True confession time. I'm a bargain shopper. There is just so much great stuff out there to buy. I love to hunt for bargains as a way to filter out the majority of the overwhelming range of products on the market. Or maybe that's just another way of to brag that… I am cheap. However, in recent years, my interest in finding and supporting companies manufacturing in the USA has caused me to reflect more carefully on my deal-seeking mentality.

Recently I caught a fantastic article on the Huffington Post by Annching Wang titled, “Why You Need to Stop Bragging About How Cheap Your Clothes Are”. Although it is not specific to Made in USA products, she makes an excellent case; when we value deals and bargains above all else, we are devaluing the people who design and produce these items.

When We Brag Too Much

We are sending a message to retailers that:

  • we don't care who makes it
  • we don't care how they are treated or under what conditions they are working
  • we don't care how much they are paid or who is getting these jobs
  • we don't care about the quality or purity of materials or ingredients
  • we don't care about supporting our local communities
  • WE JUST WANT IT AS CHEAP AS POSSIBLE
  • and we want that one too, and that thing over there, and oooh, look what I found! It's a deal!

And the truth is, when we defer a compliment by gushing over how cheap something was, we are not only devaluing the people who made it, we are devaluing ourselves.  

If you want a real reaction, see what happens when in response to, “I love those earrings,” you can reply, “Thanks! They are American-made.”  Don't brag about your swag! Instead brag about where it's made and get others in on the fun of USA made.

Tell us, do you brag to your friends when you find something cool that's made in the USA? 

How do they react?

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