Would you buy MADE IN THE USA if it were a more common option?

[Infohawk]

A comment by Ronstang and a recent posting about how German manufacturing is doing well because Germans buy German products made me think.

If there were a new campaign to buy American, would you be swayed? It seems like on this board and around the country more and more people are realizing that buying things from countries like China is just fucking ourselves over in the long run and that we're not even getting quality in return.

My behavior has been pretty much to buy the best-priced good at the quality level I have and not worry about the source (except for food). But these days I might consider buying American if it were marketed as such. Although I can't think of much that is manufactured in the US, I don't really buy into the whole idea that we make crappy stuff.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

A comment by Ronstang and a recent posting about how German manufacturing is doing well because Germans buy German products made me think.

If there were a new campaign to buy American, would you be swayed? It seems like on this board and around the country more and more people are realizing that buying things from countries like China is just fucking ourselves over in the long run and that we're not even getting quality in return.

My behavior has been pretty much to buy the best-priced good at the quality level I have and not worry about the source (except for food). But these days I might consider buying American if it were marketed as such. Although I can't think of much that is manufactured in the US, I don't really buy into the whole idea that we make crappy stuff.

Hell yes.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Hell yes.

+1

 

[Vette73]

I buy american if it meets or beats the quality of the other option and/or is within 10% of the price.

Most of my hand tools are US made. I noticed a lot of craftsman hand tools are now made over seas so I skip them as the quality is at best equal to us tools and the price is no cheaper/within 10%.

 

[MovingTarget]

Yes. I don't mind spending a few extra $$ for quality. This includes quality of life for those in our manufacturing industry.

Nowadays though, since outsourcing to China became the popular thing to do, people can't afford to pay the premium because those local factory jobs are gone.

 

[Ronstang]

We buy American products all the time at work. My buddy and I are both of German descent and are very picky about the quality of our tools....plus they make us an incredible living. We do not buy junk. We buy from US, German, and Japanese manufacturers almost exclusively.

You only have to buy Chinese junk one time to realize it does not save you money, it actually costs you money.

 

[Infohawk]

Most of my hand tools are US made.

Cool. Honest question though: What other consumer products does the US make here these days besides cars and food?

 

[manimal]

snap on tools here as well !



Every car I have purchased has been Japanese for the last 20 years. I have test driven and researched AM vehicles as well and always chose the best regardless of where its from.

I have considered buying a ford flex this year because its the best in its class the way I see it.

When it comes to durable goods I would choose us made if the quality and price were within the margin of affordability.


How much more would Ipods be if they were made in the us?

honest question

 

[blackangst1]

Cool. Honest question though: What other consumer products does the US make here these days besides cars and food?

There are cars made in the US? Oh, thats right. Honda.

/sarcasm

I chose the first option in the poll.

 

[Ronstang]

snap on tools here as well !

How much more would Ipods be if they were made in the us?

honest question

Considering their profit margin they could easily be manufactured here. Steve Jobs choose otherwise.

 

[Schadenfroh]

All else equal, here is how I determine my purchase:

USA > Japan >> Germany >>> Canada >>>> Western Europe >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Everywhere else

I would be willing to pay a little more for products made in America, Japan or Germany

 

[Abwx]

A comment by Ronstang and a recent posting about how German manufacturing is doing well because Germans buy German products made me think.

My behavior has been pretty much to buy the best-priced good at the quality level I have and not worry about the source (except for food). But these days I might consider buying American if it were marketed as such. Although I can't think of much that is manufactured in the US, I don't really buy into the whole idea that we make crappy stuff.

Germans buy their own production because they are aware
that it s the best quality in the world, although the best parts
are reserved to ...exportation!!

I live nearby of this country, and i go there several
times a month, and what best represent it would
be an amazing efficency when it comes to industrial
processes..
Indeed, we are living using german tech., even in our
processors, since the Fets transistors were invented
in germany in 1928 or so, despite the US being
credited as the first to invent the (bipolar) transistors
in 1948...

 

[Infohawk]

Germans buy their own production because they are aware
that it s the best quality in the world, although the best parts
are reserved to ...exportation!!

I live nearby of this country, and i go there several
times a month, and what best represent it would
be an amazing efficency when it comes to industrial
processes..
Indeed, we are living using german tech., even in our
processors, since the Fets transistors were invented
in germany in 1928 or so, despite the US being
credited as the first to invent the (bipolar) transistors
in 1948...

