Made in China ?
- Thread starter R_W_B
- Start date
R_W_B
Senior Member
Wow just came back on and was really surprised to see all the replies to this thread.
1. It was not an HD shop, just a local Cycle Shop, sold saddle bags, gloves, clothing, also some used stuff.
2. I bought the gloves cause it's all I can afford, not much spare money now days. Generally everything I buy lately is cheap or I don't buy it all. I get some part time work, we do ok. You can eat good off not much if you know how.
3. As far as the Dye wearing off well hate to hear that but at least I got me some gloves. I sometimes think the foreigners are laughing at us when they make some of this stuff for us. They hate us because we've always had it good the past 60 or so years and they haven't. Just the way it's been.
4. Buying American, well I'll try to do that, used to try even more years ago. But it's so hard to find anything that's really American anymore. And besides I kinda feel like it's some our own fault why jobs went overseas. We all want to make more money, sometimes more than our product can keep selling for. But then we all want the best deal. Competition ain't no fool, it goes where it's welcome.
But I do try to buy American, God knows I love what's left of this country. I spent 15 months in a Jungle Combat Zone for this country and would do it again if they called an old has been like me back in.
I can tell you this, I used to buy all my groceries at Publix, a local American grocery chain. Their prices were higher but it was cleaner and the people shopping there didn't look as scary as Walmart. But they would not train their bag boys even the simple rules, like no hard stuff with the bread. Nothing with the eggs and no wet stuff with dry. I was amazed at the sloppy bagging. I bought my first Honda working as a bagboy at Winn Dixie and we would have gotten fired for such work.
I emailed the Publix website and the Manager of the pertinant store called me on the phone and said he would take care of it. Things did get better for about a week, then they went right back sloppy. So I called the same manager back, and he told me he was working on it. I said man this ain't rocket science, all you have to do is put a big poster of rules on the wall right in front of their faces in the break room. Well to make a long story short I finally just quit going to Publix. I now buy stuff a lot cheaper at Walmart. Their bagging ..... well it certainly isn't any worse. And think of all the US jobs that Walmart supplies, there is something to think about. We live in a complicated world. I suspect it will keep changing as the future unfolds.
And the scary people at Walmart, well I seem to fit right in with them anymore. What does kill me about shopping at Walmart are those lazy young folks riding around in all the motorized buggys. There are hardly enough left for handicapped folks that need one. I feel like telling them to get off their lazy butts and walk. But I guess that might not go over too well.
But I have me a pair of gloves, at a price even a laid off guy can afford. Didn't realize this thread would have so much interest. I was just amazed that China has some competition on the world scene now. And when or if, the dye comes off, well guess it will remind me of the stories my Dad used to tell me of having to go to school with no shoes. I'm doing ok.
1. It was not an HD shop, just a local Cycle Shop, sold saddle bags, gloves, clothing, also some used stuff.
2. I bought the gloves cause it's all I can afford, not much spare money now days. Generally everything I buy lately is cheap or I don't buy it all. I get some part time work, we do ok. You can eat good off not much if you know how.
3. As far as the Dye wearing off well hate to hear that but at least I got me some gloves. I sometimes think the foreigners are laughing at us when they make some of this stuff for us. They hate us because we've always had it good the past 60 or so years and they haven't. Just the way it's been.
4. Buying American, well I'll try to do that, used to try even more years ago. But it's so hard to find anything that's really American anymore. And besides I kinda feel like it's some our own fault why jobs went overseas. We all want to make more money, sometimes more than our product can keep selling for. But then we all want the best deal. Competition ain't no fool, it goes where it's welcome.
But I do try to buy American, God knows I love what's left of this country. I spent 15 months in a Jungle Combat Zone for this country and would do it again if they called an old has been like me back in.
I can tell you this, I used to buy all my groceries at Publix, a local American grocery chain. Their prices were higher but it was cleaner and the people shopping there didn't look as scary as Walmart. But they would not train their bag boys even the simple rules, like no hard stuff with the bread. Nothing with the eggs and no wet stuff with dry. I was amazed at the sloppy bagging. I bought my first Honda working as a bagboy at Winn Dixie and we would have gotten fired for such work.
I emailed the Publix website and the Manager of the pertinant store called me on the phone and said he would take care of it. Things did get better for about a week, then they went right back sloppy. So I called the same manager back, and he told me he was working on it. I said man this ain't rocket science, all you have to do is put a big poster of rules on the wall right in front of their faces in the break room. Well to make a long story short I finally just quit going to Publix. I now buy stuff a lot cheaper at Walmart. Their bagging ..... well it certainly isn't any worse. And think of all the US jobs that Walmart supplies, there is something to think about. We live in a complicated world. I suspect it will keep changing as the future unfolds.
And the scary people at Walmart, well I seem to fit right in with them anymore. What does kill me about shopping at Walmart are those lazy young folks riding around in all the motorized buggys. There are hardly enough left for handicapped folks that need one. I feel like telling them to get off their lazy butts and walk. But I guess that might not go over too well.
But I have me a pair of gloves, at a price even a laid off guy can afford. Didn't realize this thread would have so much interest. I was just amazed that China has some competition on the world scene now. And when or if, the dye comes off, well guess it will remind me of the stories my Dad used to tell me of having to go to school with no shoes. I'm doing ok.
D
dbmg
Guest
Talking to a motocross store that only sells Chinese products. His take is that China is the next Japan. He might have a point. Look at the Kia and Hyundai cars and other Chinese vehicles. Have heard for years in the car world that Hyundai is the next Honda.... So who knows maybe this Global Market thing is working out for China...
