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Gresham
Penny Pincher Member
184 Posts |
 Posted - 02/10/2008 : 16:18:54
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I have noticed that alot the things in stores, when I bother to shop, are vastly reduced in price, but the prices are more or less what I remember them always being. Its not that prices were vastly inflated, but its the designer brands that no one ever buys at regular price unless they are rich. When did the regular price for a pair of jeens become 50 dollars?
The only store that ever has many people at it is Walmart, because it is all that anyone can afford.
I realize that I probably live in one of the poorer spots of the country. While everyone else had the housing bubble ours were being sold for 20k and I think that the average household income is about 25k.
So when the stuff hits the fan it will be worse than this?
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Ardent Listener
Administrator
USA
4841 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2008 : 17:02:13
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In my area its the same story. The local mall is in trouble because everyone shops at WalMart. We recenty lost our only unscale department store in the county. Don't take that as a plug for WalMart but its reality. You can go to the mall and spend $50 for something made in China or $25 for something very similar also made in China at WalMart.
I live in the 'rust belt' but it seems that the whole country is starting to show some rust now. |
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Gresham
Penny Pincher Member
184 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2008 : 11:58:18
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| Has anyone seen an increasing number of bag windows on the roads? I mean where the window is gone and in its place is a plastic and tape job? |
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fiatboy
Administrator
912 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2008 : 12:47:38
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quote:
Has anyone seen an increasing number of bag windows on the roads? I mean where the window is gone and in its place is a plastic and tape job?
Yeah. I have. I've also noticed more broken headlights, people buying "orange drink" instead of orange juice, and more desparation among the homeless. |
"Bart, it's not about how many stocks you have, it's about how much copper wire you can get out of the building." --- Homer Simpson |
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MaDeuce
Penny Pincher Member
USA
124 Posts |
Posted - 02/11/2008 : 13:38:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Gresham
I have noticed that alot the things in stores, when I bother to shop, are vastly reduced in price, but the prices are more or less what I remember them always being. Its not that prices were vastly inflated, but its the designer brands that no one ever buys at regular price unless they are rich. When did the regular price for a pair of jeens become 50 dollars?
The only store that ever has many people at it is Walmart, because it is all that anyone can afford.
I realize that I probably live in one of the poorer spots of the country. While everyone else had the housing bubble ours were being sold for 20k and I think that the average household income is about 25k.
So when the stuff hits the fan it will be worse than this?
I see the same thing, but have a little different perspective...
I can remember the good old days when bargain electronics almost always meant a phone call to 47th Street Photo. They had tremendous selection and very low prices (but crappy service).
Then the national electronics discounters started appearing. I can remember when Best Buy first opened in Dallas -- the absolutely had lower prices that the "establishment" stores. I got the the point to where I didn't check prices often and would instead just go to Best Buy as I had confidence their price was reasonable.
How times have changed. Best Buy, et. al., are now the "establishment". Manufacturers (e.g., Sony) now state both a retail price and a "street price." Back in the day, street price meant the lowest price that market forces could induce retailers to sell for. The prices that 47th Street Photo charged (previous paragraph) were examples of legit street prices. Now, street price really means retail price, and the manufacturer's retail price is some fictitious number that nobody would ever pay, but that is used to prove that your establishment retailer really is a good guy and is sincerely giving you a 33% discount.,
There are two other pricing techniques that really chap me. One is special model numbers of a product that are sold to only one retailer. These are tools given to retailers by manufacturers that are used to offer to "match any price" at no risk to the retailer. Prices are matched, but only for an identical model. So, HP may make desktop computer bundle 123-AX-2 for Best Buy. Best Buy sells for $999 with a price match guarantee. HP sells the same computer bundle to WalMart, but WalMart has a different stock number -- 123-AX-5. You just bought the system at Best Buy and see the same system for $150 less at WalMart. You go to collect the price guarantee from Best Buy. No dice! Yes, it is the same desktop unit (memory, disk, cpu, ...) and yes they have the same software and yes they have the same monitor, but... the HP stock number on the box is different, so these are the same product. Best Buy keeps your $150.
The other scam we all hate is the use of selling prices that are net of rebates. Of course, most of the rebates that you meticulously file never get paid to you. And it's almost impossible to remedy.
So, yes, you are correct. Prices seem much higher and much more uniformly set than 5+ years ago. And I think it is a fact, not just an appearance.
These are just annoyances. If/when TSHTF, people won't care what the price of the coolest HDTV is, but the will desperately care what the price of their next meal is.
MaDeuce |
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everything is on sale but the price is the same
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