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How important is it to you to get stuff made nearby, or at least in your own country?

Would you pay 20-30% more for the same quality, or 50-100% more for higher quality, and if you knew you were supporting a closer neighbour, or a country you consider a good neighbour, with higher environmental standards? Any Gnu, or Chris King supporters?

Good question - but my answer would be totally dependent on product quality & customer support.

Best example is Sparks - he has a great product but totally stands behind it afterwards - hell yeah I'm going to support that. Local attraction will always generate initial interest but its the follow through that gets good ongoing support.

It's pretty important to me. I do own a vehicle and a rifle that were made in Japan. It sucks that you can't get similar quality for the price from an American company. The rifle is from an American co. manufactured by a Japanese co. All the rest of my rifles and guns are made in the states.All of my optics are made in America. But they use Japanese glass. It's the best.

All of my boards and bikes were made in America. I try to buy American made clothes and footwear when I can. My AT boots are made in Italy.

I'm a Chris King fan. Headsets and hubs on a couple of my bikes are CK products.

I love Chris King and ride a Turner frame but drive a Toyota. Am I a hypocrite? In my estimation buy products make in the third world is a lot different that buying things made outside the states. Not that somethings I own aren't made in the third world. Can you buy clothes made in America anymore?

I buy them all the time. They are available in thrift stores and are 15+ years old. I look like a fool, except every few years something I happen to wear catches on with the kids. Then I look like an old fool tryin' to be cool.

Just as a follow up, the 'locally' made stuff I've gotten recently, has been excellent in durability, and performance. Devinci, Never Summer, Voile...and more, I'd buy again.

Not to say some good stuff cannot come from far away, but my experience is that mass made gear, from China at least, is not as well built. Not to run down China, they make good computers, and from what I've read, some bike frames.

I have a good friend in the 'outdoor' industry, and he acknowledges this is a fact, at least for the present, with softgoods.

Anyway, I will be more patient to save a little more, to buy higher quality.