Logic???

[nachoman]

In the end, somehow this convoluted process leads to cheaper products and ultimately more money for the higher ups/investors in the company. In some cases, there may be an issue with north American countries no longer having manufacturing capability for certain products, but I think in the end the biggest issue is cheaper products = more money for corporate investors.

I've been thinking lately (almost just as a mental exercise) what it would take for me to start a small company making small volumes of some kind of hobby product, such as unique detail parts. Example: Those old MDC steam engine kits were pretty simple. It would be relatively easy to set myself up to cast specialized boilers or detail parts for existing chassis, or even a very basic kit for a relatively simple locomotive like a 4-4-0. I could sell a small volume of them to individuals who like to add details and paint their own kits. When I look into the costs of materials and tools, and weigh in my time, I'd hardly be making any money, so I'd basically be doing this as a service to the hobby community. The reality here is, the only way to compete with overseas manufacturing is to either sell a product at a low volume such that it is not worth it to manufacture overseas, or have a product line that is mostly automated (such as a laser wood kit).