Originally Posted by slipstick

Yes and I have in the past bought things from America. What's so strange about that ? I've also bought stuff from Canada, France, Japan, Holland, Germany, Hong Kong and a good few other places. It's a global market .

Steve

Got yer .... on first reading without this addition gave different impression !

I also have bought from States ... often as you know in States, prices can be in $ what we pay in UK pounds .....
Trouble is now less USA vendors ship internationally ....

Nigel

Originally Posted by slipstick

Sorry but if the country I'm living in chooses not charge taxes on goods I import then that's not my fault and I take offence at you accusing me of being a criminal. Buying goods at the best price is certainly not tax evasion, which is a crime, it is merely sensible. It can be regarded as tax avoidance but then it has always been my view that avoiding any taxes which you are not legally required to pay is the duty of any right-thinking tax payer. Your opinion, however misguided, may differ .

Steve

I know .. it's incredible the slant that some put on matters ...

As you say - buying goods at best price is not a crime and also I would be annoyed to be labeled a Tax evader or criminal.

Further - I am OK to pay a little more .. a reasonable mark-up to a local over counter vendor. But sadly too many vendors over-price ... do not carry the stock ... even try to palm of ordering items at THEIR price that I could order at online price via same channel !

Nigel

You folks are not seeing the Big Picture ALL of you need to buy from China, so that our Government can borrow the money back to keep our (President????) in supply of cash to go on vacation

I basically don't buy direct from China, but always try to use LHS or a company based here in the US, like Tower Hobbies. I don't buy based on price either. I don't have to. Many do though so it is their choice. I don't buy from companies that don't have good customer service either. I run into trouble once from them, and I never buy again. I prefer to establish a good rapport with my LHS so that they usually give me 10-15% off on whatever I buy there; large items or small. I have only bought direct from China once. Will I do it again? Probably not. I don't like waiting on stuff days or even weeks like some of my friends do. I will always support my LHS. It is important to support your LOCAL economy. Ha, well said foambuilder!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Mr. foambuilder

You folks are not seeing the Big Picture ALL of you need to buy from China, so that our Government can borrow the money back to keep our (President????) in supply of cash to go on vacation

Personally I think Obama understands this problem better than he can describe. He touched on the issue in the debate when he said "those jobs aren't coming back" but he didn't drive it home. He needed to say that America still leads in manufacturing heavy equipment and advanced technology, and that China buys that stuff from us. Go on Google and look at images of construction and plant interiors in China and you will see Caterpillar and John Deere equipment. We still have the advantage on that stuff, but if we don't protect our intellectual property and educate our workforce, we're not going to keep that advantage. I say this fairly often - don't underestimate the Chinese, they are just as smart and industrious as we are, and they are proving it, and America needs to wake up and pay attention.

When you buy hobby goods, the products are mostly made in China, period, nothing you can do about that other than quit the hobby. But it doesn't matter - as Obama said "those jobs aren't coming back" and we wouldn't be able to help America by taking those jobs back anyway. We need to take advantage of China now that we are in this situation, and that means using China to save us money. Chinese products are still purchased mostly from American retailers, so it does help us out that we have this flow of cheap goods through the economy, because profit and taxes are collected all along that chain.

My point being, if you want to purchase in a socially active way, purchase cheap Chinese goods from American retailers, it's our only choice at this point. However, my post before hinted at something and that's that I believe the market should drive this behavior. Consumers can not be expected to anything other than buy the cheapest product that meets their needs, and we need to make sure that they can get that purchasing through a local retailer, and if we can't, then we can't blame the market if it goes directly to China.

Problem with America "waking up and paying attention" is...it won't. Complacency is the rule nowadays, everyone's too caught up in their own thing they don't see the "big picture", or the majority of them anyway...

Originally Posted by Murocflyer

I am still surprised by the number of people that seem to feel the need to send their money directly to another country outside of the USA. In today's economy, America is struggling and it seems to me that we all would want to do our best to help. Sending monies to a foriegn country just does not seem to make much sense to me. And it is not like we don't have any RC shops locally to us. And when I say "locally" I mean shops and businesses in the USA.

If you don't have any LHS or you don't like your LHS them check out my blog. There you will find over 350 different places to shop from that will help support our economy and you will find vendors that cannot be beat on quality AND customer service.

I saw this interesting fact on shopping locally:

Shopping "locally" has a multiplier effect. One dollar spent at locally owned business returns FIVE TIMES that amount within the community through city taxes, employee's wages and purchase of materials and supplies at other independent businesses.

