Would you pay more to see Made In The USA

Odd post as wasn't it Apple that just recently announced that they're building a huge manufacturing plant in Arizona to make phones, pads or something?? 

Mfg. coming back to America, not going to happen. Heck people want $15.00 to flip a hamburger. Sorry that time is long past. 

Charles Ro makes large scale trains in Massachusetts somewhere...their called USA Trains...The American Series..who would thought??

 

Take mini lathes...The Chinese import lathes are junk and cost more than a USA made Sherline or Taig model.

 

I know of a guy that produces large scale rr tie strips in Texas and they can be bought cheaper than any import tie...but his sales are slow because people want brand x??

 

Kadee makes couplers, wheels, boxcars and all other kinds of stuff up in the northwest.

 

Ford recently announced that the mid-sized truck line was being re-located from Mexico to Ohio.

 

Didn't Cat/EMD recently move from Canada to Indiana??!!

 

 I don't buy any of the manufacturers excuses for not producing in the USA. Oh they moan & groan about silly stuff BUT the real problem for them is all the China made molds stay in China..well they painted themselves into that corner now didn't they? 

Yes, but only modestly so, maybe 10% at most.

There are a few companies making product in the US, as already mentioned, Weaver makes some product here, and Kadee makes some of their line in HO in America.

 

As far as hamburgers are concerned, I often find it odd that we pay people minimum wage to cook food for us, but the garbage guy hauling the empty Big Mac wrapper away from the restaurant makes $15.00 an hour....

 

Jeff C

 

 

Actually it never left. We're still one of the 3 largest manufacturing nations, depending on how you slice the numbers. Problem is we rely on heavily automated factories so while we still make a lot of stuff we don't require as many people to do it. 

 

As for paying to buy made in the USA products, most people when pulled say they're willing to pay more but then when they see the price they don't. Kind of like most people say they'd spend more at a store that provides better customer service yet they keep shopping at Wal-Mart because it's cheap. Consumers routinely say one thing but do another. 

 

My New Year's resolution was to only buy clothes made in the USA (except running shoes). Surprisingly it hasn't been that much more expensive than buying clothes made overseas. I can usually find an American made comparable garment for 10-20% more. 

 

Worth pointing out that in N-scale you have MicroTrains making all their products in Oregon and selling them at prices comparable to Chinese made rolling stock so no real reason other scales can't copy that. 

Yes.

I think were possible, it is in our best interest and the security of our children's children to purchase all products made in the USA a priority .

 

Originally they were made in Malden, Massachusetts, but they have been made overseas since 1995.

When I go to an estate sale, I buy all the tools there made in the USA, which are very few.  Those old tools are better and last a lifetime.  BUT TOYS!  China has been supplying us with toys since I was a child in the 30s.  I would buy quality wherever it is made.  And, of course, quality is determined by the beholder - kinda like beauty!

Weaver is mostly American made, and although the detail level isn't the same as MTH Premier or Lionel's top shelf, prices are very reasonable. I try to buy American, and would and do buy trains made here. 

Dave is correct about manufacturing in the USA. We still produce about 40% of the products used world wide. 

Don

The 35-40% increase in manufacturing may be true, but that cost us not make up the price we pay.

I had a friend who was comptroller at Garden Way, a now defunct maker of Troy-Built rototillers and other yard machines.. The manufacturing cost of a $ 900 machine was les than two hundred dollars, the rest of the money people pay for that $900 machine was for corporate expenses, distributers, store profits, and the like.

A increase in manufacturing does not increase the product price that same percentage.

 

 

NO WAY ! These things are way too expensive as they are. Sure it would be nice to buy American built products, but let's remember there are many  American families benefiting from the hobby as it is. Furthermore many people from overseas can live a better quality of life because of interested hobbyists from around the world. The U.S. is not the only consumer of model trains. Made in America is wonderful, but it does not always mean better products. Manufacturers must sell in large quantity to make money, as the prices of trains continue to rise , interest in them will begin to fade and ultimately the hobby will fall into a lull as it did in the 70's. Foreign manufacture of goods, can be of high quality when   the product development teams from any country make it their goal. We reserve the right to not buy foreign made goods, all of us can be postwar collector/operators. There are plenty of locos to go around and they will still be running for generations to come. Now that's something to think about.... I will now step down from my American made, wooden, milk-crate !

Like coal mining, our kids do not want to work in factories making toys.
It is beneath them because we resided them like our parents did.
As much as he loved his job as a telephone lineman working for Ma Bell, my Dad told us kids that we were going to college to work with our minds and not with our hands.
And that only the losers in town were going to work in the chemical and textile factories.
Which went overseas anyways leaving a brown fund that gave a lot of people cancer.
Glad I left.
But funny thing is that after school, I started a manufacturing company and have been doing ever since.

