Featured News: Whats behind a thrifting boom?

((sigh)) That explains why I used to sell a fair bit of vintage costume jewelry to China. They don't like modern made in China stuff either!

 

I've seen a couple of documentaries now where they've interviewed Chinese people who say they buy outside of their country for certain things because Chinese made has come to mean "cheap." It's so depressing we've destroyed good, quality businesses and traditional skills all over. It's not a reflection of the people, because certainly they make higher quality stuff too and have master craftspeople still, but too many corps want it made with worse product, cut corners, and faster, faster, faster. If it breaks or wears out that's good because we've got to buy another anyway.

 

Years ago I saw a documentary on Walmart and its buying practices. They put incredible pressure on their suppliers -- duress if not bullying. Ah, much like the current President. Whether it's still the case or not, I rarely step into a Walmart, but I luckily have choice to shop where I wish, while I know many people need to watch every penny these days. Now whether it's true or not, the documentary said that a place in China was named USA so that products made there could be labeled Made in USA. That said, my province, British Columbia, has ordered 4 new ferries to be built in China and that has caused quite the uproar.

 

Walmart can very easily bankrupt an entire small to medium sized business with one order. They only accept massive orders on the contract agreement that they can return what doesn't sell (like a bookseller would). They also name their price, not the other way around, and its always far below what a typical wholesale price would be. Of course, they do illegal price fixing too--see the FTC looking into why pepsi was suddenly cheaper there. How they treat their employees is also horrible.

I don't shop there unless I absolutely have no other choice. Same with Amazon. But I don't judge people who do. Walmart may be the only place in town to get what you need, or the cheapest when a budget matters. Their prescription drugs, for example. I just try to buy things in better places if I can, and they sure make it hard for us to do that if at all.

 

I haven't been in a Walmart, other than the Walmart Grocery they tried here (when they were closing it down and everything was 50% off or better) since my niece was in utero. She was born in 2005. They did one scummy thing too many back then and things have not improved since.

 

Most "antique malls" around here are overloaded with stuff that looks like it came from a hoarder's house cleanout. A lot of junk that sits on the shelves of the booths and never seems to sell. I don't know if it's vintage or not, certainly not antique, at least not by my definition of antique. I don't know of a really good antique store in north Alabama, and the thrift stores and Amazon return stores seem to be the main source of goods (junk) sold in the so-called antique malls.

Also, I wonder what the workers in other countries think about consumers in the US as they mass produce cheap-a$$ crap for export to our markets and mail order houses.

 

They don't just export to the US, but worldwide. We get their junk here in Europe as well. And a friend of mine visits Uganda regularly, it is even worse there. From what he hears it is the same all over Africa, and the quality is even worse than the junk we get.

 

I remember the first time I ever saw a tag on clothing that did not say USA.
It said Vietnam. That was many many years ago.

 

A friend of mine had a saki cup that was probably made during the occupation. It said "Made in Frolida".

 

Now that would make an interesting collection: things supposedly made in places that don’t exist!

 

I was in Ireland about 10 years ago and went looking for a baseball type cap for my husband. The only ones I could find saying Ireland, or with an Irish motif, had tags that said Made in China

 

It's everywhere...(sigh)