about equipment from china

[bayareaartist]

I know I might get flamed about this one, but I am still going to ask it.

While I was looking on the web, I come upon this link.

www.orientbee.com

and I sent them an email. I ordered a catalog and I was wondering if anyone has done business with this outfit before.

thank you,
Donn

[Michael Bush]

I worry enough about Americans ripping me off and I have some kind of recourse here in the courts.  I didn't see any prices?  Am I missing something?  What about shipping?

[Bruce Hanson]

We are now getting millions of pounds of inported honey from China now and now you want to buy your bee equipment from them too,how about bringing coolies over and let them work your bees too!!!enought is enought

[bayareaartist]

You know, I have been reading this and other forums for awhile now, and to begin with I am a potter, so lets talk about Chineese competition.

The chinees can make and ship and sell BETTER LOOKING, BETTER MADE pottery than most of the potters here in the USA. I don't care if the pottery is handmade, even here in the USA, most of it is junk and is a waste of the material.

I realize it. I deal with it. I know what my public likes.

Now similar to potters, I get the idea most of the beekeepers are solitary people. Spending way too much of thier time alone in thier own minds worrying about things they have no control over.

Time to get yourself out of your mind.

Now, you cannot tell me that if you had the chance to buy woodenware for 20 to 30% what we pay here you would ignor that?
I want you to go and look in your closet, look at your clothes, are you sure they are all made in the USA, how about your shoes?
Your powertools? your houshold appliances? your silverware?
I can go on, but I won't.

I am from the midwest, Lincoln Nebraska, and the sandhills, Micheal is probably one of the only people ont he board that knows about the sandhills. So I understand the mindset. But we are talking about survival here.

Big imported honey is here, it is a global economy. It is time small beekeepers realize they will have to package themselves differently.
Small scale beekeepers cannot compete with international imports.
So you have to look to a different model.
Look at the artisnal cheese industry that has grown up in the country in the last 10 years. They make cheese that rival and beat the europeans for quality.

Beekeepers who want to make part of thier income from Honey will have to look to promote themselves on a regional level. Get together as a group and do this, I know a lot of you do this, but I mean a concerted effort, but this goes against the solitary beekeeper mentality, I bet you couldn't get 10 medium sized beekeepers in a room and get them to agree on a business model even if I layed it out and pointed to it and SAID, this will make you more money.

Lastly I think people should learn to read the posts, several times.
Then ask yourself, what is the post asking? Not what you think the poster wants to debate, If I wanted a debate on importing stuff that would have been in the post.

In the end I am just a curious Artist who likes the idea of keeping bees for the playing with the genitics of it.
Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Wow.  Think I'll go out and sit with my beehives for a while...  It's nice a peaceful out there.  

[Robo]

In the end I am just a curious Artist who likes the idea of keeping bees for the playing with the genitics of it.
Thanks.

Well your in luck, the only thing I know the Chinese for (as far as beekeeping anyway) is their grafting tools.

The good news is you can get them here in the US for $3.50.
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=646

[Bruce Hanson]

I guess I'm just an old fashion type of guy that still thinks buying USA made products is helping out your fellow countryman.silly me Iknow thats just me.

[Jerrymac]

Not just you Bruce. And I will also give my business to the little local guys even if it is more expensive.

[Robo]

I guess I'm just an old fashion type of guy that still thinks buying USA made products is helping out your fellow countryman.silly me I know thats just me.

I wouldn't call it old fashion,  I still like to consider myself young (mid-30s) . I would call it noble or dare I say patriotic.

[Bruce Hanson]

HELL YES ,,CAN I GET A AMAN             PATRIOTIC IS NOT A DIRTY WORD!!

[leominsterbeeman]

AMEN!  

Oh, can I still say "Amen"?

[Chastened]

DO NOT DEAL WITH ORIENTBEE UNLESS YOU WANT A LOAD OF PROBLEMS.  I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

[kathyp]

looks like a little free market stuff going on there!  that's never a bad thing.

i'd rather support local businesses and i like to look and touch when i can.  especially since i am so new at this.  

even so...open commerce = contact = exchange of ideas = desire for more contact and more freedom to trade.....which eventually leads to a desire for more freedom overall.  at my advanced age    i have seen china go through some pretty big changes.  they are far more engaged and open now than they were "back in the day".  they still have a long way to go.

[Jeff L]

I agree with Jerry, Bruce and Robo. Support the locals even if it costs a little more. Good service, good info, plus you make new friends. IE: Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies.
  The last time I looked China was a communist country. Free trade??? Nothing is "free" under communist rule! You do what the government says or else. The "else" is a BAD thing. Buy local.
J.

[eejit]

Yet to hear how all you folks got on when you looked in ur cuboards and found them full of chinese goods?

Can I hear an amen?

I didnt think so.

[Finsky]

The good news is you can get them here in the US for $3.50.
http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=646

I use to make from birch twig a grafting "tool".  I got it from nearest tree. Sorry!

[melliphile]

Chastened,  could you elaborate on your problems with Orientbee?  Just curious...

[BEE C]

This may not be patriotic or politically correct but...I work for a commercial apiary run by a beekeeper who came over from china ten years ago, and he doesn't buy anything from china for his business.  Pragmatism I think is the reason, if there is a problem with anything you buy, how would you return it?  He also goes on rants about the sorry state of beekeeping in China, banned pesticides being used, sugar added to the honey, not to mention that the chinese gov does not have a good record of human rights or workers rights.  My boss is not anti chinese at all but there is a hidden cost when you buy something from a country that treats its workers like slaves.  I would ask you to think about that when you buy anything from china.  Yeah its cheaper, but at whose cost? the workers working long hours in poor conditions.

[wtiger]

China really needs to follow WTO rules and float their currency before I would willingly buy their goods.  They've already ran most of the manufacturing sector out of buisness here in the US with the help of our own government and large retail chains.  I don't thing I step a foot into a walmart but every 6 months; because of this.  That and most of it is junk.

[Kirk-o]

I go out of my way to buy local it helps the guy survive.He is the last honey guy around here I buy local
kirk-o

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