why i celebrate independence day

INDEPENDENCE DAY, FREEDOM AND GOOD FORTUNE

I could have been born in Russia. My grandparents on both sides came here in the 1890’s from Russia so I am second generation American. There are millions like me and we all know we were born in a better place. So I think of myself as having good fortune.

But it doesn’t stop there; I had good fortune to have entered the world of business when we had manufacturing in the USA. That gave me the opportunity to be exposed to all of the processes surrounding manufacturing of all aspects of the textile business. What I was exposed to does not exist in the USA anymore and I do not believe it exists any place else in the world. What the rest of the world does is waiting for an American company to put up a factory where ever to make the same old things over and over again. New real developments do not exist. We have not developed independent thinkers, so nothing new is developed that actually works from any major companies does exist! Just the same old, same old stuff.

But I have had and continue to have good fortune. When I started Wiggy’s I knew I had the best bags on the market. I read in 1987 I believe an extensive write up about L.L. Bean in the N.Y. Times and Leon Gorman the grandson of L.L. was interviewed, and he spoke of the high quality and functionality of the products they sold. Having read the article I wrote a letter of introduction and included a verbal description of my sleeping bags and why they fit in with Bean’s philosophy of selling outstanding products. I never did get a reply from him. At some point I did receive an order for maybe 12 Ultra-Light sleeping bags, I do not recall more than that other than a call from them wanting to return them. I said no and that was that. Who and why they were purchased remains a mystery to this day.

At that time I also sent a bag to R.E.I. they returned the bag stating they would never sell a bag that looked like mine, but they did start selling the mountain hardwear knock offs years later. And also a few years ago they too bought an Ultra-Light.

When Dick’s established a relationship with Field and Stream magazine to have a store, in their store they wrote to me asking about selling Wiggy’s bags and I wrote back to call me, that never happened.

As I see it I had more good fortune when these companies decided not to do business with me. Had they at some point they would have gone to a Chinese company to knock me off. But as I see it I would have been dealing with con artists which by association would have made me a con artist.

So on this Independence Day I celebrate my freedom having been born in the USA and my personal independence in the way I run my business, and the continued good fortune I keep having.

Best wishes to one and all on this IndependenceDay of 2018 and I look forward to many more.