And you've raised an "interesting point" when making direct reference to online shopping. Which could also be generically described as the most direct way of purchasing from any manufacturer (domestic or foreign). In other words the buyer cuts out the middle man and evaluates products using online "reviews" or their own emotional impulses, or serendipity.
It would appear our exchanges on this topic have already revealed that this particular "Onion" has rather more layers than first met the eye.
| QUOTE: "and in the second I purposely chose a foreign product over any other domestic competitors because the Germans, Japanese, and Taiwanese are the only countries that can make a nice pen to save their life."
But have you not heard of Cross (A.T. Cross Company, LLC) ... a famous American manufacturer of high quality pens, based in Providence, Rhode Island??
About 17 years ago, I stumbled upon Cross Pens while browsing inside a giant Shopping Mall in Central Bangkok. I really liked what I saw, and eventually chose a mini-pen (i.e., half the length of a standard pen) which I could easily carry with me inside my shoulder pouch. Back in those days, I was keeping a daily journal in a pocket-sized notebook. On that day, Cross Pens provided me a novel solution to a fairly unique problem... which is another characteristic of American manufacturers I've often valued: the ability to offer novel solutions to highly personalized problems.
Cross writing instruments are generally sold in the mid-range of the market, rather than at the extreme luxury end. Yet paradoxically, I then discover (thanks to Wikipedia) that most, but not all, Cross writing instruments are now made in China!!! Although (that article continues) some of the work for customized pens is still performed in New England.
Thunor
npub1jn…hlyup
2025-04-19 18:55:53
in reply to nevent1q…mwpe
Author Public Key
npub1jnqf9jqyd8hygxsc9pe84fqm3lnzdcqzmuvwz04k8sxq0qagsf9s3hlyupPublished at
2025-04-19 18:55:53Event JSON
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