Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Buying American?

What's the first thing you remember your family owning that was made outside the USA?

Maybe the TV for us. Or toys.

My OLDEST >grin< sister. Dad was in the Army.

Good point. My sister was made in Italy.

Now purchased is a different matter, and I'd have to say a car. Dad bought a Fiat (or was it a Renault). Didn't have it long though.

Mine is American made. Born and bred in the USA.

USA...all the way.

You were kind enough to post pics of your property, I'd say she's in tall cotton.

Me too....

I'm not sure I agree with the lack of American made product that many previous posters have suggested. I will happily buy American and I think the point that Mako is making regarding the number of high quality guns being made here is just the tip of the iceberg. The ones he listed are the mass produced models, but what about all the smaller companies that produce higher end stuff?

I believe that this country produces some of the highest quality stuff available anywhere. You might have to pay a premium, but you usually have to if you want the best.

Russell boots are still hand made right here and will last you a lifetime. Alden dress shoes are as good anything made today. New Balance running shoes are still made in the US. Oxxford Clothes suits are the finest off the rack suits made (Chicago), one at a time. This country owns the high end stereo equipment market, no other country is even close. Camping equipment, knives, holsters, tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, the best stuff is all US made. All the fishing equipment I use is US made, the best there is. Most furniture is US made. If you want to talk about cars, trucks, airplanes... we still make the best.

If you want to talk about cheap crap...who cares if China owns that market. I try not to buy that kind of stuff, not because its from China, but because I can't afford to keep buying cheap crap over and over again. I would rather wait and buy it right the first time.

I just bought a set of Goodyear Eagle tires this weekend. Paid $100 more than the foreign named sets that I never heard of. If the Goodyear Eagles aren't made in America, at least their headquarters are.

I believe the Goodyear's are made in Mexico.

What I hate is the lack of disclosure in many labels. When looking for US made products I often come across, "Packaged for ..." or "Made for..." or "Distributed by..."

Well that's nice, but WHERE was it made!

Absolutely - Within the last five years or so, I rarely 'shop' for anything in stores (excluding groceries, obviously).. 90% is searched for, and found, online...

I still like to look at something before I buy it and seldom use the mail, parcel service, etc. I agree completely about online searches though. The internet is a great tool.

While the above posters have good intentions, many American companies shield the fact that their goods are made offshore. While the company has an American name, the products may very well come from a container ship.
High costs of production from labor, OSHA,FICA, SSI, health care, unions, costs of the raw material, corporate earnings tax all have pushed products overseas. The Fed Reserve propping up the falling dollar doesn't help. The Chinese with their currency manipulations is a problem too.

With this latest round of increased energy costs, look for inflation to creep in. If things get worse, then stagflation will rear up and then we are screwed. Recession #2 will kick us down again.
Business is frozen due to lending policies and a cloudy tax outlook beyond the extended Bush Tax Cuts, which aren't really cuts.

Gosh, those are some positive thoughts for the morn...lol

I agree on the hiding of where goods come from. There is the whole issue of where the materials come from as well. I tend to question any item where there isn't some big American flag displayed prominently with some statement like, "Made in USA by Americans and Proud of It" or suchlike. Bad to get sucked into propaganda, but I've gotten to where I figure the smaller the "Made in USA" moniker, the less likely it actually was.

My three sons wanted Carhartt jackets for Christmas. Damned if I could find USA made ones in the local western wear store or at Bass Pro. I bought a new one for myself six months prior from the local store that is made in the USA. Go figure.

I too will pay more for a U.S. vs. China made product particularly given the reputation of Chinese products being contaminated, such as the toxic protein additive used in pet food, or the drywall that out gasses corrosive fumes, or the steel contaminated with lead.

Thing is, brands we associate with being American made are not always better quality than brands we associate with being foreign made. Cars, SUVs and light trucks are an important segment of our economy. Whatever you think of Consumer Reports (leans left) they survey their subscribers every year to track long term reliability. The 2011 Annual Auto Issue should be out this month and it's a real eye opener for those who have never seen long term reliability data before. In that issue you'll see that Honda and Toyota still dominate in reliability based on subscribers' experiences with 1.3 million vehicles. Ford continues to be the most reliable American automaker while Chrysler remains the lowest-ranked manufacturer in the survey.

Based on the information in the April issue of Car and Driver the Dodge Ram 1500 and the Ford F-150 are not domestic models under U.S. law, but the Toyota Tundra is a domestic model. So if you want to buy American and you want a very reliable pickup truck it just might say "Toyota" on it. What?

Likely it's the Fed�s actions (QE1 and QE2) that are causing the dollar to fall relative to other currencies. These actions are due to the Federal Reserve's mandate, which is "to promote effectively the goals of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates."

The problem is that the tools the Fed has to work with are minimally effective in bringing down unemployment without causing inflation. It's really up to Congress to tackle unemployment as it has far more tools to work with such as simplifying or eliminating regulations and reducing taxes.

More important than where your tires were made, is WHEN they were made. Due to changes in the compounding of the tire tread and carcass, most tires, regardless of tread depth, have a maximum useful life of about five years. Always check the manufactures date on the tire, and if the tire is "new old stock" refuse it and insist on tires less that one year old.

EvenFlo makes their Tribute 5 child car seats in Ohio.

I just bought two of them, one for each of the cars for my little guy.

They were a bit more expensive than the Chinese ones but only like $5 each more.

One came with a broken part, and customer service was responsive and sent a new piece out free of charge. It was a bolster clip that held a piece of the seat cover on, and was probably damaged in shipment or while on the floor at Sears.

I always try to buy American.