I bought a new pair at a Big Box store yesterday. I bought the style I have used for years. Now they are not as plush, no longer having that deep comfort. I didn`t put them on and say "Ah", I said "ouch". Yes, I buy the least expensive style and they always felt great and lasted "forever". I finally looked at the label. I already knew with the cheap construction they were not made in the states, the manufacturing is farmed out to China.
I normally look at labels when I shop and I try to buy American made. Today I didn`t read far enough. My experience with a lot of import goods is terrible quality. Last year I bought a plastic water bottle at the good ol` Big Box. The dye came off the product onto my hands. I washed it and still the water tasted terrible. What chemicals was I putting in my body? My son sent me a famous name brand set of expensive Egyptian cotton bath towels. Plush, yes, but not healthy. They reeked of chemicals and the smell is still noticeable after washing and airing in the sun. I am going to be an even more observant and discerning shopper.
I know the situation is not going to change. Americans will continue to lose manufacturing jobs and many of those companies moving overseas are selling us an inferior product.
What am I doing? I try to buy local. I recycle. I search for vintage and other USA made fabric for my home sewing. I`m going to make sure towels and clothes don`t stink of chemicals before I buy. I`m done with plastic. I`m done buying Chinese. I`m not kidding. I`ve had enough.
Hoping you all have a wonderful weekend,
Cathy
I know your pain.....
ReplyDeleteI have foot problems & a broken foot last year that has not been right since. Anyway, I paid $45.00 for a pair of shearling slippers last fall. I wore them through the winter & guess what?? One of the toes blew out... Boy was I mad!!
I am going back to Walmart slippers.. At least I expect those to "blow out"!!
Have a wonderful weekend!
TGIF!!
Marilyn
I hear you Hon! I replaced a pair of old (made in the USA) booty slippers a few years ago. Now sorry I threw the old ones away when I did. I had always been able to just throw them in the washer and they came out fine. These ... OMG! ... they blew up in the washer and were filled with all kinds of black, white, and gray batting. Ick! I'm looking for USA all the way now! I miss my old booty slippers. *sniff* xxoo
ReplyDeleteHear hear Cathy!
ReplyDeleteKuddos to you for saying something and please follow it up with a letter to the Dearfoam company. The more of us that write and tell them we are no longer buying from manufactured China products, the more heed they will pay when their revenues go down.
Look in the thrift stores too for fabrics and such in town. I found some great 1960's fabric at the Goodwill on Beale St. for cheap!
Love your posts!
Ren in Valle Vista
I agree! Buy American! Keep jobs here! I would also love to grow more of our food and have chickens.
ReplyDeleteIt is getting harder and harder to find American made goods and I blame those "big box" stores that begin with the letter W which have forced manufacturere to go off shore, so the store can "roll back prcies" on thier goods at the expense of American jobs and quality ...grrr.
ReplyDeleteOh Catherine, it is the same here Down Under. We've gotten used to clothes etc. made in China, even though the quality is not as good as our home made stuff. More and more women are going back to making their own clothes and learning to knit again.
ReplyDeleteBut in recent times, our supermarkets have started stocking packaged food from China. Now Chinese food in a good Chinese restaurant is one thing, but packaged food that tastes of chemicals and makes people sick, is not tolerated well here! I think most Aussies have arked up and refuse to buy foods originating in Asia now.