Shinola not so Shiny after all?

**WaCoTS** · March-29-14, 04:36 PM

You know the old saying, about not being able to distinguish shit from Shinola?

i found this article very interesting, even though i don't own and can't afford Shinola's wares. like the "Made In Detroit" brand of t-shirts that were discovered to be made nowhere near Detroit, it would seem that Shinola's brand is mostly hype, as their stuff isnt really made here either.

http://four-pins.com/style/shinola-detroits-misguided-white-knight/

**rb336** · March-29-14, 04:40 PM

Another BS story by someone who has never done anything but bitch

**animatedmartian** · March-29-14, 05:19 PM

Is assembling not apart of manufacturing? Like jesus christ, do the mineral ores that the metal is made from have to be mined from under Detroit to satisfy people?

**Gistok** · March-29-14, 05:45 PM

To anyone who has read the thread about the 4 large SHINOLA timepieces in DetroitYES, this is old news. We already knew that the parts were from Switzerland.

Anyone who has even gone to the SHINOLA website knew that already as well... except for this Jon Moy blogger...

Oh and who is Jon Moy?? After reading some of his fashin' bashin'... probably a cross between Sean Hannity and Martha Stewart...

Nothing to get indignant over that we didn't already know...

**Smirnoff** · March-29-14, 06:18 PM

FYI: Stroh's beer is still available, but no longer brewed in Detroit.....

**Honky Tonk** · March-29-14, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by Smirnoff

FYI: Stroh's beer is still available, but no longer brewed in Detroit.....

I didn't realize Stroh still billed themselves as a "Detroit" beer.

**HelloIDistance** · March-30-14, 03:49 AM

What a garbage article. Apparently he has never heard of the globalized world. His rant on the raw denim was complete bullshit as well. These kind of articles piss me off. This guy is a leech. Call me when he employs anyone from the city. You know, something the company he bashes is actually doing.

Someone should buy him a copy of "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman.

**48202** · March-30-14, 08:32 AM

Sure hope no one tells this guy that, except for the Grand Cherokee, Chrysler vehicles aren't really Imported From Detroit.

**Huggybear** · March-30-14, 08:52 AM

This author is just a complainer. I'm sure the Shinola guys are laughing all the way to the bank. Every run of 2,000 watches costing $650 is $1.3 million in revenue. Even if the net were only 20% of that [[and that would be very low), they still clear millions a year. God bless them. The purpose of being in business is to make money.

The factory they built is scalable to 500,000 units a year - meaning that even if they went considerably downscale, they could become bigger than Fossil and still make money hand over fist.

Someone put it best when they said that Detroit needs to get over the loser mentality that gets its shorts in a knot when anyone else becomes successful. But I'd hazard that Moy, for calling it "his" city, is a suburban kid who moved to somewhere else and is now preaching some kind of faux Detroit religion. His comments about poverty in Detroit are disingenuous not just for his disconnection from the issue but also given that he is a critic of luxury goods.

HB

**DetroitPlanner** · March-30-14, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by 48202

Sure hope no one tells this guy that, except for the Grand Cherokee, Chrysler vehicles aren't really Imported From Detroit.

What about the Durango or the Viper?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Durango
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Viper

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · March-30-14, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

What about the Durango or the Viper?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Durango
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Viper

I think according to the author's standards none of those would be made in Detroit. The standard seems to be assembled in Detroit of 100% Detroit made components. I would add that all of the Detroit made components should be made of Detroit sourced raw materials. I hope the mines and rubber plantations are thriving in Detroit. Why not throw in a requirement for local energy, locally printed money for financing, and on and on.

**noise** · March-30-14, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

I think according to the author's standards none of those would be made in Detroit. The standard seems to be assembled in Detroit of 100% Detroit made components. I would add that all of the Detroit made components should be made of Detroit sourced raw materials. I hope the mines and rubber plantations are thriving in Detroit. Why not throw in a requirement for local energy, locally printed money for financing, and on and on.

Of course, there are a lot of companies in the Detroit area, many of whom are subsidiaries of non-Detroit parent corps, that don't feel the need to market themselves in such an obnoxious way.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · March-30-14, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by noise

Of course, there are a lot of companies in the Detroit area, many of whom are subsidiaries of non-Detroit parent corps, that don't feel the need to market themselves in such an obnoxious way.

Its interesting that people from the Detroit area would find it "obnoxious" for companies providing jobs in Detroit to say that they are in Detroit. I guess Detroit's image is already one of a thriving economic area?

