Imported "JUNK"

[PENSACOLA]

...Yeah, Korean is Korean...

and I do have three Hyundai Santa Fe SUV's...

I love my 69 Chevelle though!

 

[Dixon Cannon]

A great editorial on just that subject...

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200803/ways_and_means.asp

-dixon cannon

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Words of wisdom

You get what you pay for.

Whatever the market will bear.

Caveat Emptor.

-dixon cannon

 

[johnnyjohnny]

aRe you AMERiCANS or are yOu MiCE!!!?

You just have to look for the made AND assembled in the usa tag. The stuff is out there, but it isnt cheap...it sure makes you feel good when you buy it though.

uHHH, sorry to disabuse everyone of the notion that U.S. made is either inferior or too expensive, but i've mentioned on here before that excelled makes the current G-1 supplied to the navy for purchase by their personnel, and they make an a-2 to usgovt milspec (current albeit) standards that, like the g-1, has the govt. contract on the jacket...here's the page that has their a-2 goat and g-1 goat jackets:

http://www.leathercoatsetc.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=262

if you'll notice, these are $229

i've purchased both of them and the build/leather is very good...they are made by unite, the same factory that makes SCHOTT jackets, which are about twice the price, but no difference in quality (branding alas)

these jackets may not be as good as a lovingly built (from what i hear) john chapman, or an eastman...not as good in the sense that a chevy corvette won't be as good as a ferrari...but when not compared to luXo goods, these U.S. made goods stack up above and beyond the overseas jackets everyone in this thread is bemoaning...

i for one ran off at the keyboard a month or two ago about having to return a 'u.s. g-2/anj-3' jacket to sporty's because when i got it, it turned out was made in pakistan (sorry folks, a U.S. military designation jacket needs to be made in this country for me, unless it's some sort of artistic recreation like eastman or aero do)...none of this outsourcing to save a buck and undercut U.S. workers

part of the joy in buying these U.S. military jackets is that they are not just made to U.S. milspecs, but the authentic ones are required by contract to be u.s. built...

i shop uswings, cockpit usa (where their jackets are u.s. made) and excelled at leathercoats for milspec stuff...i don't philosophically object to foreign artisans recreating reproduction u.s. milspec stuff from the past...but daRn if i'm going to be buying a current u.s. milspec jacket made in some 'stan', with all respect to those cultures...i'm sure there citizenry is not going to be buying their turbans from a u.s. manufacturer

riLed uP,
johnnyjohnny

 

[bobjones]

part of the joy in buying these U.S. military jackets is that they are not just made to U.S. milspecs, but the authentic ones are required by contract to be u.s. built...

i shop uswings, cockpit usa (where their jackets are u.s. made) and excelled at leathercoats for milspec stuff...i don't philosophically object to foreign artisans recreating reproduction u.s. milspec stuff from the past...but daRn if i'm going to be buying a current u.s. milspec jacket made in some 'stan', with all respect to those cultures...i'm sure there citizenry is not going to be buying their turbans from a u.s. manufacturer

riLed uP,
johnnyjohnny

Don't forget Gibson and Barnes, they also make superb jackets, perhaps the best in the US.

 

[1stsargent]

I think ALOT of people here and around the world have this notion that all american made products are inferior. I am of the belief that inferior leadership leads to inferior products. For example look at Toyota and Nissan, most of their cars sold in america are made here and with the right leadership the are considered the best made in the industry. I can also name several amercan owned and made products that are well made from Caterpiller, Lost Worlds, Never Summer Snowboards, Ethan allen, Horween leather, Boeing etc etc. There has deffinitely been some crap made here, but I think everyone needs to get over the view that we can't do anything right and figure out how to do it right. IMHO

 

[johnnyjohnny]

One for the 'GiBBeR'

yes, gibson and barnes...and i'm sure a few others out there...don't mean to forget anyone

as for g and b, i didn't buy one from them but while considering spent a lot of time talking with their salespeople and their head leather person...just amazing people...and to be honest, very decent prices

 

[Dieter]

People aren't so much "stupid" as they will for the most part only buy what they can afford, and unfortunatly, too much of the time that translates to "throwing good money after bad", such as buying $35 "Payless Shoes Source" boots that will blister their feet and wear out within a month as opposed to paying $189 for a pair of high quality, professionally-made (repairable) boots that will last many years and still be as comfortable as house slippers.
Personally, I buy Made In USA whenever possible because we still make high quality products, but I will point out that as a man who knows the value of a dollar, I'll stay with Honda for my choice of car, because I have the confidence and satisfaction of knowing that I've got a car that will run 400K miles with minimal maintenace, as opposed to the "money pit" Fords, Plymouths and AMC's that I've owned. I've spoken with Toyota customers who feel the same way about their choices, too.

