[quote=jpinpb]I agree w/everything you said CAR. As I am in the process of remodling, etc, I am making a big effort to not buy anything MIC and it has been more work than the physical labor. They have taken all our manufacturing jobs and their products are sub par. Perhaps it’s been so long since we manufactured anything, we have come to accept their crap. But in my effort to not buy MIC, it has lead me to antique shops where I’m finding good ole made in the USA items that stand the test of time. There are too many empty factories here and that is the painful reality. People were glad to do those jobs and we had a thriving economy back then.[/quote]
hey, jp, when i built our place down in rural VA, I hit the architectural salvage warehouses here in the Baltimore/DC area regularly. Absolutely incredible stuff, and much better quality than recently manufactured stuff.
I was into the turn-of-the-century look, but was surprised to find the range of stuff that was available in some of these places. At the one place, I’d come across brand-new Jeld-Wen windows at a tenth of the price, or 25 linear feet of upper and lower kitchen cabinets that were less than 5 years old, along with top of the line appliances.
I bought a circa 1920 cast-iron farm sink, just like the one I used to do dishes in during visits to my grandmother’s house. Found a great architectural support post that I walked away with for thirty bucks. A terrific solid brass very early electric light fixture with the original glass for $180; despite the great price, I insist on bargaining, so walked out with it for $150 (I had looked at at least 2000 similar fixtures, online and in antique shops, and would have had to pay $800 to $1200 minimum for it.)
My favorite purchase was a 1927 Glenwood Insulated gas range, in the original Nile green and cream colors, completed refinished and retrofitted for propane. It’s fabulous!! And the bonus was that it turned out to be the best stove I’ve ever used. Just about every new appliance I’ve bought over the past decade has gone down the tubes after 5 or 6 years, and had to be replaced. And here’s this 85 year-old gem still going strong.
