Who buys products made in China?

[hermione]

It's a catch 22 these days with the economy as it is; people can't afford to pay higher prices so they pay less for things made in China, which doesn't help our economy.

So I'm just curious about how many people here buy "Made in China" items. I won't judge if you do or don't. Everyone has different circumstances and knows what they can or can't afford to do, and sometimes you gotta do whatever you gotta do to keep yourself afloat.

[72Tiger]

I don't see how it can be avoided.

[rstlne]

Originally Posted by 72Tiger

I don't see how it can be avoided.

Me neither. If I go to Wal-Mart or Target, it's pretty much a given that many products there are made in China.

[Looby]

It is hard to avoid now, even some "high end" goods are at least partially constructed in China, although they may be finished off elsewhere. I worked in a cookstore for awhile and some of the more expensive items are constructed like this. I personally am not particularly concerned where something is made as long as an item appears sturdy and well put together.

[Xin Lu]

Practically everything has some Chinese component. You guys should really check out this book:

A Year without "Made in China"

I wouldn't say that Chinese products do not help our economy. In many ways, it is because of Chinese products that Americans have such a high standard of living. I would argue that the profits American companies make off of cheap Chinese labor increase hiring in America, too.

[amyschiff]

I buy what I like and what doesn't break the bank... most of the time these things are not made in America.

Being able to produce products and sell them at low cost isn't always bad--it can mean more competition which can drive prices down for consumers.

[lucille]

NPR had an interesting bit on buying power today vs. the early 70's. A bike is only .50 cent more than a bike was in 1974. Same with a clothes dryer. But food & housing has gone up along with education & health care. Gas is on par with the worst part of the energy crisis in the 70's.

So many consumer goods are more easily in reach today. But essentials are far more expensive than they were then and are eating up our income. Wages are also down adjusted for the time difference. So our quality of living actually isn't really up much since the 70's.
Sure you can get a bike pretty cheap, but you can't afford to take your kid to the doctor easily or drive a whole bunch.

Something else in the cost disparity I find interesting. Companies like Dell and the pharmaceutical companies sell their products for a fraction of what they sell for here in parts of Asia and India. So if the exact same drug can sell for say $20 in India but it is $300 here and it was made in the same factory what gives? The overhead of the distribution channel in the states does not fill that cost difference. Same for computers though they have gone down in price.

I would really like to see more direct to consumer retail channels from India and China with some level of validation on the seller following through or assured payment channel.
I checked out eBay's India version but there was some stumbling block to signing up there. I wish I could have. The cost of things like clothing in rupees made them dirt cheap. Sort of like the Europeans coming here to buy things cheap due to the lousy dollar right now. Wouldn't those virtual channels benefit both sides? Retailers in those countries get more sales (good for them) we get the benefit of the currency and cost difference rather than some company pocketing that big price difference?

[yourbeginnings]

It is hard not to by items with "Made in China" stamped on them. I just checked all the items on my desk: coffee cup, speakers, lamp, water bottle, keyboard, and mouse -- all are "Made in China".

When purchasing something I look for the best value and rarely check the "Made in..." stamp. I would like to purchase items that were "Made in USA", but they would be hard to find and probably more expensive.

[VaranusK]

yep, as everyone noticed, nowadays a good part of what you find on any store is produced either in China, India or similar countries. No matter if it is under a brand you have never heard about or Nike or Sony, it all comes from the same place. Now, it is true some of their stuff is simply terrible but... what do you expect from its price??

[lpkitten]

Originally Posted by rstlne

If I go to Wal-Mart or Target, it's pretty much a given that many products there are made in China.

Actually, I noticed that many of Target's generic brand products are Made in the U.S.A. I figure it's a bonus...not only are you saving money on the generic but you are buying local also!