On 2009-12-16 16:12:26 -0500, "
said:

Anyone who wants to sell anything in a competing market has to make it
as cheaply as can be done in Mexico, China, Bangladesh, etc....what
they make is done under an entirely different labor economy (and
socialized medicine, probably). But you know that already.

This is called marketing to a price point. One interesting extension to
this is Fender guitars -- how much to you want to pay for your Strat?
Indonesian, Chinese, Korean, Mexican, or American?

From the audience, they all look pretty much the same*. But to the
experienced player...

*Except for the ones "lovingly" aged, that is, and you'll pay dearly
for someone beatin' the Hell out of your axe.