Why I Stopped Listening to ‘Made in China’ Hype and Started Saving Thousands It all started with a pair of boots. I was scrolling through Instagram, as you do, and saw this gorgeous pair of leather ankle boots from a trendy LA brand. The price tag? $450. I almost bought them. But something stopped me. I remembered a conversation with my friend Chloe, who runs a small vintage store in Austin. She told me about her supplier in Guangzhou. Out of curiosity, I hopped onto AliExpress. Two weeks later, I had an identical pair of boots that cost me $45, shipping included. That moment changed my entire shopping philosophy. The…