**noise** · March-30-14, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Its interesting that people from the Detroit area would find it "obnoxious" for companies providing jobs in Detroit to say that they are in Detroit. I guess Detroit's image is already one of a thriving economic area?

It would be interesting if that were the case, but I don't think it is. I certainly didn't say that.

Curious though, given your tangent, why the thousands of other companies in the area aren't doing the same thing.

**JBMcB** · March-30-14, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by noise

Curious though, given your tangent, why the thousands of other companies in the area aren't doing the same thing.

Because...

1 - Most people don't care where their stuff is made.

2 - Claiming something is "made" in a particular place, when nearly everything is assembled from parts made in other places, invites ridiculous "gotcha" articles like the one in the original post.

Forget Friedman, this guy needs to start at Econ 101 -

http://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/rdPncl1.html

tldr version: Making something as simple as a pencil is incredibly complicated.

**noggin** · March-30-14, 05:30 PM

How about the Detroit Pistons [[Auburn Hills), channel 2 & 7 [[Southfield), channel 56 wtvs [[Wixom)? They all tout the Detroit label. Why not get on their case?

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · March-30-14, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by noise

It would be interesting if that were the case, but I don't think it is. I certainly didn't say that.

Curious though, given your tangent, why the thousands of other companies in the area aren't doing the same thing.

Perhaps because "Detroit" as a branding strategy is only starting to have some level of cache as opposed to be associated with decline and ruin. I, for one, welcome that change.

**noise** · March-31-14, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Perhaps because "Detroit" as a branding strategy is only starting to have some level of cache as opposed to be associated with decline and ruin. I, for one, welcome that change.

Maybe they'll start a trend that "Made In Detroit" didn't get off the ground. Speaking of which, didn't that company get a lot of grief, too?

For what it's worth, you can criticize a company's decisions or marketing without wishing them any ill will. You can wish them success while questioning their choices. It would serve many here to remove some emotion from their posts and look at the arguments logically. Of course, the entire four-pins article was emotionally charged and easily dismissed.

**bailey** · March-31-14, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Perhaps because "Detroit" as a branding strategy is only starting to have some level of cache as opposed to be associated with decline and ruin. I, for one, welcome that change.

I think this is the point... its a "branding strategy" and has nothing at all to do with "american manufacturing". The whole spiel is that it costs more to make stuff here, but when we make it we make quality stuff and quality costs money. Fine. I'll buy that. But they aren't "making" it here. A Texas company has set up an assembly center here for parts sourced internationally. they're assembling it here. Is "made in detroit" a semantics game in the era of globalism? maybe. I guess what I'm looking for with this whole "made in detroit" stuff is that Detroit is somehow significant for the products' creation or inception.

If they thought "made in Chicago" would allow them to assemble and sell watches for more...they'd be there talking about how manufacturing isn't dead in chicago....look we're "making watches here"...blah blah.

You're buying a fossil watch at 7x the cost of just buying a fossil.

none of this should be construed as a hope they fail... they are a net benefit to the employment situation. Just not sure how long they'll last.

**Honky Tonk** · March-31-14, 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

I think this is the point... its a "branding strategy" and has nothing at all to do with "american manufacturing". The whole spiel is that it costs more to make stuff here, but when we make it we make quality stuff and quality costs money. Fine. I'll buy that. But they aren't "making" it here. A Texas company has set up an assembly center here for parts sourced internationally. they're assembling it here. Is "made in detroit" a semantics game in the era of globalism? maybe. I guess what I'm looking for with this whole "made in detroit" stuff is that Detroit is somehow significant for the products' creation or inception.

If they thought "made in Chicago" would allow them to assemble and sell watches for more...they'd be there talking about how manufacturing isn't dead in chicago....look we're "making watches here"...blah blah.

You're buying a fossil watch at 7x the cost of just buying a fossil.

none of this should be construed as a hope they fail... they are a net benefit to the employment situation. Just not sure how long they'll last.

Exactly to the point. Until the next big thing comes along.

**ResurgetCineribus** · March-31-14, 10:03 AM

There are a few valid points in the article. Any kind of sales pitch that attempts to morally nudge you into buying a product has always made me gag, and it's basically Shinola's whole brand identity. Beyond that, the article lost me when it said there's a lack of grocery stores in Detroit; therefore Shinola shouldn't sell juice. Pretty much confirmed this person is just an outsider ranting.

**illwill** · April-04-14, 07:24 PM

At least Shinola keeps their suppliers in the U.S [[Great Lakes). The leather used for their watch's etc., is supplied from a manufacturer in Chicago named the Horween Leather Company. Keeping it local!

Great article: http://www.wbez.org/news/selling-bik...c-pride-109960