Apparently Maiden China has a monopoly on goods sold in the good ol’ USA. Just disturbing. I needed new dress shirts for work, so I went to TJ Maxx. Forever frugal, I find good deals on quality clothing at places like TJ Maxx, Marshals and their ilk. Between these stores and tag sales/flea markets, there is no reason to pay full price for quality gear. The problem is finding something that is not stamped by the Maiden. It was a bittersweet experience as I would find something great, then check the tag and put it back. Admittedly this kept me from spending too much money on frivolous items, like a new backpack for school with plenty of pockets for equipment. I no longer attend school, but enjoy the usefulness of a good backpack… or three.
Once you adopt the NO MAIDEN CHINA rule, it easily cuts your spending by nearly 90 %. You like it, you check it, you put it back, sticking to your convictions like a man. Finally, I ended up with four nice shirts -
1. Van Heusen – Made in India, a democracy.
2. Calvin Klein – Bangladesh , a democracy.
3. Van Heusen – Honduras , a somewhat democracy.
4. Joseph Abboud – another Bangladesh, and a mighty fine shirt indeed. I may wear it to bed tonight.
5. Calvin Klein undershirts – Made in Egypt, a democracy… sort of.
I know these countries are not saintly in the least, but they also do not have the good ol’ USA by the kiwis either. Furthermore, calling their politics into question when our own democratic system has revealed its seedier side in the last decade seems hypocritical. At least they are not outright communists running kids over with tanks.
I also picked up two soccer balls on clearance for $3 each, made in India. You just can’t beat that. If you think soccer is a fairy sport, let’s see you run for 90 minutes, ***.
Overall, with patience and perseverance, you can get good stuff at reasonable prices without supporting Red China, and I mean that in a derogatory way, Maiden. Next step, get the stuff Made in the USA. Wolverines!
