“Are you paying too much for your Chinese import? Meucci cues are 100% made in the USA.  Are you paying Big $$ for advertising and hype? Support the American Worker and Economy.”

The email then goes on to list most of the major brands that are made overseas (as if we don’t already know which are and which aren’t).  This of course is some serious hypocrisy, especially when you consider that not very long ago, Meucci had this on their front page (not to mention the fact that the Medici page is still on their website):

Yes, that’s right.  It reads “A New Import Brand Designed & Engineered by Bob Meucci for Beauty & Performance.  Built 80% Offshore and Tweaked by Meucci USA”.  He goes and trucks his competition by calling them out as overpriced Chinese importers but his company clearly jumped on the import bandwagon in the not too distant past.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care that Meucci was making some stuff overseas under the Medici brand.  What bugs me is the hypocrisy.

Here’s the thing – no one gives two shits about what is or isn’t made overseas.  Anyone who thinks that “Made in the USA” is a big selling point is kidding themselves.  If you want to see how important “Made in the USA” is, just walk into a Wal-Mart, Target or any big box store (which I’m pretty sure we all do from time to time).  Try and find 10 items that have the Made in the USA label and see how long it takes you (if you’re even able to find that many).  Especially now, people are looking for affordable quality.  The one thing they’re not doing is looking for the “Made in the USA” sticker.

If you think of yourself as one of those “Made in the USA” guys, look around in your own house.  Check out the number of products you own that aren’t made domestically.  When you flop down on your couch and turn on your flat screen, you’re likely watching a TV that was likely made in the dreaded “overseas”.  Your iPod, your mobile phone, your computer?  All either have parts or are 100% made overseas.  Your Ford or GM car?  I know mine has parts that were Hecho en Mexico and a motor that was made in Japan.  The shirt you’re wearing.  I doubt it was made here.  Those Nike kicks you’ve got on?  Not made here.  The Jockey nut huggers you’re sporting?  They may give your sack some support, but you’re not supporting the American worker by wearing them.  I could go on for hours with this, but you get the point.

Here’s the thing – someone who’s new to the game isn’t going to go out and spend $300+ on a pool cue.  They start out with something that is going to be a decent playing cue but won’t hurt too bad if they decide they don’t want to keep going down the pool playing road.  If they do, then they upgrade.  Until then, they look at Players and Action, solid sub $100 playing cues.  If they want to upgrade, they’ll look at Lucasi, Predator, Viking, McDermott and the like.  Some are made here, some are made there.  All are good quality “production” cues (and don’t get me started on the custom/production bullshit).

Its a global economy.  Get over it.