UTMC

I started doing some research on buying made in the USA stuff.

This website looks like a good starting point.

http://americansworking.com/

I've spent way too much time on those sites, but then again, I've bought lots of good stuff that's gonna last.
Most recent example: the Stormy Kromer cap.

Also, Sullivan gloves, Criss Optical eyeglass frames, crappy Navy fatigue chinos (well okay, these kind of suck and look like something my mom stitched together, but still durable). The search to use is "Made in USA"

Oh, for bike stuff, Chippewa boots, Lee Parks gloves, Aerostich, Silky helmet liners...

Hate to throw a wrench in your actually very good and honorable idea, BUT:

Searching out things that are "Made in the USA" isn't as simple as it sounds. Anything that is made in an American protectorate, like Saipan for instance, can legally be labelled as "Made in the USA." Similarly, things that are made in free trade zones can also often be labelled as made in the USA. If I remember correctly, if enough of the parts of a product were made in the USA, or in an American protectorate, they can be assembled in an FTZ and still carry the label.

While what you are doing is a *very* good start, and *clearly* increases the chances that your products are, indeed, made in the USA, it may take more footwork to really find out if you want to be sure.

I just built (well, not really finished yet) an entire building with products made in the USA. With the exception of 100 pounds of nails, which were made in Canada.
The wood came from the guy around the corner, the windows from a town 40 minutes from here, the roof from somewhere down south.
Its hard to keep it local, but not so hard to keep it in the borders of the lower 48. Depends on what you want, I guess.

My wife went to the grocery store yesterday and they were selling handmade wreaths. From fucking Canada. The guy down the road from us and all sorts of local people make these. Why they can't buy them from someone here is beyond me. I guess she harassed a few people at the store about it.

I appreciate what WAFS said, and I agree with it. I have to do more research on FTZ's and how that works. But my wife is on board with the idea of trying to buy American.

if the product lacks the scent of child slave labor blood, I really don't want it.

ROCK FOR GRAND CHANCELLOR!

Rock wrote:if the product lacks the scent of child slave labor blood, I really don't want it.

A vote for Gingrich is apparently a vote for child slave labor blood: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/not-an-onion ... with-kids/

/RM

Seriously though. I like to buy made in USA stuff as much as possible, even if it's used stuff.
That probably doesn't help the economy much, but I'm pretty far out of the loop anyways.

Rock wrote:if the product lacks the scent of child slave labor blood, I really don't want it.

Flavored with the bitter tears of a short, dangerous, destitute, and dirty life of poverty.

I just love that new TV smell.

Rock wrote:if the product lacks the scent of child slave labor blood, I really don't want it.

1. The modern fluids are tears and sweat. The whips and chains are figurative.
2. The quality of production from slave labor has been falling since the Great Pyramids were built.
3. I really prefer American-made goods made of American-made materials so that none of my money goes to those drunken (and largely perverted) cargo ship workers.

Rock wrote:if the product lacks the scent of child slave labor blood, I really don't want it.

1. The modern fluids are tears and sweat. The whips and chains are figurative.
2. The quality of production from slave labor has been falling since the Great Pyramids were built.
3. I really prefer American-made goods made of American-made materials so that no money goes toward those drunken cargo (and largely perverted) ship workers.
4. Need I remind you of that Russian girl you ordered and how you had to dispose of that malfunctioning piece of equipment?