 

[Spitfire]

To me - living in Denmark - "Imported JUNK" is also everything comming from USA.
Imagine that before you rant on.

 

[Edward]

To me - living in Denmark - "Imported JUNK" is also everything comming from USA.
Imagine that before you rant on.

lol

I see this debate on the guitar forums I visit -seems it's a hardy perennial in a lot of places. I rarely see people arguing that all US stuff is inferior - more commonly, the (equally mistaken, in my view) view expressed is that all US products are inherently superior. Personally, I don't believe mere geographic origin - much like branding, actually - is at all relevant to the quality of a product. The product must speak for itself. Provided there's nothing unethical about its production, I am happy to buy something fabricated pretty much anywhere....

I would agree that when it comes to a government equipping its armed forces, police, etc, it makes sense that where at all economically viable those products be sourced closer to home. Of course, that takes in a whole political dimension that is far from limited to the qualitative question.

 

[Senicko_Spain]

To me - living in Denmark - "Imported JUNK" is also everything comming from USA.
Imagine that before you rant on.

Well said Spitfire.

 

[Feraud]

Consumers should have the opportunity to purchase a quality product regardless of what country produced it.

 

[Colby Jack]

Well now that we have the internet and forums such as this...we can shop all over the world and make better decisions on our purchases...

 

[1stsargent]

I really hope this doesn't turn into those wacky far out rants that made me leave the VLJF.

 

[PENSACOLA]

...don't worry about it getting out of hand, if you will...

There's a gentleman by the name of Paddy here--he makes sure threads don't get "infected." Nevertheless, there's a couple of guys on this forum, active members of VLJ that tend to make personal attacks--Paddy usually takes care of it, however...

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Consumers should have the opportunity to purchase a quality product regardless of what country produced it.

Isn't it ironic that for the past fifty-years consumers have been prohibited from purchasing products made in the tiny island of Cuba because of the human rights issues with that brutal dictatorship - yet, our main importer of cheap commodity items and our largest creditor is the People's Republic of China that for some sixty-years has proven to be perhaps the greatest mass murdering regime in modern history.

Oh, the politics of trade!

-dixon cannon

 

[1stsargent]

...don't worry about it getting out of hand, if you will...

There's a gentleman by the name of Paddy here--he makes sure threads don't get "infected." Nevertheless, there's a couple of guys on this forum, active members of VLJ that tend to make personal attacks--Paddy usually takes care of it, however...

God bless him:eusa_clap

 

[dr greg]

US maid

The main things I'm aware of in this country that used to be imported from the USA were clothes,tools such as spanners or machine tools, luggage and boots, all were considered top quality, and the USA brand to be worthy, I still regard these items to be of good quality if made there and use it as a selling point with 2nd hand items.

 

[Vintage Betty]

Out of curiosity, were any American brands particularly desired?

 

[Kassia]

The same reasoning can be applied to the fact that I still can't bring myself to by a Hyundai lol

Hahaha.. My dh bought a Hyundai a couple of years ago and HE LOVES IT!!
He was a died in the wool Chev man until they decided not to remake the Camaro/Firebird... So both of us went looking for cars and he bought the Tiburon... It is one of the nicest cars around... For a sports car...
And right now Hyundai has one of the best warrenties on the market..

And that is a big leap for my dh.. He's an auto mechanic and he remembers very very well that the Pony was a cheap piece of crap in the 80s..

So don't let your predudices keep you from looking at all the cars out there because you might just be suprised what you find..

BTW, i drive a Mitsubishi Eclipse Syder.. I too was a died in the wool GM girl before that, having had a 1984 Firebird that was a piece of crap and a 1993 Camaro that was only slightly better...

One more thing to add is there are alot of people out there driving around in Hondas that remember when the first Civics came to North America.. Now there was a piece of crap car....