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[Ozark Outlaw]

What I want is just better quality merchandise in general. There was a lot of 50th Anniversary stuff when I was there, but Silver Dollar City is severely lacking when it comes to men's apparel, and functional souvenir items. I wish Silver Dollar City would make an investment in unique merchandise such a model town, and other historic Silver Dollar City items.

[sanddunerider]

Ozark..  I agree... most of there merchandise looks like something you can get at dicks 5 & 10 store or walmart...  Except of course for the SDC logo.\...

   Just not much "special" that is available and can be bought for a fair price..

While we are on this line of thought. I think it is WRONG that there is so much imported products for sale in SDC.. china, india, foreign crap!  May as well go to walmart.....  ok I'm done.

[History Buff]

And some of those fluorescent shirts and "cheerleader" short shorts?  Is that the kind of stuff the Herschends buy for their grandkids?  They really ruin a picture to have rustic buildings blocked by bright pink and green merchandise.

[sanddunerider]

man! history buff lets not even get on the conversation about what people wear at SDC!    I am not even going start

[Junior]

Regarding the lack of "Made in USA" items at SDC shops...going all the way back to the early 60's, many of the souvenier plates, thimbles, trays, mugs, and glasses came from JAPAN. There used to be a company in Branson located where the Engler's Block was...now some kind of car museum...called "Lugene's" that bought all that cheap "made in Japan" stuff and then silkscreened the SDC or Shepherd of the Hills logos onto it all, before wholesaling to the tourist places around Branson and the Ozarks. If you see "hillbilly" items or the or the old plates or pitchers Ozarks stuff from the 60s  or 70s in a flea market somewhere, pick it up and turn it over...it probably was made in Japan. At one time I owned a Barvarian beer mug with SDC pictures all over it, it was made in Japan. 

[jmc75]

to my understanding at one time everything in the hospitality house in the main area had to be made in the USA but that got harder and harder to do.
As for as the train if they offered a minature of the Frisco silver dollar train set up would not have to think twice about getting it and I really like the idea of a SDC village. How cool would that be

[Ozark Outlaw]

And some of those fluorescent shirts and "cheerleader" short shorts?  Is that the kind of stuff the Herschends buy for their grandkids?  They really ruin a picture to have rustic buildings blocked by bright pink and green merchandise.

That was my biggest complaint of my merchandise buying experience! I had an open wallet ready to buy some nifty Silver Dollar City apparel. However, almost everything I saw looked like it was designed for either a teenage girl, or a grandmother. Woman are amazing, but I am not a teenage girl, or a grandmother, and for the most part I was just "tough of the creek" in apparel choices.

I even wanted to get a hat with the official Silver Dollar City logo on it, but it too was done incorrectly, and was missing the "upper knot" in the log.

[sanddunerider]

your right again ozark. 
I was going to buy a Leather wide brim hat, is was kinda of rainy outside.. found one that fit,looked inside the brim and there you go! MADE IN MEXICO!. i didnt buy the hat, or the wallet i had found.
Likewise up by powderkey on the little store they had "samples" of "rock" and "gold dust" in jars of water.. cute. i was ready to buy them for nieces and nephews..  Made in China or India dont remember, I elected to look for something else.

[How-doFolks]

I agree with ya all here. I've got some shirts & hats that have the SDC logo on them, & they are about 10+ years old & gettin' that faded look to them. One t-shirt even has the sunrise in the background! But i refuse to get rid of them. I get lots of smiles from citizens of SDC. I had afew guests even ask me if i was a employee.
I cant get myself to buy that MADE IN WHEREVER stuff either.

[Ozark Outlaw]

Well, for just the plain, and generic suvenier items, those things don't bother me to be made in another county. For better, or worse that is just the facts of life when it comes to that type of merchandise. However, anything hand made should be made in America, or better yet right there in Silver Dollar City. 

[okiebluegrass]

(Climbing up on Soapbox)

Don't get me started on the "Global Economy" stuff.
I would like it better if a majority of things were made in America.
That equals more jobs, more money and more chances for me to get to the city.

I spent 10 years as a programmer analyst, only to have those jobs shipped to India, and those people make 10% annually what I used to...

OK, I'm done

(Climbing down from Soapbox)

[Ozark Outlaw]

I am a huge supporter of having all things made right here in America. However, let's face it, generally speaking things that are imported from overseas are typically much cheaper to make, and as a result have a lower price tag for the consumer, and even more so for Silver Dollar City who has to purchase the merchandise first at wholesale.

I am definitely not a fan of outsourcing, but sometimes that's just part of "staying afloat" in today's economy.

On a completely unrelated note, thanks to whichever website moderator pulled these message from the Silver Dollar City Museum thread. Our comments were getting a bit off topic there, but every time we all get together on here were like one big family at the dinner table.

[sanddunerider]

soapbox :  I do try to buy local and american as mush i can. i think that if everyone would do that it would help. I know that you cant buy 100% american, But just try..  ok- off soapbox, sitting with missing the trams.

Yep ozark.. 1 big happy, disorganized, dillusional family!!!

[betamike]

While I would like to buy American, it is almost impossible to do so.  Not unless you want those bright green neon Wal-Mart fashions that were mentioned previously.   I technically have no soapbox regarding my purchasing habits, but I will say that up until this year, I was one of the MANY dismayed people who came to SDC looking for vintage or "tasteful" SDC items.

I say until this year because lo and behold.....SDC has finally started using the old logo on things!  Check out their line of vintage shirts in simple colors (picture attached) and this nifty bag I got ("hey look!  I'm an inmate from the Flooded Mine!!!")

[sanddunerider]

those are great pics,,, where did you find the "plain" shirt(s)?