benwood wrote:I really like supporting the "cottage" industry guys. I like to be able to call the company, or sometimes the one guy and ask some questions. I find these little shops are easy to work with, sometimes are down for custom work, and will usually point you in the right direction for your needs. Its hard to beat good customer care. Plus there are many ethical implications that I like to pat myself on the back for such as eliminating middle men, eliminating huge shipping costs, fair labor, etc. All that money goes to the people who lovingly made your gear.
Same here, had a few back and forth emails with a guy at Immersion Research, he was sad to send work to Asia but he was pushed in a corner by the lack of qualified seasonal labour. He pointed out that he was one of the last companies in his field to head into foreign production.