The Sears and Robuck Christmas catalog was the wish book in my family growing up as I did in the 60s and 70s. When that slim, full color catalog came out my sisters and I fell on it like it was candy. Circling, underlining, dog-earing pages - we poured through it rating our finds and hoping against hope that the presents under the tree were items from that catalog. We'd lie on our stomachs resting on our elbows as we read each description and salivated over all the desirable toys. Sears and Robuck was the quintessential American retailer. My dad used and swore by Craftsman tools, made in America and with a lifetime guarantee. My mom did our laundry in Kenmore washing machines and dryers. While I'm certain that some of those items we lusted for in the Sears and Robuck catalog were imported from Japan and China, many many of those things were made right here in the USA.
Fast forward to Sears minus Robuck. And read the story of the Bionic Wrench, an American-made popular wrench sold by Sears for several years and now this year in competition with the VERY SIMILAR made-in-China Craftsman Max Access wrench. Read this story about Dan Brown, the inventor of the Bionic Wrench, and his suit against Sears. The company that makes the Bionic Wrench is based in Pennsylvania and with the loss of the Sears business this holiday season, has had to lay off 31 American workers. Sears is selling the two wrenches (the remaining stock of the Bionic Wrench is still listed in the Sears catalog online) for about the same price. The motivation behind the switch to the China-made tool appears to be about profit. And who knows about the quality of the China-made version.
Shame on Sears.
I've thumbed through many a Restoration Hardware catalog and always had this idea that the company supported independent craftsmen and women. Often there will be a highlight on a craftsperson - from weavers of fine linen to metalsmiths to woodworkers. Walking through a Restoration Hardware display is to be transported to a rich, austere lifestyle with oversized leather chairs and huge lamps repurposed from kleig lights. But, alas, it seems that profit margins have also tempted Restoration Hardware. Take Emeco vs the Navy Chair.
I know this isn't new. I worked at Crate and Barrel for a season and knock-offs were (and are) the name of the game. You see it everywhere - WalMart, Ikea, Target, Anthropologie - everywhere. We love a deal in America. We LOVE cheap. If we can score a knock-off and save some money to go buy some more crappy knock-offs somewhere else, we are all over it.
Lets change the landscape, friends. Next time you catch yourself raving over the deal you got, take a breath and think about the larger picture of that deal. What did your money just go? Who and what just got your support? We are in a world of hurt here in the USA, and it is up to you and me and all our friends and family to start CHANGING things.
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