Info Click Icon
|
The Tip is 'Don't procrastinate' For years I've been buying ink jet cartridges from a big box office supply store. These cartridges were made overseas and labeled with the well-known brand of a large American printer company. One I remembered a local store that advertised quality cartridges. I had traveled by this local store hundreds of times but never stopped. This time I stopped at the local store. To my surprise I discovered that they carried the cartridge I needed and it was a Made in USA cartridge. Made in Chicago, to be precise, and it was half the price of the imported ones I had been buying for years. The quality is exceptional and they last longer too. Who knew? After that experience, I make a point to stop at every store I can. By doing so, I've been finding more and more Made in America products. Occasionally the clerks don't know the country of origin; this can be discouraging but finding the origin information yourself isn't difficult I've come to realize. Believe it not, there are actually a number of computers made in the US including laptops made in the USA. When the label is not visibly displayed I use the other Made in America buying tips to help me find Made in US. If the store doesn't carry what you are looking for, use Made in America Secrets to find it and tell the manager about your experience at their store. If enough people are asking for Made in America products stores will begin to carry them. Buying Tip Continued - Read more on Made in America Products by Wiley Brothers I started Wiley Brothers in 1999 with the idea of making a thoughtfully handcrafted, quality leather belt. I originally only offered two belts, the hoof pick and a regular # 12 brass buckle belt. They were both available in Dark Havana brown or plain black. The leather was vegetable-tanned, the buckles solid brass and the workmanship done by hand. Wiley Brothers is proud to offer many different styles in 10 different colours of leather, with women's and children's lines on the way. Our quality has only improved over the years. We use only the finest vegetable-tanned English bridle leather available and many of our brass buckles are now cast locally not only to ensure quality, but so that we may also offer our customers something unique which speaks to who they are and how they live. Our belts are made to last decades and only improve with age and since they last so long our designs must be timeless. We are not into fads or the latest rage that's gone in a season, we are interested in giving our customers thoughtful, elegant designs that will hold up year-in and year-out. Why would somebody make something that lasts so long? Don't we want our customers coming back every year to buy a belt? The answer is no. Don't get me wrong, we do want our customers to buy more than one belt but not because the first one wore out. We want our customers to come back because they are so happy with their belt that they wish to share the experience with a friend or relative. As a nation we used to make just about everything we needed. Now we have sacrificed quality for cheap, poorly made products made abroad. We don't even care if it wears out in less than a year because it costs so very little. The clich? You get what you pay for is a clich? for a reason. We have seen the tide begin to shift over the last 10 years. The days of defining improved by making something faster and cheaper seem to be waning. Our company does not need to make a million belts a year. We don't need to always find new ways to make them cheaper. That track inevitably leads to an inferior product with attractive margins. If it does not maintain or improve the quality of our belts, we are not interested. Many companies remain true to their customers until they have built brand loyalty. Once this has been achieved, they begin to find cheaper materials, have it made over seas and streamline the manufacturing process. All this means is that you, the customer, pay the same if not more for what used to be a decent product. 11 years ago we handmade our belts using vegetable-tanned leather, solid brass buckles and meticulous attention to detail. Today we hand-make our belts using only the best vegetable-tanned English bridle leather, the highest quality brass buckles and of course meticulous attention to detail. We have belts to match your shoes, your boots and the way you live your life, which is honest and well deserved. No short cuts, no cutting corners and no quick fixes. These are challenging times, buy something worthy of your efforts and support quality products MADE IN USA. Marcus Wiley |
|