Would you pay more?

[tabbycat31]

Scenario. You're in the market for a new pair of jeans. You've narrowed it down to two pairs, both of which fit right. One of them is made in China and is $30 and the other made in the USA and is $50.

Would you pay more for the American made jeans?


I know they don't make clothes here anymore, but I'm just throwing this out as an example. I know all the talk has been the car industry, but there's a lot of other factors that go into buying a car vs a pair of jeans.

[billyoc]

1. I actually pay less, because my Union made jeans last longer.

[Truth2Tell]

2. I pay $8 at the thrift store. nt

[Ms. Toad]

3. If chose to spend my time and energy working through such things,

I would base my decision on the work conditions in the respective plants - not on the country in which the plants happened to be located. If all things were equal, I might pay more to minimize the use of fossil fuels to manufacture and transport the jeans to me (which may - but does not necessarily - mean the closest plant).

That information, however, takes a lot of time and energy to ferret out. That doesn't mean I shouldn't do so - it is just not where I am currently choose to put my energy. In the mean time, I am not willing to use country of origin as a stand in for the things I care about, and I have never been one to think that U.S. citizenship should give me more entitlement to work and earn a decent living than should citizenship in any other country - regardless of where that worker is currently located.

(Edited to add: I've never paid either $30 or $50 for a pair of jeans.)

[Jack_DeLeon]

4. I'm willing to pay some more for quality...

I'm not willing to pay more for less quality though.

[Selatius]

5. I'd pay more. Sweatshop labor produces lower quality jeans. It's also a national security issue.

In the old system of tariffs, the pair made in China would cost as much if not more than the pair made in the USA.

The tariffs were put in place partly as a matter of national security. In the 1800s, it was so that we would not be too dependent upon the British Empire or any other European colonial power for manufactured goods. In the 1900s, it meant that we wouldn't be so easily cut off and strangled from our goods and materials. We wouldn't want the 3rd Reich or the Empire of Japan making the things we buy.

In the end, it paid off in victory. Our system favored American manufacturing plants here in the US. When the Second World War came, we had become the "arsenal of democracy." We used our factories to make the bombs, planes, tanks, and guns that eventually won the war and turned back the tide of darkness.

Today, most of our products come from a nation run by a brutal, authoritarian dictatorship.

We have forgotten a valuable lesson, at the expense of our independence.

[Oregone]

6. Id get the cheaper ones. Thats what consumers do, especially those on tight budgets

What good governments do is impose tariffs and encourage "fair trade". Why are you expecting consumers to fix, or even impact, this problem that is so epic it require true government intervention? Consumers do what they can do on the budget they have. Maybe if the government ensured their wages kept up with inflation and their products were more competitive, the consumers (workers) would have more money to blow on jeans and good quality marijuana.

[Norwood]

7. I'd buy the cheaper ones, Im not making a lot of money atm

Now if the difference was perhaps $5 instead of $20 then I would probably opt for the made in USA jeans.

[emilyg]

8. No. Every penny counts now.

[NuttyFluffers]

9. yes, because clothes manufactured in america have fantastic durability and workmanship

yes, they still make clothes in america. you just are not going to find it in your local Big Box Mart. you have to do your homework to find the right sellers who sell american textile work.

my free Apple t-shirt is/was made in America. the stitch work is excellent, no fraying or loose threads off seams. the fabric holds up and doesn't spontaneously get holes from daily wear and contact with zippers or clasps or the like. the black color has not faded significantly until after years of washing, and even then its dying has held up longer than other newer black dyed clothes.

my American No Sweat jeans are another example of solid workmanship. the color has stayed for over 3 years, the fabric has not frayed significantly, not even the cuffs that run close to the ground. the weave is strong and held up against wear and tear. the workmanship is so solid that after going down a pant size i decided to invest more money into the jeans and get them properly fitted than toss them. actually, the only drawback was the lack of fit in the beginning. they were constructed in a rather shapeless blank and did not hug well to my hips while flaring a bit away on the waist. after getting them fitted they are much better; they should have been fitted immediately after purchase, but i was too lazy and cheap to bother to do this. but now i know better, good clothes deserves to be fitted to your body. pay a little more, get better lasting clothes, get them fitted.

i buy things that have good value and i don't really care about the location. that said, American fabrics and clothes workmanship has been consistently excellent. the only trouble is trying to find them. its just like good Italian leather shoes in that way, except good Italian leather shoes are easier to find. cheap is really expensive people.

note: this valuation has to do with American textiles, nothing to do with cars. i've not had the pleasure to own hassle-free American cars; i have had the misfortune of going through 2 very much hassling used American cars (Fords, an '88 Escort and a '95 Contour). poured over $15,000 into both for repairs in the span of 4 years -- 3x the total cost I paid for both cars. i have been absolutely furious since then, and after just dumping the Escort, i've decided to ride my Contour into the dust and never buy a car again in my life if i can so help it. and if i find myself in automobile hell, away from all mass-transit and completely unable to move without bursting into flames and destroying everything i love, i will buy another USED CAR with the highest reliability and gas mileage i can find. looks, power, brand, et cetera mean absolutely nothing to me, for i now hate driving, maintaining cars, and everything to do with automobiles. in fact, the sooner the world abandons cars in favor of trains the happier i will be. i even anticipate moving to a part of the world where i never have to bother with owning a car ever again.

--signed, a completely pleased purchaser of American textiles.
:)

[LiberalPersona]

10. I consider pants that cost more than $25

a waste of money.
If I could afford a $30 pair of pants I wouldn't care about the price.

[Ms. Toad]

11. If you are looking for American clothing -

Here's two sources: http://www.allamericanclothing.com/ , http://www.devalifewear.com/mm5/



(In response to "I know they don't make clothes here anymore")

[LWolf]

12. I would if they were made of hemp.

I'd get years more use out of them that way.

[ogneopasno]

13. Some jeans are still made in the U.S., but you have to look for them. ALSO, "lower prices" is a

goddamn lie. I don't see prices dropping when factories are outsourced. It's all about profit.

Union-made and/or USA-made jeans:

www.allamericanclothing.com
www.pointerbrand.com
www.justiceclothing.com
www.unionhouse.com