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Where Did All The Online Bargains Go?
cornflux writes: "There's something I've wondered recently -- 'Where did all the good deals go?' It seems I'm not the only one -- Business 2.0 has an article about the noticable lack of bargains available online, today. The author covers obvious reasons (dried up VC, need for real profit) and some others (pseudo-price fixing). The one thing that was missed is the ever-increasing number of morons who will pay full-retail price + 20% for things on eBay." Note that the piece is largely theoretical -- I've found consistently better prices on the web, even recently, than I have in-store for electronic goods, as well as obscure DVDs which I couldn't find locally anyhow.
Yeah, I just recently sold a Western Digital HD 80 GB (7200 rpm) for $179. The cost to me through a "HOT DEAL" was only $80 (after rebates).
As the saying goes, if you take a dump in a box and charge $5 on ebay for it, is it really worth $5?
To JCPenny this Saturday and Sunday!
Everything in the store is marked down 0.05%!
(no, that is not a typo)
[PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
There was a spate of people posting "XBox box"es on ebay -- the description clearly said "this is the box the XBox came in, the console is sold seperately." Now, I can see one or two people bidding or something, but these auctions, and there were quite a few, got over a *dozen* bids each! Into the several hundred dollar range! For an empty box!
This got a lot of press at fark.com, so people started posting spam auctions. One was for a normal carboard box with an X posted on it, saying "this is not an XBox". It went to $130 until ebay pulled it!
I've been reading the sunday paper this morning in front of my computer with my digital convergence CueCat:, and I keep swiping the ads- no deals! What's up with that?
Oh well, at least I can still check the price of transistors at radio shack with my free barcode rea^H^H^H CueCat:!
I tried running my cuecat: across a printout of slashdot's website, and it took me to some weird goat site, not sure what's up with that...
microsoftword.mp3 - it doesn't care that they're not words...
Where isn't?
-
Inventor of the term 'pardon my French'.
GREG'S 10 (because-it's-always-ten) LAWS OF EBAY
This is not a parody. I am, unfortunately, serious.
(1) A well maintained second-hand item is more valuable than the same
item brand new.
(2) 10% off list price is a deal--no matter that shipping costs
20% more.
(3) A picture is worth a thousand pennies.
(4) Feedback is more important than profit.
(5) Any item may be rented for the price of shipping one-way, but
BEWARE! Sometimes this may garner profit.
(6) It is better to pay 30% more and win a six-way bidding war than to
be the only bidder on another listing of an identical item.
(7) An item listed for $1 sells at $15. An item listed at $10
sells at $10.
(8) An unsorted collection "found in my attic" is more valuable than
one professionally appraised.
(9) Categories are for weenies.
(10) 90% of all items sold on eBay were previously sold on eBay.
Where did all the good /. threads go?
Eye, says I.
I don't know what Best Buy YOU guys are going to, but it certainly isn't MINE. If I want to speak with an employee at MY Best Buy, I have really search for one, and hope that I'm not Interrupting said employee's all important conversation about his "bitchin'" stereo and the "totally awesome party" he went to that weekend that actually had "beer". Then I ask my question and am treated to a desultory "I don't know." I've actually had frustrated people in the computer section come and ask ME questions about stuff. I should send Best Buy a bill for my services.