News, Sweatshop Christmas ornaments. (price, stores, decorations, Walmart)

[JD59]

Chinese workers manufacture Christmas ornaments under deplorable conditions, as CNN's Louise Schiavone reports.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bus....ornaments.cnn

[cynwldkat]

This is a very sad situation. Unfortunately the people here, in the US, are use to getting so many items at bargin prices they would have to be willing to pay higher prices to get this under control. Are they willing??

[cottonwood2420]

Originally Posted by cynwldkat

This is a very sad situation. Unfortunately the people here, in the US, are use to getting so many items at bargin prices they would have to be willing to pay higher prices to get this under control. Are they willing??

Let's hope they are.

[Fat Freddy]

There is absolutely no reason why these poor foreigners should enslaved to provide low cost goods for Americans.

We have plenty of poor people in our own country who could be rounded up and put to work doing the very same jobs.

We would probably have to pay them more than .26 an hour like the Chinese in that video, but look what we could save on the shipping.

[nancy thereader]

I would wonder about the lead content of these items, actually. They even look as if they have lead in them. And, those workers in China , how about their health, touching all those lead-painted things all the time.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by cynwldkat

This is a very sad situation. Unfortunately the people here, in the US, are use to getting so many items at bargin prices they would have to be willing to pay higher prices to get this under control. Are they willing??

I am, but it's hard to find Christmas ornaments NOT made in China. I prefer ornaments made in this country or Poland...they blow great glass there.

[cynwldkat]

I would be more then will to pay the extra cost by having the people here in the US working and providing quality items. But as stated, it seems most ornaments are made in China...sigh.

[groove1]

www.zebulusa.com (broken link)
From their FAQ's:

Why do American made products cost more?
First, zebulonUSA.com does not necessarily believe that this is true. When comparing like-quality products there is usually little difference in price. For instance, compare our pant pricing to other well known brands. Compare our well made bags and luggage to others of similar quality. We are confident you will find our prices most competitive.

Further, we have all heard of companies closing US manufacturing facilities to outsource their products off-shore. Have you ever heard of them lowering the price of their goods following such a move?

Finally, undoubtedly some American made products cost more than some similar imported products. This is often said to be due to the cost of the high-wage American worker. There is likely some truth to this. However, we believe a more critical factor is volume. The higher the number of any given product made, the lower the cost. Many of the manufacturers remaining in the US are small to mid-size companies. They are competing against manufacturers producing product volumes many times their own. If there is a difference in pricing, it is likely due to this. As more of us Buy American, perhaps this difference will shrink.

American Made Plastics (available at Target) http://www.americanplastictoys.com/jobopportunities.html (broken link)

www.americanapparel.net (racy ads). High quality clothing with retail stores across the country and world

www.allamericanclothing.com I LOVE their clothes. I have ordered from tehm and the service is awesome, plus the quality of the garments is much better than the hanes made in mexico, Honduras, etc

www.americanjoeapparel.com

http://www.howtobuyamerican.com/index.php

Alternative to the Guatemalan made Yankee Candles:

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/kitc...Jar+Candle.jsp

These candles are made in the USA and are much BETTER AND CHEAPER than Yankee.

Most classic versions of board games such as Monopoly, Candy Land, and Sorry are American Made. The wooden box library style ones are made in China.

New Balance's high end sneakers are made in the USA, but they still carry many Chinese made ones.

www.unionbuiltpc.com (assembled in the US from domestic and imported parts).

[groove1]

Originally Posted by cynwldkat

I would be more then will to pay the extra cost by having the people here in the US working and providing quality items. But as stated, it seems most ornaments are made in China...sigh.

Not true. If you are looking at Walmart and major retailers, yes.

http://www.christmasdepot.com/index.php

You can also find homemade Christmas decorations made at many locally-owned crafts and gifts stores and usually at fair prices. Sometimes you can also find Amish Christmas ornaments.