D
dbmg
Guest
I think Walmart discrimination against its workers is well documented. I also believe that every Mom and Pop Walmart put out of business couldn't afford to discriminate.
Yes, the Chinese stuff is cheaper. How long will you have it, is the next question? Not even getting into lead poisoning or what their products and materials may be doing to us.
Bodeen
Yes, the Chinese stuff is cheaper. How long will you have it, is the next question? Not even getting into lead poisoning or what their products and materials may be doing to us.
Bodeen
kemo
R.I.P
Bodeen , you are correct. People have forgotten about the drywall that gave off gas and contaminated the copper in the restored homes in the hurricane stricten areas. There also was dog food and toothpaste and babyfood. I watched a vidio the other day. It started out with a room full of scrap and then continued on to show them making rolls of toilet paper. I sure hope that I don't get any rolls of Chineese toilet paper. The Chineese can manufacture very high quilty if you want to pay. My friend has an elevator business and needed hydrolic cylinders made. He went to China and toured around. They told him he could have cylinders for X number of dollars or pay a bit more or pay even more. He asked them about the differences in pricing and was told that the cheap one was produced and shipped, the middle price unit was kind of checked and the best one was inspected for tolerences and finish etc. They produce Honda clone engines that are excellent and maybe one day we can get a new Harley engine from some cloning plant in China.
Ken
Ken
FLST
Active Member
"Ditto" to that. Got a wallet from them. Very well made and made in USA. Hard to find stuff made here lately.:newsmile08:
R_W_B
Senior Member
Bodeen and Kemo post up good points. No argument there from me. It's a buyer beware world. We can't compete with child labor and no environmental laws. However it is kinda comical to think our small geographic US evironmental regulations can stop that much of the worlds polution. Case in point we still send all our old ships to the far east for scrap dismantle (with the exception of the Navy) where they don't have the pollution controls and it's still going into the ocean even though we don't allow it here.
But the part I feel was our fault was if more Management and Labor came together like HD has and kept the work here instead of pushing the envelope until it went looking elseswhere, we would have less of our stuff going overseas. It's an ongoing battle (since the beginning) between how much you pay to produce a product and how much you can sell it for. And will people buy it given a choice. There are no magic solutions other than common sense and being aware of current conditions. If management strangles the chicken to get more eggs, hence the need for Unions. If Unions reach a point where they are strangling Management to the point they can't stay within a cost structure that folks can or will still buy, then you have the reverse. No part of the game is isolated from reality, is the key point here.
Government costs are showing up in this game also, with revenues down due to the economy State and Local governments are having to cut services.
It is public information that the resurgence of Harley shares comes largely because of dramatic cost cuts and restructuring. There were rumors in recent years that Harley would leave Wisconsin and close operations in Milwaukee and nearby Tomahawk, taking more than 1,000 manufacturing jobs elsewhere. Harley decided to stick around, but the decision came with concessions from unionized employees and the loss of a few hundred jobs. The surge is proof that the company has right-sized itself for the current climate.
Times are rough in a lot of places but it's good to hear there is a way thru it. It's what all companies and governements need to do in order to survive these current times and then we maybe we can get going strong again.
Otherwise If they go down then everybody looses and nobody wins. Life ain't about garauntees but rather opportunties.
But the part I feel was our fault was if more Management and Labor came together like HD has and kept the work here instead of pushing the envelope until it went looking elseswhere, we would have less of our stuff going overseas. It's an ongoing battle (since the beginning) between how much you pay to produce a product and how much you can sell it for. And will people buy it given a choice. There are no magic solutions other than common sense and being aware of current conditions. If management strangles the chicken to get more eggs, hence the need for Unions. If Unions reach a point where they are strangling Management to the point they can't stay within a cost structure that folks can or will still buy, then you have the reverse. No part of the game is isolated from reality, is the key point here.
Government costs are showing up in this game also, with revenues down due to the economy State and Local governments are having to cut services.
It is public information that the resurgence of Harley shares comes largely because of dramatic cost cuts and restructuring. There were rumors in recent years that Harley would leave Wisconsin and close operations in Milwaukee and nearby Tomahawk, taking more than 1,000 manufacturing jobs elsewhere. Harley decided to stick around, but the decision came with concessions from unionized employees and the loss of a few hundred jobs. The surge is proof that the company has right-sized itself for the current climate.
Times are rough in a lot of places but it's good to hear there is a way thru it. It's what all companies and governements need to do in order to survive these current times and then we maybe we can get going strong again.
Otherwise If they go down then everybody looses and nobody wins. Life ain't about garauntees but rather opportunties.
kemo
R.I.P
Much of the worlds pollution is natural, methane from live stock, volcanic ash, smoke from forest fires caused by lighting. We get the fl yer from a big box store here every week & every week they have many items at 50, 60 and 70% off. Now I worked for Ford Motor Comp. and I made a good living and retired when I was 51 and people tell me that the unions have killed the economy in this continent. Are you going to tell me that the big box store is going to take a loss on all these items in the fl yer. I don't think so, the big boxes are making to much profits as far as I am concerned. Just like the manufactures including Harley and Ford and GM. Harley is not a high tech company. I am sure that their R%D department is nothing compared to Honda or Ford. They don't have to develop the safety requirements like Ford, such as air bags, seat restraint systems and roll over protection etc but you can buy a simple car for less money then a Harley.
Ken
Ken