly, bastard children are the US's biggest industry...

quote:

For what it's worth, 12 miles at 50 cents a mile doesn't make a bargain.

FWIW, we always combine trips and 12 miles costs nothing for a switch if you're going there anyway.

Work hard, earn money, live well, spend money...then die. Macro-economics is well beyond the control of any one or any group of us so why get tied up in a knot over it? The global economy is here to stay so be glad you are not the one at the bottom of the economic heap. One thing for sure though, Sam Walton created more jobs than 200 years of politicians.

quote:

Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Originally posted by Boxhead:
Mean while the masses head to Walmart, a great American story...

Here's a simple story that illustrates why Walmart's helps people and hurts small businesses. Some years back, I needed a simple single pole light switch to replace a bad one. In an effort to support local businesses, I went to local hardware store. Bought a switch. $3.79.
I hadn't bought one in a while but I thought, "that seems kind of high". Next week was in Walmarts (12 miles from local hardware store) and same exact swith was $1.59. Any wonder why people shop at Walmart's?

I personally don' think Walmart IS good for people of the U.S.

How many Americans were put out of work by sourcing those switches from China? Maybe 50? Perhaps 100? Who knows?

Now, multiply that be the number of American manufacturers who have been destroyed and the number of small retailers who have gone "belly up and downstream". Sure Walmart employs thousands of them...at very much lower rates of pay...and it sure as hell doesn't employee as many as it has contributed to the demise of decent paying jobs for. For a great many of those people, the standard of living has dropped precipitously, they have been "trained" to live on the dole rather than the fruits of their labor, and we now are borrowing $Billions from other countries to provide succor for our unemployed. Not to mention what that does to their personal pride...replacing it with a kind of castration of the spirit.

In the medium and long runs, that spells disaster, nothing more, nothing less.

All in the name of letting 1% of the population rapaciously show their "genius" at the expense of millions of others.

There are some great indicators .
Walmart leases the largest container ship in the world.It goes from China to our west coast full. Then returns empty. Need extra storage for all those trophys ?? shipping containers are cheap they arrive here but never return to China.

quote:

How many Americans were put out of work by sourcing those switches from China? Maybe 50? Perhaps 100? Who knows?

I dunno, but you'd have to ask GE, not Walmart, GE makes them, Walmart sells them.

Once again it comes down to the consumer.just like the drug mk.if you have no market then you have no sales.Supply + demand (per se) BTW we are on the same side.

First of all, let me make this disclaimer: "I'm probably not the sharpest stick in the fire, BUT", it seems to me that Ross Perot was probably not far off the mark when he said that if we ratified the North American Free Trade Agreement, you would hear a giant sucking sound coming from Mexico and the rest of the third world. That would be dollars going OUT.

When the politicians permitted the giant corporations to go offshore, we were screwed. While it put many out of manufacturing jobs, it kept the rest of us awash in cheaper products. It was the thinking behind "I'm ok if it doesn't affect me". Now it's all catching up. We're going from a manufacturing base nation to a services based economy. Guess which is better for the masses? I've no idea if the corporations are big and powerful enough to have Washington in their pockets but without some kind of protectionism in the future, small and medium companies will not be able to compete except in a niche market. (Just the way it seems to me).

And while we're on the subject of Wal-Mart: I have no affiliation with them and don't like to have to go there very often, but; they have made more millionaires of employees than any other company in the world. There are thousands who by working and taking stock, and working and taking stock, and stock splits, and all that, who have become very wealthy at their retirement. And good on them. I still don't like wal-mart very much and they can just about ruin a downtown of a small city.

quote:

Originally posted by jfromswk:
First of all, let me make this disclaimer: "I'm probably not the sharpest stick in the fire, BUT", it seems to me that Ross Perot was probably not far off the mark when he said that if we ratified the North American Free Trade Agreement, you would hear a giant sucking sound coming from Mexico and the rest of the third world. That would be dollars going OUT.

When the politicians permitted the giant corporations to go offshore, we were screwed. While it put many out of manufacturing jobs, it kept the rest of us awash in cheaper products. It was the thinking behind "I'm ok if it doesn't affect me". Now it's all catching up. We're going from a manufacturing base nation to a services based economy. Guess which is better for the masses? I've no idea if the corporations are big and powerful enough to have Washington in their pockets but without some kind of protectionism in the future, small and medium companies will not be able to compete except in a niche market. (Just the way it seems to me).

And while we're on the subject of Wal-Mart: I have no affiliation with them and don't like to have to go there very often, but; they have made more millionaires of employees than any other company in the world. There are thousands who by working and taking stock, and working and taking stock, and stock splits, and all that, who have become very wealthy at their retirement. And good on them. I still don't like wal-mart very much and they can just about ruin a downtown of a small city.

But have you got any pheasants around??

Shit no!!!!! We'll probably have to import some more of those from China as well.

And the ones with rings around their necks will be considered as "value added" and cost more to boot.