Buy American!

[Chester86]

Has this virus influenced anyone to buy American?  We are building a house and we have actively sought items built in America.  We look at it as our small part in putting Americans to work and stimulating our economy.  If it says “Made in China” we simply keep looking.  When you shop at any of your big box stores the appliances have big red, white and blue stickers that say “Made in the USA”.  The American made items, so far, have not been any more expensive than the other brands.

[Ty Cobb]

I’m with you Chester. What I wish would happen is all American companies come home and stop using parts/materials made elsewhere. 

[NetCat]

I always try to buy American when I can. Just makes sense if you love your country. 

[CardinalBacker]

I've never bought a foreign vehicle, other than a few 4 wheelers and a jet ski.  

I'm kinda torn when I realize that so many Toyotas and other foreign autos are made here.  I mean... Buying a 'yota made in Shreveport or wherever is better than buying one from overseas, right?

 

[Ty Cobb]

I’m a Chevy guy but I’m willing to bet 95% of the truck is made in another country. I hope I’m wrong with that number!!!

I also buy Smith & Wesson because it’s made in America!!!

[5GallonBucket]

I do as much as possible....and anything made from China I ve always steered away from as much as possible going back to when I was a teen.

I’d rather pay more then give my money to some other country

[Ty Cobb]

I forgot to add that I buy Jim Beam as well, also made in America. 🥃 

[TxHoops]

4 minutes ago, Ty Cobb said:

I forgot to add that I buy Jim Beam as well, also made in America. 🥃 

You are to be commended for your taste in firearms and beverages, sir. 

[CardinalBacker]

The VIN is the key... if it starts with a 1, it was assembled here. Any other first number means a different country of origin. 

[NetCat]

10 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

The VIN is the key... if it starts with a 1, it was assembled here. Any other first number means a different country of origin. 

I had no idea that was a thing. Thanks for the interesting information! 

[baddog]

I believe in “Made in America”. It keeps our money circulating here. I also believe in the fact that being an American, I have the option to buy anything I desire. I was a Chevy man most of my youth and young adult life. I bought a Toyota Tacoma to drive back and forth to work. It never stranded me, cranked every time, didn’t leave oil spots where I parked, got great gas mileage. Don’t know what else to say about it except that there is a reason Toyota is the biggest selling car manufacturer in the world. They make a good product. I always warned people should Toyota ever make a full-sized truck, the Big 3 would have to step up to the plate. Well, they did, and all the Chevy, Ford, and Dodge truck owners can thank Toyota for making a vehicle that sets high standards and American quality had to imitate in order to compete.

A friend of mine, back in the day, had a Ford Fairlane. He went to buy a part for it, not aware that it was a Windsor, and bought the part that fit a Cleveland. The parts were not interchangeable. Not sure if Ford still has a plant in Canada, but these things have been going on for some time. Ty Cobb is right to wonder where all the Chevy parts are made and/or assembled.

As far as my “foreign” purchases hurting the American worker, Tundras are made in San Antonio and the 1794 Tundra is named after an old ranch in Texas. Do I consider myself a traitor? Heck no. It’s called competition and it is good for everyone.

In conclusion, “Made in China” has never meant quality to me.

[CardinalBacker]

I still remember when Walmart came to town and killed all of the mom and pop shops. Nobody realized what it mean until the whole downtown was dead. Instead of having lots of prosperous business owners, you end up with lots of hourly Walmart workers and the gross profits leave the community and go to Bentonville, Arkansas. 
Buying foreign has the same effect. There’s American owned/made, American assembled (where the profits go home to Japan) and then outright foreign owned/made. Each foreign purchase is another step towards financial ruin. 
An economics professor explained it like this. You have ships bringing consumable goods and then taking money back with them. At the end of the day, “they” have our treasure and we have bunch of broke down junk. That’s why we should all be up in arms over the trade imbalance instead of fighting to save a few cents by buying foreign products. 

[baddog]

6 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

I still remember when Walmart came to town and killed all of the mom and pop shops. Nobody realized what it mean until the whole downtown was dead. Instead of having lots of prosperous business owners, you end up with lots of hourly Walmart workers and the gross profits leave the community and go to Bentonville, Arkansas. 
Buying foreign has the same effect. There’s American owned/made, American assembled (where the profits go home to Japan) and then outright foreign owned/made. Each foreign purchase is another step towards financial ruin. 
An economics professor explained it like this. You have ships bringing consumable goods and then taking money back with them. At the end of the day, “they” have our treasure and we have bunch of broke down junk. That’s why we should all be up in arms over the trade imbalance instead of fighting to save a few cents by buying foreign products. 

The American banks who loan money on these products are sure getting fatter. lol

[Ty Cobb]

I joined the NRA a couple of years ago. After a few months the organization asked for a donation to help fund the NRA and to help protect the 2nd amendment. With that donation I would receive a NRA pocket knife as a gift. I was more than happy to donate to this great American organization and I looked at the free knife as a bonus. About a week later my thank you letter and free gift appear in the mail. I read the letter and feel a sense of pride for helping to defend the 2nd amendment. My son, who is very excited about the knife, takes it out of the box, opens it and says, “dad, the knife has NRA on one side and china on the other.”  Try explaining to a 7 year old why an American organization, that fights for Americans rights gives away knives that are made in china.

[WOSdrummer99]

1 hour ago, CardinalBacker said:

You have ships bringing consumable goods and then taking money back with them.

I doubt they are bringing duffle bags of cash back. But I did hear somewhere that our biggest export is empty shipping containers.