I only buy used and only buy in the USA. And do not  really care where it was made.
My old mechanical ozone producers were made in the USA and will run forever. Like a lawn mower engine. More nostalgic than high quality.
Most of my favorite electronic stuff is K-line.
Good quality, made overseas but bad business model did them in.
The myth that seems to be perpetuated by some is that manufacturing jobs will somehow save this country.
The Swiss made there money but managing others money and making expensive quality stuff foreign markets.
Buy your trains from where you want.
Pay more if you want. Do not complain if you cause inflation by overpaying.
Buy local produce also instead of the South American stuff you currently buy now in the large chain store.
Buy gasoline from the most expensive gas station.
Tip your postman and pretend your mail gets delivered quicker.
Mail me your excess train money and I will promise to spend it on USA stuff
There is a lot of stuff made by forum sponsors that I would love to buy more off.
It will help them to train employees and built larger factories.
Maybe start manufacturing railroad paints again for the huge market that Testors just could not find.
LOL

Got a lot of decaling to do tonight. running out of Champ decals.
Maybe some US entrepreneur will go back into business making US decals again.
If only people would stop buying from those companies that import trains from China for a whole year, we could force them to find inner city kids to work for minimum wage.
Solve all of the problems in this country.
LMAO with tears in my eyes.
FMH

I would pay more for a USA made TV, computer, microwave, frig and even model trains.   Pink houses for you and me.

I was just remembering those lionel trains made back in the late 60's. They sure were not what i call good quality and guess what americans made them. The american work force leaves alot to be desired today. Where would you get the people to work in the factories today. Everybodys is working for the government and they pay the big bucks. We will never be a great manufacturing nation again. It is finished over with gone. Time to move on to the next subject. 

There is no next subject.

Yes I would.  I buy American whenever I possibly can.  Case in point:  My wife and I

have just moved into our new home.  First-up was a washer and dryer.  We went to a

small family outfit and bought a commercial-grade American-made set.  There was just

no question in this instance.  Yes I'm a geezer and no, I don't buy this "global thinking"

business; I believe there should be a job for every American who wants to work before

we even think about outsourcing.  My two cents . . . . .

 

     Hoppy

 

 

Not to burst your bubble, but there is no such thing, anymore, as an  american made washer. They are , acording to Whrilpool, Designed, Engineered, and Assembled in the US. I'm in the appliance business, you can't open one up, even a 10 year old one, and not find switches, valves, nuts, bolts, screws, etc that have been made in China, or if you are lucky Mexico.

For me, I will pay for quality and not necessarily where it is made.  For me, having things made outside the US actually provides me a living.  There are about 70 or more people who work where I do that would not have their jobs if not for these foreign projects.  All of these jobs are basically good paying jobs.  Having these foreign cities building up their infrastructure to handle their industry keeps me employed since these projects would not happen in the US in the scale they do elsewhere.

 

If I have a choice between US and foreign, I will buy US if quality and price are relatively the same.  As I said, I want quality first.

One of the main reasons those washer are assemble in the States is because container shipping is based on cubic footage and are mostly " air"
Plus Whirlpool can say "made in the USA"
Funny how parts on the so called "American motorcycle" are made overseas.
Just another cleaver way to separate the naive from there hard earned $s.

As a kid, I worked in a grocery store. They called it a "super market"
And the old lady who ran the corner store for thirty years closed down because she could not afford to sell toilet paper a few cents cheaper.
And all the mothers would debate which soap powder was best and they were all made by the same three companies. And my grandfather closed his appliance store because loyal customers went to the discount dept store.
Not sure why it is different if it happens in a different country instead of the next town over. If the trains were made in Germany or England or Dennark like Legos, I doubt we would hear the thinly veiled racism that seems to pop up every few months on this site.

One thing we seem able to make here is, maybe a dirty word on this forum, but

aircraft.  I don't think American Airlines is yet flying Ilyushins.  A number of countries around the world are flying U.S. made military aricraft, as well as civiian.  I just hope

they are NOT putting Chinese electronics in U.S. military aircraft (or even commercial)

Since I am a car nut, and this is not an automobile forum, I can't get deep into it, but I am aware of all the makes of cars, different mfrs. and wild choices you once had in this country.  Current choice stinks.  I can't buy American, and I once wrote a letter to a major collector car magazine ranting against imports!  I can't buy American if they refuse to build what I want.  Weaver just doesn't build that much, either.

You bet

A little more, yes.

>>>On the downside, China has many troubling aspects.  While there is widespread desire for improved economic opportunity there, the country's populace in many respects lacks the cultural norms that typically underlie western societies and businesses (although there are people here doing the best to undermine those norms).  <<<

 

 

No.  Competition and free trade are aspects of capitalism that can actually work to everyone's advantage if they actually are allowed to exist.  I'm willing to pay more for fresher and better tomatoes and greens from local farms, but not for trains hand assembled locally by American college and high school graduates.

I believe our own government is the single biggest stumbling block to having anything, including our beloved model trains,  made in this country.  Read up of the shear number of regulations imposed and how different agencies overlap and even conflict each other. I have a few friends that had small manufacturing companies in the classic car hobby that walked away after getting repeatedly beat up by regulations. We need to get our own house in order before we can even think of increasing manufacturing stateside.   Otherwise it's just empty talk. 

