I was a kid, and went with my Dad to the hardware store, on a mission to buy an adjustable wrench. There were two available, in the size he wanted, a Diamond forge, from Duluth, MN. and I believe a Taiwanese wrench, less then half the cost. Dad told me one day, in my lifetime there would be just the cheaper version, and it would cost what the Diamond did.
Diamond went under just a few years after that. Can’t fault Dad, he bought the Diamond, which, I still have.
I remember the Herter’s catalog, never saw a Cabela’s catalog in my life. I never walked out of a Cabela’s store with a gun, or without being disappointed with what I saw in it. There are two of those stores within 20 minutes of my house, and I haven’t been in either for years. My last purchase was a Cabela’s branded coat, purchased from the bargain cave at the insistence of my wife, who said it looked “nice”. It was advertised as being warm and waterproof, and, I can assure you it is neither. She got a pair of flannel girl jackets from the same cave, likely because she can wear a juniors size and that stuff doesn’t sell well in either of those two stores, and she was very happy with them.
I am not totally sold on the notion that the change to crap at the retail level was “my” fault, as I am well stocked on Filson and Pendleton clothing and Snap-on and Matco tools, that I had to go out of my way for, and happily did.
