Is there a double standard

mikedavid00 · October 26, 2007

Right now, I buy anything major from the States. Bought a new DSLR, and a new TV, all at ridiculous prices on eBay (with WARRANTIES!!!). When Canadians decide they want my business, they'll ask me for a reasonable sum in exchange for their goods.
Until then, I'll buy from whoever gives me better value.

Yeah I already got a DSLR a couple years ago. The quality ofyour photos will almost exclusively be on the lense you use. A good lense can very easily set you back +$1500. Without a good lense your shots will never look pro. I find there's always something better to spend that much money on rather then a lense you'll use twice a year.

Who the hell cares. If I waste my money (and it really is wasting) on ego boosting peices of shit and he spends his cash on things that actually provide REAL value, then I'm going to say he's one up on me and probably has more money in the bank to show for it.

Oh come on.

You missed the point. He would be spending money if he actually had it.. despite what he'll tell you. I find it appauling that there's someone here on the forums with somewhat reasonable intelligence who is living in that kind of poverty.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a similar situation on a US political forum.

Moxie can't go back to school and enrole in something because immigrants have completely taken that portion of our system over and have unreasonably driven up enrolment grades.

I find it troubling that someone is posting on a forum and dumpster diving. That is a symptom of a bigger problem this country has.

jbg · October 30, 2007

We all know about the news of pricing in Canada should be coming down and some have already but NOT as fast as when the price of gas goes up. A gas station can fill its tanks and then a few days later the prices go up, even though that gas was bought at a cheaper price. On the other hand, companies are said we need to get rid of our stock before we can lower our prices like in the US. So why is there a difference?

The answer is simple; if they don't raise prices to replacement cost levels, they won't have the money to refill their tanks. Let me explain, using a classic example, the Katrina price spike (I"m going to use US units).

On the Saturday before Katrina, the Mobil Station on the Hutchinson Parkway, which I estimate has tanks holding collectively about 100,000 gallons, was at $2.779. The spot price on the New York Merc at the time was around $1.85. Thus, the gasoline in the tanks was "worth" around $290,000 (allowing for super, at $2.999 and regular, at $2.779).

With Katrina, the "spot" price on the New York Merc went up, in one shot, to around $2.60, thus making the "normal" retail price around $3.70 (sale tax effect). Thus the gas in the tanks would cost around $380,000 to replace. If the station owner sold out at the old price, where was the extra $90,000 to refill going to come from? (In fact the Hutch Mobil only went to $3.399, but many others did go all the way to $3.599 for a day or two).

When the price is dropping, the motive to lower prices is nearby competition. Thus even if a retailer hasn't sold out the more expensive "old supply" he'll grudgingly redue the price or spend a lot of time watching beautiful, clean and empty pumps. But again, raising prices when prices are riisng is a matter of survival; reducing prices is a matter of good business sense. Often, an owner will wait a day or so to see if the reductions stick.

Edited October 30, 2007 by jbg

geoffrey · October 30, 2007

Yeah I already got a DSLR a couple years ago. The quality ofyour photos will almost exclusively be on the lense you use. A good lense can very easily set you back +$1500. Without a good lense your shots will never look pro. I find there's always something better to spend that much money on rather then a lense you'll use twice a year.

I use mine every weekend, and I carry 2 good lenses (one fairly standard zoom, one telephoto) but that's irrelevant. The cost was ridiculously cheaper from a US supplier.

You missed the point. He would be spending money if he actually had it.. despite what he'll tell you. I find it appauling that there's someone here on the forums with somewhat reasonable intelligence who is living in that kind of poverty.

You can invest and things like that instead. If I were smart, I'd be holding a second house in Calgary right now. I'm not though. I prefer my car and toys.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a similar situation on a US political forum.

You may be right. That's also probably the reason why the US has the highest consumer debt in the world... ahead of... yup Canada in 2nd.

I really don't know why you don't just go move south if you hate Canada so much. I'm not a big fan myself, but I don't constantly talk up the US. The US isn't my dream nation either mind you.