Some people seem to totally buy into the nationalistic quality thing. I don't. I've had German cars that didn't live up to the hype and I've had Japanese electronics where the same model consistently broke.

I wasn't that clear about it but what I'm talking more about here is that you're buying American because you you want to support your own economy as opposed to helping peasant Chinese make it to the big city.

 

[Abwx]

I wasn't that clear about it but what I'm talking more about here is that you're buying American because you you want to support your own economy as opposed to helping peasant Chinese make it to the big city.

On a purely economic standpoint, at equal quality,
buying US products that would be 20% more expensive
would be globally beneficial with GDP apparently contracting
but with a life standard that would rise in real terms...

 

[JS80]

I go out of my way to not buy made in the USA. I also go out of my way to avoid German crap. Union built shit is shit.

 

[Infohawk]

I go out of my way to not buy made in the USA. I also go out of my way to avoid German crap. Union built shit is shit.

So what kind of cars do you buy then? The Japanese and Koreans have unions too.

 

[Infohawk]

There are cars made in the US? Oh, thats right. Honda.

/sarcasm

I chose the first option in the poll.

Isn't it more accurate to say cars are assembled in the US? I thought I remember them saying they were going slow production here because of the short supply of parts due to the Earthquake. Anyway, cars are a bad example in this type of discussion since they have so many parts.

 

[wuliheron]

I buy made in America products all the time. Food grown by illegal Mexicans, houses built by illegal Mexicans, etc. They do great work.

 

[glenn1]

I have many more important things to worry about than where a product is nominally made. Even if you bought "made in the USA" products that likely means they were only assembled here, not that every component in the supply chain was made here. For example, when I bought my last car, I determined that the Honda Fit was the best match to my needs and superior to the (limited) competition in its class (subcompact hatchback) and wouldn't have cared if it was made in the US, Japan, or Mars. If I tried to add in the additional task of tracing its family tree as well to see what its heritage is I would have spent way too much time on what should have been a reasonably simple purchase decision.

 

[shortylickens]

I tried to for the longest time. But every visit I made to the store I saw fewer and fewer American goods. Eventually I just caved cuz I knew it wouldnt matter any more.

In fact I cant even recall the last time I saw a "Made in USA" sticker.
Even fucking Kabars and American flags are made overseas.

 

[Infohawk]

I tried to for the longest time. But every visit I made to the store I saw fewer and fewer American goods. Eventually I just caved cuz I knew it wouldnt matter any more.

In fact I cant even recall the last time I saw a "Made in USA" sticker.
Even fucking Kabars and American flags are made overseas.

Yeah, I mean all we've seen in this thread is power tools. Pretty scary stuff.

 

[Doppel]

Obviously all equal, but it rarely is.

When I look at stuff that's been around for 10-20 years and it says INSANE SH*T like "Made in Taiwan" (even before it was seemingly all China) or--and get this--I have something that was made in the UK. Blew my @*#$ing mind to think they used to make stuff there.

It anecdotally appears that the only consumer good still manufactured in the US is high fructose corn syrup based semi-edible food stuffs.

For what it's worth Weathertech mats are among the best floor mats for your car and an ad they are running in car and driver now says they brought manufacturing back to the US. IIRC it was from the UK, though, so not like it was from China.

 

[Infohawk]

Obviously all equal, but it rarely is.

When I look at stuff that's been around for 10-20 years and it says INSANE SH*T like "Made in Taiwan" (even before it was seemingly all China) or--and get this--I have something that was made in the UK. Blew my @*#$ing mind to think they used to make stuff there.

It anecdotally appears that the only consumer good still manufactured in the US is high fructose corn syrup based semi-edible food stuffs.

It's interesting I was listening to a talk online about how fructose is bad for you and the MD basically said the USDA is not going to attack this stuff because it's one of the last things we actually make in this country.

 

[rudeguy]

I would gladly pay more for something made in the USA.

Any chance of getting that option added to the poll?

 

[llee]

This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a very
exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set,
thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China?
A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your
stimulus check wisely:

If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.

If you spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs.

If you purchase a computer it will go to India.

If you purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and
Guatemala (unless you buy organic).

If you buy a car it will go to Japan.

If you purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan .

And none of it will help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America . You can keep the
money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or
spend it on (xxx), beer and wine (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are
the only businesses still in the US.