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.