So why not buy locally? Can't think of any reason not to.


I guess another way to ask my question: Why should I buy my RC goods from a foriegn country?

Just a thought.

Frank

I buy local when I can.
I even call them to order say like my 2 radians and my friend has done the same.
My hobby shop can sell it to me for the same price and I just have to pick it up when he calls.
Free shipping but pay sales tax so its a win win for both of us.

So look on line and then call and see what they can do most likley they will sell it for the same price and faster shipping also.

Originally Posted by matiac

Problem with America "waking up and paying attention" is...it won't. Complacency is the rule nowadays, everyone's too caught up in their own thing they don't see the "big picture", or the majority of them anyway...

OK so now that you've identified something that you think is an issue, what are you going to do about it? Complain on the internet like everybody else? It's a self-fulfilling problem. If you think people don't care, they won't.

Originally Posted by Mr. foambuilder

You folks are not seeing the Big Picture ALL of you need to buy from China, so that our Government can borrow the money back to keep our (President????) in supply of cash to go on vacation

Trouble is you may joke .... but Chinese investment in many countries incl. USA is far higher than many people realise.
Western Govt's run as fast as they can to Chinese to do deals ... the recent German deal is good example ... where EU reg's were literally ignored to secure huge contracts and deals .. and if you think USA is any different - think again. USA is not the Rich House it used to be ... it needs money like everyone else. China is that provider at present ...

Nigel

People mistakenly identify Brand names as exported to places like China ....

Many are actually licenced items manufactured in that far of land ... NOT as people identify from the 'Original' brand name location.

It goes even further that respected Brands are OWNED by Chinese Companies ... look at VOLVO ...

Even if you buy a US or EU produced product ... most likely it's only assembled there ... parts are brought in from China and other low cost manufacturers .. this gets around Import / Market restrictions, allows Made in USA / EU labels to be applied ....

Working in my field travelling the world - I get to see whats on the Docks ...

Nigel

Rob's Hobbies in Fountain Valley, CA is happy to order items that they don't have in stock from a nearby distributor. Availability is usually about one week which is about what it would take to order online. They also give a discount to our club members. They also keep full stocks of most parts for PZ and other popular ARF's Find your LHS that does this. A salesperson at a local big chain hobby store explained that workers in hobby shops and hobby suppliers nowadays expect a "living wage" which includes benefits, etc.
That's one reason why accessories and building materials cost so much. It's also why it isn't feasible for LHS to maintain extensive inventories of kits and builder's needs.
I call ahead to LHS's find out if an item is in stock or if it can be ordered.

Very interesting topic!! as everyone said, I want to shop from our local rc store, but every time I went in and found no stock, when I ask can you order this or that and they will say we don't carry this product... some local on-line store won't even reply my email. Everytime I want something, I have to order from our good American neighbour, and they will ship out my order in just one or two day at half of the shipping cost compare Canada locally. I don't know it is a good thing to send my money down south but at least I got what I want.

Edmond

I posted this elsewhere a few weeks ago bit it's relevant to this discussion.
A conversation with the owner of the lhs,nice guy,he started the business to service the guys locally and he's doing ok selling a lot online.
Most of his gear is higher end Chinese,packaged with his own branding.
He told me that his main suppliers had been sounding him out about installing a line(not just one or two) of 3d printers.They would supply him the machines,raw materials and quantity limited programmes to produce as many parts as he needed.
I know this technology is limited at present,but it wont be long before a lot of manufacturing is done this way.
Seems to me that in a few years time all that will be shipped are raw materials;the guy in the lhs will be able to make you that part you need.(or you'll be making it yourself)
Stuart

Originally Posted by Murocflyer

Yup, Horizon is also local and located in my dining room and probably yours as well. Aren't we lucky?

By that standard, the folks in China are "local" as well.

How would you not be buying "locally" if the Internet makes everybody "local?"

Maybe you really meant "domestically" - since RCG is a worldwide community it would mean buying from their own country/region.

Andy

Another future advantage of a LHS - one day, you'll be able to go visit, try the latest 'product' as a virtual simulation. If you like the product, wave your plastic and Poof! - the real thing will be in your hands.

Or maybe the shop will just deliver a copy of their virtual simulation to your home network and you can 'fly' it anywhere in your house, anytime you please and never mind the weather. No need to wait for the next containerload from China, it could easily have been 'designed' anywhere in the world and delivered instantly.

What's that? A 'Flight What' already exists?

Oh! A 'simulator', you mean.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Couch potatoes rule, after all.

D