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HunterSurvey.com
FERNANDINA BEACH, FL --(Ammoland.com)- When HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com sought to determine how much weight the “Made in U.S.A.”tag carried with sportsmen when making purchases of outdoor equipment, they found most respondents agreed that U.S.-made products were of better quality and it was important to buy them.
They also discovered there is only but so much most hunters and anglers are willing to pay for that label.
When asked how important it is to buy fishing tackle or hunting equipment that is made in the U.S.A. nearly 89 percent of anglers said it was very or somewhat important, while 94 percent of hunters said it was very or somewhat important. At the same time, 47 percent of those anglers feel U.S.-made tackle is generally better in quality and 63 percent of hunters believe U.S.-made hunting gear is better than equipment made overseas.
So how much more are sportsmen willing to pay to support American jobs? If the “Made in U.S.A.” product is five percent or less in cost, 85 percent of anglers and 89 percent of hunters report will buy the American-made product. But after that, numbers begin to drop sharply, and once the U.S. product exceeds 20 to 30 percent in cost, only 34 percent of anglers and 36 percent of hunters say they are willing to pay the difference.
“All things being equal, sportsmen appreciate American quality and are certainly eager to support American jobs; however, it doesn’t take much of a price difference before economic realities set in and hunters and anglers are forced to make important decisions about how much they will spend,’” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com.
“There is a reason why imported products take up so much retail space. Hunters and anglers, like all other consumers, want to get more for their limited dollars. As long as U.S. production costs remain high, whether related to taxes or other factors, imported products will continue to own a large share of the U.S. market.”
To help continually improve, protect and advance the shooting sports and outdoor recreation, all sportsmen and sportswomen are encouraged to participate in the surveys at HunterSurvey.com, ShooterSurvey.com and/or AnglerSurvey.com. Each month, participants who complete the survey are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.
About AnglerSurvey.com, HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com: Launched in 2006, AnglerSurvey.com, HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com help the outdoor equipment industry, government fisheries and wildlife officials and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends. Survey results are scientifically analyzed to reflect the attitudes and habits of anglers and hunters across the United States. Follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/huntersurvey and http://facebook.com/anglersurvey or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/AnglerSurvey and https://twitter.com/#!/HunterSurvey.
When Winchester introduced their Model 101
over and under shotgun back in 1963 it was
Made in Japan. Though certainly a high quality
firearm it’s too bad it wasn’t produced in the
original Winchester factory in New Haven,
Connecticut. Or perhaps Made in Belgium at the
Fabrique National plant. These are just my
thoughts though. Unfortunately quality double-
barrel and over and under shotguns required lots
of hand fitting and detail unlike a pump action
shotgun. It’s lamentable that despite the high
tech trend over the decades a quality double-
gun produced in the USA is exorbitant in price!
In 1960 for instance the Winchester Model 21
double-barrel shotgun went custom. Thus a
Custom Grade Model 21 back in the 1960′s cost
$1000.00, upped to $1,200 by 1970. The other
two Winchester Model 21 options: the Pigeon
Grade and Grand American Grade respectively,
cost considerably more.
When people want cheap, they buy goods made in China, but most sportsmen are serious about their sport and they are willing to spend the extra money for better quality. We all know that “made in the USA” means quality. I myself have never owned a tacklebox in 50 years that wasn’t a Plano. I love your products.