personal observations

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

The movement to save money has been going on for quite a while now.

Until about 5 or 6 years ago several of the companies that had their sleeping bags made in China stopped using the continuous filament fiber Climashield because it is only made in the USA and they had to buy it here and pay shipping to China. As those costs increased these companies chose to buy inferior fiberfill products that are made in Asia, not necessarily China. They know that the Climashield, which is the main component of Lamilite, is without question the best raw material for insulation that can be used for all insulated clothing products as well as sleeping bags. Making the best possible product they could make is not as important as getting the product made as cheaply as possible. Who suffers, the ultimate consumer who believe the misleading advertising from these major brand name companies.

This summer I bought ½ dozen new short sleeve button front shirts. Polo, Izod and a brand name I am not familiar with; Paradise. All were pre-ticketed by the manufacturer at $50.00 per shirt reduced to $25.00 each. When I arrived home and took the 6 to 8 year old shirts that I was replacing out of the closet I noticed the weight of the cotton fabrics of the new shirts was about ½ the weight. I realized these new shirts would never last as long nor are they quite as comfortable. I made the decision to keep them knowing full well I could get my money back.

Many years ago I was doing work for a major outerwear manufacturer. I was quilting linings for him and when he came to his factory he would visit with me. we were in the same city. I asked one day why he didn’t make his skiwear at the local factory and I would be able to supply him with insulation. His comment was that he gets ski parkas from Asia delivered to his warehouse in Ohio I believe for $21.00 each. The labor in those garments was more than $21.00 each and this was the early 1980’s. He then told me he sold these garments to retail stores at prices reflecting US manufacturing. And then gave enormous discounts for early payment. The retailer would use their normal markup formula and then offer a “preseason” sale price of 20 to 30 percent off. Of course they took the deep discounts and their profit margins on investment were better after the discount since the discount generated early sales.

Because overall costs are increasing in Asia the quality of the materials used is less than it was in order to keep costs of finished products at a level that the retailers can live with. Who suffers again the ultimate consumer’s? YES!

I have been told that The North Face Company has chosen to move away from the Climashield because they are having made and I have yet to see it a continuous filament fiberfill product that is somehow impregnated with a chopped staple fiber and they will if this is true advertise this insulation as the newest and greatest ever. Again if true it is a horribly poor substitute for Climashield. Do not expect it will work.

All of the footwear that you see in stores today with the exception of the Wiggy’s Lamilite boots have molded on soles. When the sole wears out and the upper is still good you cannot have the footwear resoled. This in my opinion amounts to planned obsolescence. How many shoe repair shops are still in business today? I think only two in Grand Junction, CO.

I noted long ago that the backpack companies are making smaller packs, but stating somehow they will hold an equal amount of stuff as the larger ones, incredible. They are using lighter weight materials as well. I periodically have someone show up asking if I can repair it. Will not even consider it! Then I get people who want to put one of my bags in the backpack pocket because they want the bag to fit in the backpack versus tying it on. I ask the temperature they expect to experience and it is 0 degrees more often than not. I tell them the 40 degree Wiggy bag will fit the pocket, but the say they need 0 degree. My advice is to stay home since there is/are no other brands of sleeping bags that will actually perform at 0 degrees.

My guidance to one and all is to really examine whatever product you are interested in acquiring before putting out the money. Look at the quality of the fabrics, zippers, compare it with what you already own for a number of years. Do not necessarily accept on face value what the hang tag says or a sales person.

Keep in mind that these large corporations are most likely publicly traded and as such the managers have to always show profits even when they aren’t there. The general quality of what comes from Asia in the textile area has just deteriorated over the past 10 years and it could be longer than that.

A former friend of mine years ago told me my bags were too good. People wouldn’t have to replace them. I told him and this was in the late 80’s before I left S.C. if they were as good as I believed they are the majority of my customers would become my best salesman and that planned obsolescence was simply not in the cards so to speak. Imagine if only one million people of our population of over 300 million people in the USA ordered bags from me in one year I would need a factory as big as Grand Junction is.

Thanks to one and all who have told people about Wiggy’s.