The biggest stumbling block is pretty simple. There is not a large enough market. Another is the focus on selling information or services instead of products. These are now called products. Its a bad joke. As far as regulations, look at history. Was industry ever capable of regulating itself? Look at China, where they are choking on their own fumes, and most live in company towns ( apartments ).

The problem is also self sufficiency. Even made in America automobiles, and rail vehicles have components that are made elsewhere and assembled here.  O scale is not much of a market base. Personally, I think there is some gouging on in the P&L of it because they can. Its that simple..less product higher cost. Its sort of a closed loop.

I try to buy American made items whenever I can, but the limiting factor is always the availability and the price of the item. 

 

The main reason US jobs have moved offshore is the cost of labor. US companies have found that the cost of manufacturing offshore and shipping to the US is offset by the savings generated by labor costs. Thus, certain items will continue to be made in other countries. 

 

We can bemoan our regulation or our tax system, but the bottom line is that foreign wage rates in Asia are $1 - $2 and hour.

 

Jim

Yes....wages are a big part of it. But transportation, loss and time factor into manufacturing cost in Asia/China.  I still believe given a level playing field manufacturing stateside is possible.  Getting a bit deep for a model train site....so I'll bail here.....but as a banking analyst for many years with a due diligence background that's my belief. THX 

The way I see it, China creates "NOTHING. Never have never will. 
China became the #1 economic force in the worlds economy today because they replicate "everything" cheaper.
Do you know of anything created (not assembled) in China besides firecrackers that benifit us?

The same thing used to be said about Japan.
Usually by the Chinese.
That said, at one time Japan became one of the most innovative manufacturers of electronics until their labor got to expensive.

And for the record, the current form of government in China has been in control for just a fraction of the thousands of years China has been around.
To say that China never created anything is just plain ignorance of history and culture.

As an American, what did "you" ever create?
And do not say a train layout because you are replicating something done before.
Blanket generalizations without any data spoken as fact.
China is the leading economic force because they have money, labor and people willing to take advantage of that opportunity.
It is called Capitalism. Something that is a little lacking in this country.
Look in the mirror. Expecting others and your government to fix it is called Communism.

>>>On the downside, China has many troubling aspects.  While there is widespread desire for improved economic opportunity there, the country's populace in many respects lacks the cultural norms that typically underlie western societies and businesses (although there are people here doing the best to undue.

Total BS. 10-15% of our populace are incarcerated for lacking "cultural norms"
And history has shown that without the " regulations" that are bemoaned, people will behave in their own selfish best interests.
That is why we have anti trust laws and even anti racketeering laws. ( yes organized crime is a form of capitalism)

Like pure democracy, pure capitalism has its issues when attempted at large scales.
Intellectual property theft is not a Chinese invention.
The industrial city of Lowell Ma was based on theft of English textile technology.

You left out one important factor by saying "China is the leading economic force because they have money, labor and people willing to take advantage of that opportunity." China is a controlled economy held and managed by the government whereas private interests run the U.S. 

True. But is that good or bad.
The Chinese government made a wise investment lending money to the USA.
Must of ""replicated" what we did in South America.

Hope we do not default like they did.

But to say that the Federal Reserve does not attempt to influence our economy would not be correct also.
Funny how everyone expects our government to "fix" our economy and blames them when they cannot.

Our perceptions and realities sometimes do not align.
Human nature.

We can argue world economics, and point fingers ad infinitum, but the the question simply asked, "Would you pay more to see Made In The USA?" It's a simple yes or no response. Greed has been, and always will be the driving force in every civilization as long as man has gathered in groups of two or more. It's human nature.
Don

>>>To say that China never created anything is just plain ignorance of history and culture. 
As an American, what did "you" ever create?<<

 

 

  

"crony" capitalism is part of the cause that is doing us in.

Not to mention the over regulatory shackles that hamper production in this country.

Sadly our culture has changed to a point where many of the people that work in manufacturing have a don't give a darn attitude.

 

YES there are plenty who do care and strive to produce quality product but the I don't care much crowd seems to out number the I care crowd these days.

 

But to counter my own argument, look at HENRY REPEATING ARMS. All their raw materials are purchased in the USA the rifles are all manufactured and produced in the USA and they have an outstanding product which is very high in quality and the price is reasonable. It can be done.

I also wanted to add companies have to be willing to move to manufacturing friendly states. Look at the companies that produce AR-15's and other firearms. These are precision items to thousants of an inch, some of the companies that have been in the states they were founded in are pulling up stakes and moving to states that are business friendly.

Which state can the big model train fellas go to that are business friendly? Not Michigan or New York where these companies seem to be headquartered.

A neighbor of ours who does a lot of business in China has told me that there is a growing demand among Chinese for "leisure" items among their working class. Yes they are showing a lot of interest in model trains as one of those items. What this executive has told me is if the demand for items becomes very strong in the Pacific rim at what point will manufactures cater more to the Orient and USA becomes a side show or igmored?

 

 

NO, I too, WOULD NOT PAY MORE FOR TRAINS MADE IN THE USA.