How did you get a hot enough flame for Chinese stir fry in the US?

[maxx]

Jim I remember that you have been to China once maybe twice. Have you ever gone clothes shopping with your wife?. Have you really watched her shop? She is probably like the rest of are wives they are like I spy on a top secrete mission. They tear through whatever they want to buy with a fine tooth come. They inspect stitching, seems. The way the clothes hang. The dye used in the clothes. To make sure it is all evenly colored. The reason they do this is because the cheaply made stuff in China. Is actually dumped on the Chinese.China actually imports the good stuff to other countries.

If you want to buy that stuff and are looking for a source supply.99 market has it all in one place. They are a Asian grocery store. In most major cities in the U.S. If you don't want to drive to 99 market just order the stuff on line anywhere it is all made in China anyway. Just go through it like your wife do's with a fine tooth comb.

This is how bad It is. I was looking for something special for my Chinese in laws. My wife's mom and dad, And her little sister. I couldn't find anything that was not made in China. I finally went out and bought some hand made hair combs from the reservation. I bought a nice bottle of Tequila for my father in law with a couple of shot glasses. The tequila was from Mexico. The shot glasses were from China. And because the combs were hand made. And the Tequila was a special blend. I paid through the nose for it. But it showed my in laws great face. I have a standing order from the ladies to bring more hair combs anytime we go to China.

[shaun]

Maxx, I didn't realize that we were back in business together again?    Where are my dividends?   

[maxx]

Same place mine are up in smoke. Taxes government regulations, Labor costs, Insurance. Workmen's comp. Union dues, Over head. Enviromental study impact, We are not big and bad enough to get government kickbacks. And without government contracts to supply t-shirts to the U.S. military. We cannot charge the U.S. government four times what the shirt is worth.

We could go into buissness selling nuts and bolts to the U,S, army like a couple of women did a few years ago. They had a government contract. So they charged. Up to ten times what the stuff was worth.

Or we could start a company as defense contractors get the government contract. Make a few million. Have a few of are employees kill some innocent civilians. When said employee prays and sprays the street with automatic weapons. Then just change the name of the company after the government makes us pay a fine. And get another government contract under are new name.

[David E]

Made In China.........

Thanks Maxx.........maybe I could afford high end stuff, if I was chasing form over function, just so I could show off !!! Like most people in the World today, the majority of what I buy was made in China, and I dont just chuck dead money around for fun, so I go with the flow.

OK, so I got a Rolex watch and a BMW motor car, but that is a logical choice about value over time.

Businesses sourcing goods from China take advantage of economy of scale and lower wages and fixed costs...hence lower prices which can be used to crank up profits or sell-out cheaper...or a mixture of both.

For smaller Buyers, the cost of production in China is microscopic when tacked onto the end of a huge production run...known as "Marginal Costing"...the bulk of the production run absorbs all the fixed costs, the real cost of production is therefore only the variable costs....resulting in very cheap outcomes....and dont forget, a large part of the fixed costs imposed on Western manufacturers are the huge Government sponsored taxes, charges, tarriffs etc, etc, etc, etc. The Chinese dont have these, or at least can grease a few palms to side-step them !!!

This is why Australia has virtually no Manufacturing capacity, our Local and potential market is too small to absorb high wages and high fixed costs over the quantity we are likely to sell. But when it comes to exporting dirt, we can think in terms of a Global Market and thus sell dirt by the squillion tons...at a therefore World competitive price.

As you rightly point out, the problem of doing Business with Chinese sources is Quality Control.

If you are a "small" user, you have only little leverage with the Chinese to ensure that your goods are made to the specification you agree. Once your product is in a Container, being shipped to you, you have little recourse if the goods are faulty or off-spec....try to get your money back from a Chinese Company when you have paid CIF BEFORE they are shipped !!!!

If you are a BIG user...like most of the Multi-nationals, you dont get this problem...Big Organisations have critical mass...they are much too important for the Chinese to get cute with off-spec stuff (mind you, it DOES happen and I have been involved in some monuental crunches between Chinese Manufacturers and Local customers over attempts to cheat specs on VERY large orders, over $20 million)

So...in summary, if you are a huge Buyer, Chinese Merchandise is almost certain to be in-line with your local specs and fit-for-purpose. If you are a smaller Buyer, chasing el-cheapos...beware, your merchandise is very likely to be off-spec, substandard and dodgy...you gotta be on your toes and ensure that problems are fixed BEFORE your product ships...an expensive task, and one which most Businesses ignore...hence the pile of crap we see at the lower end that is "Made in China"

The solution is too send someone like me (or my Consultants) to the Chinese Factory to monitor Quality Control and get your spec protected...that is not a cheap excercise  ...but that's how we get Rolexes and BMW's..........

[Willy The Londoner]

Everything that is in my home is made in China and does a perfect job and that includes my wife!

Willy