[TheForge] Peter Schiffer obituary

[A Vida]

Consumer at fault... to a degree, yes.  Artificial labor arbitrage due 
to trading with non-free economies such as China are a far bigger 
culprit.  Free market economies only work if in fact the markets are 
free.  ALL free.  As far as I can tell, none are.  Not a one.  We're the 
closest thing to it and we're not there by a fair shot.  Those who say 
"see!  free market capitalism doesn't work!" are numbskulls who don't 
know the first thing about the topic.

The way of the world - humans.  Oh well.

xlch58 at swbell.net wrote:
> Andrew Vida wrote:
>> PlumDon at aol.com wrote:
>>
>>   
>>> Interesting  to note that he finally had to take a lot of his operation to 
>>> China. Not because  of the economics but because he could not get the 
>>> printmaking and formatting  quality he wanted here in the states.
>>>     
>> 	And people wonder why we're having economic problems.  Sheesh
> 
> It was definitely the economics.   He couldn't get the printmaking and 
> formatting quality he wanted here in the states at the price he 
> wanted.   I know a lot of printers and all of the higher end ones are 
> struggling.  My wifes family has a very large operation and is known as 
> one of the top quality printers around, doing a lot of work in the past 
> with annual reports and prospectus' (two jobs that in the past, people 
> wanted the very best).  Problem is that print is declining in general, 
> and in economic situations like we have now, one of the first things 
> companies cut is their print budget.   It's well known enough, that 
> another printer friend looking for a loan was flat out told that 
> printers are on a "do not lend list" right now.    The in-laws have been 
> around for over a hundred years, so hopefully they will weather it.  
> Quality printing takes well maintained equipment and skilled employees 
> with an eye for detail.  Both cost here in the US, you don't get it by 
> running a different set of illegals through your business every week.   
> There is still a lot of art to it and every machine has its feel that 
> the press operator learns.  The US definitely has the quality printers, 
> just not cheap.   "could not get the quality they wanted here in the 
> states" is true in a very few specialized areas, but usually they are 
> not completing the idea, i.e. could not get the quality they wanted here 
> in the states at a price that allowed them the profit they wanted"  Not 
> to pick on Peter S, ultimately, it is often the consumer at fault.   The 
> consumer won't pay more than $50 for a picture book, and to get a 
> quality one done it is going to cost $51.  Negative margin.  If he is 
> addicted to quality he has to choose between no product and one made in 
> China. 
> 
> Charles
> 
> ______________________________________________________________
> TheForge mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/theforge
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:TheForge at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>