OK, so I haven't seen it mentioned good or bad, or what you all might have thought about it...

Last week ABC did a special on "Buying American", pretty much debunking the myth that you can't buy American because we don't make anything... Or if you find it, it's going to cost you an arm and a leg, or that the quality just isn't there...

Don't know if I buy into everything they said, specially the fact of almost over night creating some 200,000 jobs if we would just spend an additional 1% on American products...

But if I can find an American product, over a foreign product, it's going to be an American product every time!

And actually you save gas by searching online for American products instead of driving all over town searching for something...


Phil

Agreed, I make a point to buy American first.

Buy American when I can. I go to considerable effort to do so. But, tis easier said than done. And depending on what you buy, it can be an arm and a leg more. Usually, it is significantly more. You can not always save time finding what you need on the internet. While it's a great resource, there can be cases where you spend more time looking on the net than taking a drive. It just depends. And labels which say made in USA may only be assembled in the USA, which is better than nothing at all.

We try to buy American first, North American second and on down the line with China being last on the list.

I do not own a TV so I did not see the program. I have no clue to the real number of jobs that we would create if we all tried to buy American but there is little doubt in my mind that there would be a lot more people at work and off unemployment.

Glad to see that there is some media attention to the problem. It makes no sense to me that we send mots manufacturing to the same country that we are the heaviest in debt. At this rate China will own America without a shot being fired.

preaching to the choir

i just bought a bunch of easton aluminum and hopefully it is still made here. all my other components even if it says it's u.s. i highly doubt it. talk is cheap.

It is sad how many things are only made in China. Find me a double walled SS coffee cup made here. They aren't any. No water bottles either.

I can find leather work gloves made in the USA at around thirty buck a pair but I have to go to Seattle to get them. That is a eighty mile round trip in the car and a ferry ride across the sound.

Then there is the fact I am hard on work gloves. Even with care, cleaning and leather protection they last about two to three months. That is a lot of money on truck driver's pay. Would cut deeply into my 1911 savings.

The April issue of Car and Driver has a three page spread showing which makes and models of cars are considered domestic under U.S. law. To be domestic 75 percent (by value) of the parts have to come from the U.S. or Canada (but not Mexico). Looking at the charts I came up with the following numbers.

GMC (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick) has 12 domestic models

Chrysler (Dodge, Jeep) has 9 domestic models

Ford (Mercury, Lincoln) has 7 domestic models

Toyota has 6 domestic models

Honda (Acura) has 4 domestic models

Mitsubishi has 2 domestic models

The highest domestic content of any model is 90% for the 2010 Ford Explorer made in Louisville Indiana.

There are many Chrysler, Ford and GMC models that don't meet the 75% requirement to be considered "domestic", so you can't tell which modes are domestic just by the make. For example, the Dodge Ram 1500 and the Ford F-150 are not domestic models, but the Toyota Tundra is a domestic model. Who would have guessed that?

American made rifles are generally cheaper than European.

I will gladly pay more for a product made here in the USA that I deem as one that will last, vs a same/similar product made in China which will last 3 months before crapping out.

You get what you pay for.

Thinking Nancy Pelosi got that Made in America label on the clothing coming fom her husband's slave labor camps run in some US Territories.

Getting much harder to do. With a lot of US companies going overseas to control their costs of production. This new round of high oil prices will send MORE companies overseas. That's what you get when your only energy policy is to push renewables.

The entire world-wide production of BMW's 3 series SUV are made right here in the USA. Tundras are made in Texas. I just look for value, and everything made in China is garbage. I buy American when I can, if it's a good value. It's the American Way

USFA

Ruger

Savage

Kimber

Barnes

Nosler

Hornady

Starline

Lee

plenty more!



I own 'em all, and they are amongst the best, and in USFA's case - thee best.

You can browse thru any "big box" store and look at where stuff comes from. I'll bet 90% of the product come from overseas.
I had to upgrade my lighting in my work shop last week. I went to the new Menards. While I was getting setup by the lighting manager I asked him if there was anything in the electrical department that was made in America. He said there was nothing made in the USA. Every light bulb, whether GE, Philips or Sylvania comes from China. GE was the last to close a plant in NC (IIRC) and sent 200 Americans to the unemployment line.
That plant made CFL light bulbs - you know, the ones with 5 and 6 milligrams of mercury in every one!
So now, we have the Chinese sending us mercury not only in sheetrock but now cfl bulbs! God help us.

I know John Menard (Jr), and knew his Dad, John Sr.

Made in America didn't fit into the equation - but in fairness neither does it with their competitors.

Womans clothing? Just ask your wives/girlfriends. The sizing in stores is all over the map. All the "women in my life" just go nuts when you bring up sizing. Most have clothes that range in 3 different sizes. All foreign made. The same size can vary from one garment to another. An acquaintance in the biz told the wife that it is a nightmare - so much so that they insist woman try everything on before they leave. All foreign made.

Menards and other big boxes would have nothing to sell if they only stocked American goods. They don't have a choice.

I have no problem with foreign-made women >grin<

True enough, however I can cite several examples where Menard's would buy foreign product shipped from half-way 'round the world in- lieu of products produced locally.

They -- out of necessity -- purchase on price.

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.

You actually run tires more than five years?

Country of origin usually is way down on my list of priorities in buying decisions. I look first at quality and by this I mean quality for the purpose. For instance yesterday I bought an asparagus steamer for twenty bucks. It was ChiCom but I could care less. It will do the job. Why should I spend time and more money to seek out the overpriced US version? I doubt if any are made in the States.

For my birthday (in addition to a nice getaway) The Wife bought me three shirts, all Chicom and all of exceptional quality. Some time ago I bought a Rockmont Western shirt made in the USA. Again exceptional quality but at $85.00 more than the cost of the three ChiCom shirts. Worth it? I dunno but I liked it so I bought it. Big deal.

To me it is a waste of time and money to insist on buying American when foreign made products are as good or better and readily available at less cost.

You'd sell out your own mother.

Buying American excludes buying from GM and Chrysler. Those are owned by foreign progressive fascist unions.

Buy what you want when you want from whom you want. There are more important things to get your panties in a wad about.