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In reply to the discussion: 'There will be things that people can't get,' at Christmas, White House warns [View all]Marthe48
(16,950 posts)There used to be warehouses and items were stocked way ahead. Then to save money, companies stopped having extensive warehouses, or stockrooms. I think that's another reason things are scarce. I wasn't crazy about that idea when I learned about it.
I live in Ohio and the number of closed factories and abandoned farms is a heartache.
I collect antiques and have learned a lot of history of production. Ohio is full of the clay and sand that made high quality glass. At one time, companies in Ohio made half of the world's supply of dinnerware. Most of the cities up and down the Ohio River, on both sides had glass, pottery and china factories. There were also places that made clothes. All gone. Towns also had brick makers, lumber yards, other specialized factories where you could actually buy useful local items.
Even when things were made in the U.S., people still bought the same exact item from somewhere else and had it shipped to the location they wanted. Even now, I see barges up and down the Ohio River all the time, literally shipping coal to Newcastle. River gravel from up around Wheeling WV sent down to a paving company in Marietta, which also has river gravel. From the same river :/