Don’t forget about the little stores.
As holiday shopping goes into full swing with Black Friday, shoppers should remember that there are other ways to shop – local. And what better way to do it than to celebrate Small Business Saturday.
In the Tri-Cities there are a number of shops, specializing in different goods. From books to sneakers, check out these five small specialty shops to shop at:
- 3902 Smith St., Union City; 510-952-9681
- Have a friend or family member who’s into comics? This new small business offers thousands of comic books and figures. You can also buy, sell or trade in new and rare comics and collectibles.
- 37300 Cedar Blvd., Newark; 510-792-8585
- If you’re looking for a new project, come into this shop. Low Price Hobbies offers a wide array of products from radio-controlled toys to models you can build, whether you want to build a plane, boat or car.
- 5857 Jarvis Ave., Newark; 510-792-4487
- Feeling artsy? Want to make a sentimental gift this year? Test your scrapbooking stores and get your supplies at this scrapbook supply store. If you need help, inquire about the crafting classes that the shop also offers for children and adults.
- 5678 Thornton Ave., Newark; 510-797-4100
- Borders and Barnes and Nobles are gone but don’t fear. The Book End has been around for decades and they offer new and used books in every genre, including mystery, romance, science fiction and westerns.
- 32160 Dyer St., Union City; 510-471-7387
- Don’t forget the furry friends. This pet supply store carries toys, food, treats, leashes, beds and more for cats and dogs.
People of course may spend as they wish, but IS THIS IDEA REALLY TRUE? To answer, one must consult Economics. Few people may be interested in the study of economics, but one thing is certain. A person who attempts to teach economic behavior without familiarizing himself with what economics has to say on the issue is intellectually irresponsible and an untrustworthy source of knowledge. The conclusion, in fact, is not difficult to adduce though I expect it to be unpopular with some. The advice is wrong and residents (or any other group) following such recommendations would find themselves losing, not winning, for having done so. There are many logical fallacies in the notion but two of them are contradictions against the concepts of "the division of labor" and of "comparative advantage" to name a few. The following links may help to make the point clear to the curious reader: The Buy-Locally-Owned Fallacy http://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2008/Selicklocal.html Milton Friedman's Free to Choose (1980), episode 1 - Power of the Market http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH06M_nYWAw
>The only winner ... is China Both parties of an exchange win, "Because with every voluntary exchange each party gives up a lower-valued good for a higher-valued good, every exchange is, by definition, mutually beneficial: a win-win situation." What Gives Rise to Society? http://mises.org/daily/5790 > We were promised cheaper prices, but in fact the opposite has happened. Jeans (Levis) used to be under $10 a pair, try to find jeans that cheap now. This is primarily a result of our governments policy of inflating the money supply (inflation). Yes it harms society but the parties have sold it to the public as a 'remedy' for economic woes. "Inflation is an increase in the quantity of money and credit. Its chief consequence is soaring prices. Therefore inflation—if we misuse the term to mean the rising prices themselves—is caused solely by printing more money. For this the government’s monetary policies are entirely responsible. The most frequent reason for printing more money is the existence of an unbalanced budget. Unbalanced budgets are caused by extravagant expenditures which the government is unwilling or unable to pay for by raising corresponding tax revenues." Inflation in one page - Henry Hazlitt http://www.thefreemanonline.org/columns/inflation-in-one-page/
Levi's cost to produce then under $5.00, sold for $10-$12.00 a pair. Now they cost less than $2.00 to produce, shipping from china, and we buy for $40.00 or more a pair? Does not sound like inflation to me, but corporate greed. If these corporations kept production here in the US, more people would be working, more money flowing in the economy, more reliable products being sold, what else would we as Americans have if that were the case? Less unemployment, less people on welfare, etc.
First I highly recommend you read Economics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. It addresses many of the points you are making. Now, '$2 to produce' I'm curious where does that figure come from? Nonetheless, 'Corporate Greed' is never the answer. You may not be aware but this is a typical Marxist type of slander. It never explains but distorts the understanding of the market economy. Let's assume what you say is true, how then can a price of $40 be sustained if this truly represents VERY high profits? I bought other brand Jeans this weekend at $20. The greed of the next company would cause them to sell for say $36 since they would rather undercut and take the profit themselves. Can you see where this leads? The fact is that all market exchanges are voluntary. Greed cannot force you to buy any product especially where there is competition. All greed is in competition with everyone else's greed. the oversimplified 'greed' explanation fails to take this into account. > If these corporations kept production here in the US, more people would be working, But we would be considerably poorer as a society. Please read the book, it will explain this point over and over again in the clearest logic.