$155 for new Chinese imports

[ragboy]

I'm not invested in this one way or the other, so it's no problem to me. I think that Rag makes a valid point, with one concern - all of the manufacturers that Rag mentions, outsource to China for their manufacture.
Should we engage in a form of consumer protectionism and favor USA manufacturers?

That price tag is so appealing!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially after $4 / gal gas!!!!

The way I look at that, if all things are equal, or very close, I would choose the USA manuf over the other.

I try to do the same thing all the time with all of my purchases. Lets say I want to buy a new TV or something. Before I go online, I try some of the local dealers. Not circuit city, but like Dave's Video or something. If he can come close to the deals I can get, I buy local. Even if it is a bit more. If he can't come close, I buy online. I try to do this all the time, and teach my kids. I go to the local ace hardware, and not lowes down the road, unless there is some smoking deal that saves me a lot of coin.

If we don't do this, those local places go away. Unfortunately, everything is manufactured in china now, hard to find much made here.

[Surfdad]

I should probably be more aware like you are Dog, but honestly I shop value. Who/what gives me the most for the least dollars. I'll bet being more selective would save me a ton of headaches reading those stupid instructions!

[eks]

What about buying a Custom Surf Post Whore board for Domsz?

I think we could create a cool design graph for him.

[Jason B]

I learned a long time ago, "if it sounds too good to be true, it is."

Sounds intriguing though. Will they send a sample?

[Surfdad]

I've talked with shapers/retailers and the price is in the ball park for folks buying wholesale and in bulk. I think the $155 USD is the sample price. I'm tempted to buy one just to see. I was in a Costco, of all places, down in SoCal and they had this huge display of Chinese made surfboards. From what I could see through the shrinkwrap the boards look as good as anything I had seen available elsewhere. It might be after you rode one it would delaminate...so who knows, looks can be decieving.

[G-MONEY]

What about buying a Custom Surf Post Whore board for Domsz?

I think we could create a cool design graph for him.

I was thinking the same thing, if we raise enough money we should do it......

[b/w05]

I'll go out on a limb,,,,

So if we keep buying this stuff that's made by other countries that pay their help pennies compared to the USA, how does that effect our local companies?

Would you wish for your son or daughter to go to work for Inland, LF or ??? for $1.50 and hour and have them pay $4.00 a gallon for gas and have to continue to live at home with you with their family?

Two of my sons work together as carpenters, so so pay. Very little benefits. They make barely enough to really start a family. They have co workers that will work for 40% less. So what's the incentive for the company owner to keep my sons on the payroll? I see that supporting the overseas production as the same.

While I don't like the price of fuel and a board for $150.00 sounds better than $450.00 I have to keep in mind what it REALLY cost to live in a society with all of the freedoms we have.

So let the bashing start. I can handle it and welcome your thoughts.

[Matt Garcia]

Sorry, do whatever you guys want, I just wanted to throw that in for thought. I get emails and calls all the time, at least weekly, trying to get me to outsource my software development work to india. They are relentless. They are MUCH cheaper, but I don't do it. For as long as I can, I want to put food on the table inside this country.

Anyway, food for thought.

NAIL=HIT ON HEAD.

[Greg Mallek]

Shipping cost for a single board: $550.00 U.S.D.
Why do this when you can get a hand shaped, R&D proven board from S.S., Inland, or any other american small buisness trying to keep it here.

[Jason B]

I'll go out on a limb,,,,

So if we keep buying this stuff that's made by other countries that pay their help pennies compared to the USA, how does that effect our local companies?

Would you wish for your son or daughter to go to work for Inland, LF or ??? for $1.50 and hour and have them pay $4.00 a gallon for gas and have to continue to live at home with you with their family?

Two of my sons work together as carpenters, so so pay. Very little benefits. They make barely enough to really start a family. They have co workers that will work for 40% less. So what's the incentive for the company owner to keep my sons on the payroll? I see that supporting the overseas production as the same.

While I don't like the price of fuel and a board for $150.00 sounds better than $450.00 I have to keep in mind what it REALLY cost to live in a society with all of the freedoms we have.

So let the bashing start. I can handle it and welcome your thoughts.

In reality everybody wins in this scenario (although your sons may not agree ) Specialization with import/export makes everything less expensive and aggregate productivity is much higher.
So I don't have to type too much read this article....they explain it better than I could anyway
http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/competitive-advantage/

Yes, it sucks when you get the fuzzy end of the lollipop, I agree with that. It's easy to blame the exporting of our work to other countries when in fact that is a symptom and not the cause. The cause is a Free Market Economy--and we wouldn't have it any other way....Communism anybody?

[da.bell]

In reality everybody wins in this scenario (although your sons may not agree ) Specialization with import/export makes everything less expensive and aggregate productivity is much higher.
So I don't have to type too much read this article....they explain it better than I could anyway
http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/competitive-advantage/

Yes, it sucks when you get the fuzzy end of the lollipop, I agree with that. It's easy to blame the exporting of our work to other countries when in fact that is a symptom and not the cause. The cause is a Free Market Economy--and we wouldn't have it any other way....Communism anybody?

No, I would hate to have a checkpoint on the local lake just to make sure that we have papers.

[G-MONEY]

Shipping cost for a single board: $550.00 U.S.D.
Why do this when you can get a hand shaped, R&D proven board from S.S., Inland, or any other american small buisness trying to keep it here.

Well that changes things a little...

How many do you have to order to get the price down???

[Greg Mallek]

From what I understand, you need a hundred or more. Group buy anyone??

[eks]

I was thinking the same thing, if we raise enough money we should do it......

Talk with Andrew and let's come up with a cool design for his custom board.

[Surfdad]

Actually if you don't mind driving to an international seaport and doing the customs nonsense you can get it shipped, including insurance on the $150 for less than $100. It's a pain, but beats $550. And they'll let one go for the $155. But Greg is correct, after that initial buy, you need minimum orders - they are a wholesaler/manufacturer.

But Dog, b/w05 Greg make a point, roundabout - Jerry wouldn't sell me a board with ding in it. He'd make it good and and I know where he lives! You can get the Chienese board insured, but what if it just comes "wrong". I can't even imagine what the customer service would be...the return on that email was around 4 weeks.

Jason B makes a good point.

Isn't there a grey area here? I've seen the boards manufactured in China and the quality is pretty good. I don't think that anyone would say an Inland Surfer had quality issues...the way that I see it is there are distinct types of manufactures or sellers. 1) Overseas 2) American interest with manufacturing overseas and 3) American interest and American manufacturing.

Buying direct...I don't know, if I sit and think about it...it feels like I'm spitting on Jerry and that sure seems distasteful to me. Yet, I seem to be OK with the manufacturing being done overseas and that sure doesn't seem logical...I mean shouldn't I feel that it has to be 100% American? I don't.