Buy American? Or Not?

[Hedgemaster]

If I manufacture my Widgets in China to keep the price point where people will actually purchase my product instead of a competitor's Widgets, am I being "greedy"? Is it "greed" that makes consumers buy the lower-priced "identical" item, so they can then use the savings to make other purchases? I mean, if you really aren't "greedy", you would just pay more for the "Made in USA" product, right? It's a difficult problem, with a solution that is beyond my grasp. I don't seek American made products out, but when I see the "Made in USA" label, it does make me smile - then I wonder how long before it breaks. Sad. Says the man who has only owned American vehicles - that were probably made in Canada, or Mexico. Heh.

[Sprinkler Buddy]

Lawn care business tips

"If I manufacture my Widgets in China to keep the price point where people will actually purchase my product instead of a competitor's Widgets, am I being "greedy"? Is it "greed" that makes consumers buy the lower-priced "identical" item, so they can then use the savings to make other purchases? I mean, if you really aren't "greedy", you would just pay more for the "Made in USA" product, right?" No matter where one chooses to make their products, they all have to keep the price point competitive. That's why I positioned my product in the medium of similar products both made in the USA and those that aren't. I didn't mean the "greed" of the consumers, and there are many of the USA products you can find cheaper than the foreign counter products by the way. The Greed is in the owners/manufactures, willing to trade off being made over seas, Not to keep within the price point but to have a bigger profit margin at the price point of their product while remaining competitive. China and others have helped make our homeland what it is. We as a nation had a good long run. Think it was all part of a master plan on their part. lol Now they can swoop in and buy us up at rock bottom prices and make us feel good about it when they do. I don't have the answers either. I do know if we don't learn from our mistakes we are only bound to repeat them. I have always thought it was the foreign products that were poorly made for the biggest part, lol

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[bruces]

You should be commended for trying to keep your product manufactured in North America .

[Sprinkler Buddy]

Originally Posted by bruces

You should be commended for trying to keep your product manufactured in North America .

I don't know, I'm still undecided! lol

I just know as a military vet, we may be at war with any other country tomorrow, I didn't want to risk funding their war efforts against my own.

That's how simple it was for me, it was never about the money for me either way.

My belief could also be my down fall as I have been learning. The Big Box stores like buying multiple products from the same manufacture to get huge discounts buying in large volumes on multiple products at the same time. I can produce large volumes at big discounts but I can't produce multiple different products. That's where I fall short. I hope one day a big American company will license my product and add it to their product line to get it in the big box stores. Small royalty will be fine by me. It would make life a lot simpler. lol

[mark123]

I seek out and pay more for USA made products. It's a challenge. If your product was next to a chinese product, I'd pick yours even if it were three times the cost. The worst part is that chinese products aren't really cheaper anymore. I cannot fathom how they can charge $250 for a set of chinese boots. It's maddening.

If you are going to outsource make sure you visit the sweat shops and watch the kids working there for a spoonful of rice.

[Sprinkler Buddy]

Their products aren't cheap $$ wise to the American consumer anymore because they don't have to be to get their products in the stores any longer. We have grown dependent on them and they know it, now they own half or more of the stores in America and 75% or more of the products in all of them is my guess.

Slave labor, we as Americans have been guilty of that ourselves in years past. We have built much of what we have from it. We still are today in many professions in certain parts of the US. (I won't go there!)

When it comes down to it, "We have no one to blame but ourselves". I don't blame China or no one else for our situation. Those that do are being mislead. We as Americans have to pull together and decide to make a change, with time the rest will take care of itself. Is that possible? I don't know!

[CHEESE2009]

There are two possibilities I see;


1) China: Haha, big American give all the wealth to us - we attack at dawn!

2) China: Without big Amercian, we wouldn't have job to feed family!


Also, lets face it - the Chinese are better at this than us. The materials they use are far less expensive for them to purchase, it doesn't mean the material itself isn't as good as ours.

[The Cleaning Doctor]

I hate to say it, but this all started going downhill with the greed back in the 60's. Not that is when it started but when the me, me, me really took off.

I commend you for keeping the manufacturing in the US. I too buy American when I can. I only go to WalMart anymore maybe once every 2 months for something specific.

If the fish says product of China.... I pass.

It really is the profit margins that are at stake here. They would be better if the executive salaries would be more in line with reality. If you want to give them a big salary, then give them a commission on the sales.

In the end, there is no real clear or easy answer. Since your product does not have components that need to be assembled. Take the Lear Jet for example, the fuselage is made in Ireland, wings I think are made in Mexico and the engines I think are made in Canada but I am less sure about that and they are all assembled in Wichita, KS.

BTW Canadians.... I have been all through the Bombardier factories for the Canada Air Regional jets.... Great place to see and congrats on keeping them home too. They also own Lear Jet.

[CHEESE2009]

If I had a product, I would want to take over the world with it.



Make your own nation, buy a private island... ohhh yeahhhh

[mblack14]

You know there is alot of places doing the made in USA thing, Walmart is for sure, You might not get it to lowes but walmart is a big part of the US. But it is sad that greed is taking over everyone. Here in a few years we will be the USOC (united states of china) You know it's sad we people are not going to get there SS check this month, And look and see how that is going to hurt us. A big part of my business if there not getting payed then im not. and I cant get payed Im going to be out of business.