Seems to me that if you knowingly go to a "junk store" and buy something, why would you be surprised if it turns out to be a piece of junk?
The 20% "restocking fee" must be a result of the very low profit margin associated with selling junk. The junk dealers have to make a profit to cover their overhead and so they can stay open and continue to sell junk.:irked:
If you substitute low price/low margin for "junk", I'd agree with you completely.
we have to remember we are an amazingly wealthy country compared to most of the rest of the world, and
China has done quite well outfitting the poorer nations. Not everyone can have the best of the best. For some, that "junk" would be the
neighborhood's most prized possession.
I try to find value, and I bet Weldingisfun you do too. There is value to be had at the lower end, and value to be had at the upper.
If one's expectations are reasonable, and we all know Chinese goods are often lacking in QC and final testing, then it's just a matter of finding the right
mix of cost and performance. And let's face it, a lot of the stuff that comes from China has been abandoned by North American manufacturers.
And who caused that? We did, the consumers. They gave us what we wanted, more for less. Or at least less for much less.
I can't buy an American made clock radio (I think...) because there simply are none. 90% are likely to come from China.
So GE has them built there and their label goes on. The difference is that Sears and GE and all the other importers back up their products with
good warranties and service, and all that, plus bricks and mortar cost, has a real cost to it, and up goes the price. By two or three times.
But wait you say, I don't want a ten dollar Crescent wrench, I want a 2 dollar wrench to put under my tractor seat.
China does cheap iron and steel well, but don't expect CNC precision in your cheap Chinese wrench. If you do expect that, you are the unreasonable person,
not the manufacturer.
As long as I get value, it's up to me to set the price on what I want to pay and can afford to pay for say a new generator.
I tend to like quality tools, so I try to stick with US brand names, but so many of them are built in China it's almost becoming a moot point any more.
These folk were making Ming vases before we ever set foot in North America, and just landed on the Moon.
they know how to make "good stuff", but their niche has always been on low priced goods, and boy have they marketed well.
Long way around of saying I think "junk" is the wrong word. But I understand the emotion behind it from a skilled craftsman.
