Do you especially purchase goods produced in your own country?

[Lillefix]

I've never even thought about it.

 

[SnowlyWhite]

I don't like mega corps and being forced to buy whatever junk just because x% of consumers thinks it's good and it becomes a std.; plus, I find them overall terribly inefficient and surviving mostly only due to size.

Hence, I'm prone to go pretty great lengths to buy from smaller producers; that usually means they're local, since when you're small you tops extend to a regional market.

Thought that places me in the "somewhat" category, though I'm not really sure, because, on the other hand, I don't really care about where they're made...

 

[StarWorms]

I wasn't aware anything was produced in the UK

As 99.9% probably come from China/Taiwan etc. I don't have a choice. If I did, I would buy the cheaper option.

 

[Lillefix]

I wasn't aware anything was produced in the UK

Actually there is something. I remember a couple of years ago they mentioned that a huge ship came from China to the UK with (potential)christmas presents. They said later it left the UK full of garbage...

EDit: I see now the last sentence have a double meaning. Perhaps both are valid.

 

[bhsup]

I'll buy the best quality product for the price I am willing to spend. If that happens to be an American product, that does make me happy, but if it isn't, too bad. Lucky for me, it does happen to be American a lot of times. Tools, I pretty much stick to Craftsman as they are about the best product for the buck that you can find. Appliances, Kenmore rocks my world baby. Autos, well...my last few in reverse order: Ford, Jeep, Chrysler, Ford, Ford, Ford, Mazda, Pontiac.

 

[WICKLC1]

No, American stuff is like twice as expensive!

 

[El_Machinae]

I sometimes am willing to pay a small premium in order to purchase a 'green' product or a locally-produced product. Usually this is only a 10%-20% premium, at the maximum, that I'm willing to pay.

 

[warpus]

As the recession continues to kill jobs throughout our economies, most of us start thinking of buying products made in our own country (though as a Canadian I'm fine with buying US). Rather than giving all the money and jobs to China, we prefer to help out our own people.

But how many of us do this, and how far are we willing to go?

I haven't seen anything not made in China in months. There really aren't many options out there.

 

[Cutlass]

If it's practical. But I've often found that it is not. To insist on buying domestic means you have to forgo a lot of purchases altogether.

 

[Mirc]

Romanian-made goods? Where?

 

[Perfection]

Perfection: your responses sounds like "don't buy Chinese because of the negative externalities" rather than "buy local". Besides the "I enjoy doing business with people I know standpoint", what are your thoughts on US foreign trade with Europe or India or Africa?

Well, I dunno too much about Indian or African environmental policies, but that could certainly be used as a strike against them. One thing that some people have sanely argued is that transportation costs are underestimated because of global warming, etc. That gives a larger incentive to buy local.

Peronally though, I like to buy things within the Midwest, Minnesota, and the Twin Cities because:
1. Civic pride
2. tax revenuies go to programs to help me and people I care about
3. economically stimulating Minnesota almost directly helps some of my family members whose income depends a lot on how well the Minnesota economy is doing.

Yet you are arguing with me... If I'm the crazy hobo arguing with myself on the subway, you are the guy who butts into the argument.

Well, on the Subway I risk hobo cooties (the absolute worst kind of cooties). So that's different.



HEY



ANSWER MY DAMN POST

 

[warpus]

Romanian-made goods? Where?

I bought a Romanian made pencil the other day!

 

[Mirc]

I bought a Romanian made pencil the other day!

So if somehow the factory was state-owned, that would mean 1/21,000,000 of its price went in my pocket!

Jokes aside, my point was that there are too few Romanian-made products to be able to be loyal to them, no matter how hard you try. Probably the only category of items of which you can buy Romanian-made products only (and survive) is food. Yes, we need more industry. It's not as bad as it used to be a while ago, but still.

 

[Defiant47]

I don't like mega corps and being forced to buy whatever junk just because x% of consumers thinks it's good and it becomes a std.; plus, I find them overall terribly inefficient and surviving mostly only due to size.

Hence, I'm prone to go pretty great lengths to buy from smaller producers; that usually means they're local, since when you're small you tops extend to a regional market.

Thought that places me in the "somewhat" category, though I'm not really sure, because, on the other hand, I don't really care about where they're made...

That would be more about supporting the small retail businesses, and it's matter of the services industry. We're talking about supporting your manufacturing industry by ensuring that its goods are being purchased.

Romanian-made goods? Where?

Yeah, to be honest, I'd purchase Romanian stuff to help you guys out over there, but all I can usually get is a wine from a beer store and random stuff from relatives

 

[Whomp]

I'm always interested in buying local where possible. However, I get very concerned when I hear politicians dictating these types of policies.

I think we're entering a very dangerous period when people say things like "especially during recessions" or "stimulus for our companies only" or "why are they lending to a Irish manufacturer instead of a U.S one"?. Unfortunately, ever since I mentioned this about a month ago, politicians have been trumpeting "beggar thy neighbor" strategies. It's happening faster than I anticipated and this is not good for anyone.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I despise protectionism. Plus, I am supporting local retailers even if I buy products made in other countries.

 

[Defiant47]

I despise protectionism. Plus, I am supporting local retailers even if I buy products made in other countries.

But not local manufacturers.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

I'm a true patriot. That's why I buy goods that are the best value to me regardless of what country they come from. Why would I make my country weaker by allowing its industries to get away with producing inferior products?

 

[Rub'Rum]

The country it's made in is not that important to me, but if I see similar products made in different places, I'll definitely favor the local, or at least, the product that had to travel less or was made with better practices, when you can tell. That often equates to buying things made close to me.

That being said, I think it's probably more important to encourage quality products than to encourage specific countries.

To answer the original question, if we are talking about food products, yes, definitely. I do my best to choose food products that were made with better practices and closer to home, even if it means paying a bit more. It also often equals better quality anyway.

 

[Otitis]

The only thing American I buy is porn.