American companies need to wake up and realise that the world will actually pay good money for quality products that have the stamp “Made in the USA” on them.
Heck I bought a $20 can opener 5 years ago. You guessed it: “Made in the US”. Best can opener I ever bought over the years. No rust after 5 years of use, easy to clean and it opens any style can like it was brand new.
Same goes for some mountain bike brands, snowboard brands, clothing labels.
I bought “the best drying rack” for laundry, at http://www.bestdryingrack.com/
It is amazing: no plastic, lightweight, solid wood, metal, collapses down to nothing, dries a full load, and looks like it will last forever. The husband and wife live in Missouri!
It struck me that all the videos on this tumblr blog look like time travel back a hundred years. Would be interesting to see some modern US manufacturing facilites.
I’m following this blog since a long time and I really like it.
But what doest it mean Made in USA? There is no such thing made in a country. I remeber you posted here a video of “I Pencil” which shows that even a simple pencil is made out of a complexe cooperation going arround all over the world.
I mean the video is well done but the idea behind it, is quite simplistic.
Keep up the good job with this blog I really like it.
Let’s face it, “made in USA” ≠ quality always. The tumblr site showcases mostly handcrafted stuff or very small scale manufacturing in the US. Quality products from these folks don’t automatically translate to anything that’s made in the US, as small businesses have the ability to control quality more than large manufacturers. I’ll pay good money for quality stuff, but a product merely with a “made in US” on its label won’t make me open my wallet, let alone pay good money.
Thank you Tina! I would love to have such a site for Switzerland and for every country in Europe! It is time to wake up. We can manufacture our goods with great quality and with a quality human factor.
In response to JoJo, there is a term called “essential transformation” which means that the product really became the final product in that particular place. We are developing a “Detroit Made” brand and have pondered this question frequently so you are right to ask it. But for example, even if a bicycle contains components that were made in Taiwan, if the bike is assembled here, then it is “made” here. Of course, we’re pushing for as much local manufacturing as possible. But as you point out, sourcing all components and materials from one place is not always possible.
And I agree with Cat. “Made in USA” doesn’t always mean quality, but thankfully more and more companies are producing US made, high-quality goods in a small-scale ethical fashion. Check out Shinola- the new brand of watches, bicycles and leather goods being made in Detroit.
Swissmiss is an online garden Tina Roth Eisenberg started in 2005 and has lovingly tended to ever since.
Besides swissmiss, Tina founded and runs TeuxDeux, CreativeMornings and her Brooklyn based co-working community Friends Work Here. (She also started Tattly which was recently adopted by BIC)
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+1
American companies need to wake up and realise that the world will actually pay good money for quality products that have the stamp “Made in the USA” on them.
Heck I bought a $20 can opener 5 years ago. You guessed it: “Made in the US”. Best can opener I ever bought over the years. No rust after 5 years of use, easy to clean and it opens any style can like it was brand new.
Same goes for some mountain bike brands, snowboard brands, clothing labels.
Mar 18th, 2013 / 6:32 pm
I bought “the best drying rack” for laundry, at http://www.bestdryingrack.com/
It is amazing: no plastic, lightweight, solid wood, metal, collapses down to nothing, dries a full load, and looks like it will last forever. The husband and wife live in Missouri!
Mar 18th, 2013 / 10:59 pm
It struck me that all the videos on this tumblr blog look like time travel back a hundred years. Would be interesting to see some modern US manufacturing facilites.
Mar 19th, 2013 / 2:12 pm
I’m following this blog since a long time and I really like it.
But what doest it mean Made in USA? There is no such thing made in a country. I remeber you posted here a video of “I Pencil” which shows that even a simple pencil is made out of a complexe cooperation going arround all over the world.
I mean the video is well done but the idea behind it, is quite simplistic.
Keep up the good job with this blog I really like it.
Mar 19th, 2013 / 2:57 pm
Let’s face it, “made in USA” ≠ quality always. The tumblr site showcases mostly handcrafted stuff or very small scale manufacturing in the US. Quality products from these folks don’t automatically translate to anything that’s made in the US, as small businesses have the ability to control quality more than large manufacturers. I’ll pay good money for quality stuff, but a product merely with a “made in US” on its label won’t make me open my wallet, let alone pay good money.
Mar 19th, 2013 / 3:35 pm
Thank you Tina! I would love to have such a site for Switzerland and for every country in Europe! It is time to wake up. We can manufacture our goods with great quality and with a quality human factor.
Mar 20th, 2013 / 9:32 am
In response to JoJo, there is a term called “essential transformation” which means that the product really became the final product in that particular place. We are developing a “Detroit Made” brand and have pondered this question frequently so you are right to ask it. But for example, even if a bicycle contains components that were made in Taiwan, if the bike is assembled here, then it is “made” here. Of course, we’re pushing for as much local manufacturing as possible. But as you point out, sourcing all components and materials from one place is not always possible.
And I agree with Cat. “Made in USA” doesn’t always mean quality, but thankfully more and more companies are producing US made, high-quality goods in a small-scale ethical fashion. Check out Shinola- the new brand of watches, bicycles and leather goods being made in Detroit.
Mar 21st, 2013 / 6:37 pm