The "Circus" Goes To China.

[Geronimo]

The decision as to whether or not to buy something is, as you rightly say, entirely in the hands of the customer. But it is important to factor in the effect of reduced choice. If the Chinese have their way, they could easily be the only show in town.

We are talking about accordions here. The market is awash in used instruments because the recording industries have capsized the ratio of music players to consumers. What are the Chinese going to do? Win all the Ebay auctions and burn their spoils?

 

[Alan Sharkis]

Service infrastructure? SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE? We're talking about China, the master of throw-away products, although many other countries have long since added planned obsolescence to their manufacturing philosophy. Just ask any accordion repair technician about repairing a Chinese accordion. Maybe the Chinese will build better service infrastructures in the future, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Alan Sharkis

 

[Dingo40]

I think the worst scandal was (is?) the Chinese-Italian fashion garment industry. Made in Italy, which is correct as Prato is quite near Florence (Fiorenze), but made by the 50,000 Chinese garment workers there, who reportedly arrive as sort of indentured labor only to become illegal immigrants. Government stood by, until a couple years ago after some of them died trapped in a burning sweatshop; apparently it hasnt occurred to them that they have anything to lose when Made in Italy starts to mean made under third world conditions by foreign workers smuggled into Italy.

Some decades ago, the Japanese named a manufacturing centre “USA” and labelled the products from there, quite correctly, “made in USA”. And no one could do anything about it.
Possibly, the Chinese may one day name one of their manufacturing towns “Italy”?<EMOJI seq=1f605>?</EMOJI>

 

[colinm]

I would like to think that Italy can make quality accordions using skilled craftsmen.
I don,t think China can do this and i don,t see them doing it in the near future, they are concentrating on the lower end of the markets with instruments which will probably wear out after 5 years and be thrown away


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[debra]

Some decades ago, the Japanese named a manufacturing centre “USA” and labelled the products from there, quite correctly, “made in USA”. And no one could do anything about it.
Possibly, the Chinese may one day name one of their manufacturing towns “Italy”?<EMOJI seq=1f605>?</EMOJI>

Wow, I had not heard about this trick before. (Learn something new every day...) Of course we can invent new legislation that blocks such abuse but I have absolutely no hope that any government will consider accordions important enough to protect an origin name for accordions.

 

[Pipemajor]

There is also a town in Korea which has been renamed Sheffield (the home of the the famous Sheffield cutlery trade) which, as you may guess, makes cutlery marked "Made in Sheffield"

 

[donn]

It seems to be more of an urban legend. There is an Usa, Japan, but it has had that name for a thousand years at least.

We did have a case similar to Prato, in Saipan, a Pacific island administered by the US after WW II and hence able to tag output of its garment factories with "Made in USA", though they were made by mostly Chinese workers slaving in miserable sweatshops. More important, they weren't subject to US textile quotas, and now that those quotas have expired the factories are gone. That's what I get from wikipedia anyway.

 

[JEBrown]

Do your research when you're buying a high value object, and make your choice. My baby grand piano has an Austrian name, but is made in China, although the manufacture is supervised by Austrians. I can get technical service from the shop I bought the piano from- the same guy who tunes it once a year. My Hohner accordion is also probably made in China, but it's good enough for me and again I can get support & service from the shop where I bought it. Buy with your eyes open - good advice for everything.