Made in China (Not)

April 11, 2008 12:38 PM

What are some good sources, online or otherwise, of goods not made in China?

I have been trying to avoid buying stuff made in china. So far, so good. But, ran into a bit of a hurdle when trying to find a light fixture. Not surprisingly, Home Depot and Lamps Plus are out. I've looked online, but its very difficult to find where products are made. (BTW, I am in the US and while made in the US is good/local, it doesn't have to be made in US). I'm also looking at used stuff on craigslist and ebay, but no luck yet.

So, my question is 2 parts:
- know of any sources to buy "household" stuff not made in china, specifically, light fixtures?
- recommend any good related websites, besides nomoremadeinchina.com and Not China Made. I know there are a ton of blogs, but haven't found many especially helpful for what I'm looking for.

posted by hazel to Grab Bag (6 answers total)

There are plenty of European and American lighting manufacturers that manufacture in places other than China. I don't think you're going to find a listing-by-country of them anywhere because people usually choose lighting based on aesthetics, performance, etc. rather than on politics (or whatever your reasons for avoiding Chinese-made goods). In the bay area, ALR in the east bay represents many many lighting manufacturers, but they serve the architectural field rather than the public. They should be able to put you in touch with retailers that sell specific brands.
posted by gyusan at 1:07 PM on April 11, 2008

Rejuvenation lighting products are made exclusively in the United States. They are a high quality product with excellent customer service.
posted by jeanmari at 3:05 PM on April 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

Also, Schoolhouse Electric fixtures are made in the States. Portland, Oregon.
posted by jeanmari at 3:12 PM on April 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

It sounds like you're already considering it, but I'd encourage you to pursue secondhand/reclaimed/salvaged materials. Besides Craigslist and eBay, you might also try Freecycle.

There's a good chance that there are businesses which specialize in this kind of stuff, especially somewhere like the Bay Area. And I don't know how local they are, but there are about a dozen Habitat For Humanity ReStores in California.
posted by box at 3:19 PM on April 11, 2008

http://www.stanfordlighting.com/

If you're in the Bay Area, I walk by this place every day and I am SO sure they'd be able to point you in the right direction.
posted by crinklebat at 8:15 PM on April 11, 2008

Damn, I take it back. Rejuvenation Lighting now has parts made in China since so many of their glass suppliers in the US and France have gone out of business. What a shame.

Sorry for the misinformation.
posted by jeanmari at 8:19 PM on April 16, 2008