Pricing - it just doesn't make sense to me

pjetson on 16/05/2014 - 15:55

I've been looking for some cheap metal bookends. As far as I can see, they are just a piece of metal, bent into an L shape. So why are they $13 a pair in Officeworks?

I can buy a printed novel for that price. Surely there's a lot more work and raw materials in making a novel?

I can buy a completely built and tested printed circuit board, full of components and displays, to make a power supply for that price from an OzBargain rep. How can that be the same price as a couple of pieces of bent metal?

I just don't understand.

General Discussion

Comments

  • a22andrew on 16/05/2014 - 16:18
    +3

    Go to a sheet metal worker and ask if they can bend you some stainless steel. Looks awesome, should cost you nearly nothing. Will be better quality than anything you get at the store.

    I was struggling to find a pantry handle recently. Sketched what I wanted, got it folded in brushed stainless steel for $20. That was more work than some simple L shapes.

    • fruit on 16/05/2014 - 20:42
      +1

      Where do I find these guys?

      • a22andrew on 16/05/2014 - 21:13
        +5

        North Melbourne. Aldane Sheet Metal PTY Ltd.

        29 Baillie St, North Melbourne VIC
        (03) 9328 1188

        Lovely guys.

  • humdingaling on 16/05/2014 - 16:32
    +1

    its "ART" tax

  • Almost Banned on 16/05/2014 - 18:06
    +5

    They charge what they think they can get away with - or, in other words, what people will pay.
    That has no connection to what the item actually costs.
    If you were flogging stuff you'd do the same.

  • mskeggs on 16/05/2014 - 18:12
    +1

    Price is hardly ever about what something costs to make, plus a modest profit. It is almost always what the market will pay.
    If they can sell them to everyone but you for $11, then they will happily skip your sale, than sell one extra set for a $6 price point.

  • [Deactivated] on 16/05/2014 - 20:21
    +2

    Have you tried nearby op shops? We found 2 beautiful sets of book ends at the salvation army:
    1)a metal set with delicate, flower motif cut outs : a bit like these ones for $6 for the set.
    2)A metal set in the shape of the Eifel tower for $5

  • blitz on 16/05/2014 - 20:24
    -1

    OP do you charge your boss what you think your day's work actually cost you?
    Or do you charge based on what you think your effort is worth to him?

    • fruit on 16/05/2014 - 20:43
      -1

      Neither, his boss pays him for his time.

      • blitz on 17/05/2014 - 10:54
        -1

        Ugh. Clearly not: we all have exactly the same number of hours in the day. Do we all get paid the same amount? Of course not. This is because for some of us, an hour is worth quite a bit more than others.

        • fruit on 17/05/2014 - 14:41
          -1

          Actually I was making some assumptions on how OP is employed, they way people are paid depends on how they are employed, eg. contractor vs wage vs salary vs consultant etc.

        • blitz on 18/05/2014 - 10:45
          -1

          No, wrong again. Are all contractors paid the same amount? Are all consultants paid the same amount? No, they aren't.

          Take your example of a contractor. Why do you hire a contractor? It's to retain certain skills (e.g. inventory management, payroll, system AD, etc). You don't hire a contractor who doesn't have the skills you seek, regardless of what they cost, or how much time they can put in.

          I don't think you know what you're talking about, actually, so I'm going to stop here.

  • scottb721 on 16/05/2014 - 20:46

    Similar to when you see stuff that's charged at a premium but is given away to staff. Shows the real monetary value (worthless) versus what the consumer pays.

  • Ozziejack on 17/05/2014 - 09:04

    That's right - it's what the market will pay. If they don't sell then the price comes down until they do start to sell. I worked for a guy once who, when a new product came on the market, would sell it for what he could get (usually highly inflated) and then, as competitors started to come into the market would drop the price to match. It's the way a market works.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/05/2014 - 10:23
    +1

    On the other side of the spectrum - $7.50 buys you a 2 slice toaster from Kmart. It'd be easier to buy a new one every 6 months rather than clean out the old one. Sometimes prices are cheap beyond understanding, it almost discourages using something until it dies.

    A quick search for DIY bookends turns up a ton or results, Kmart sells a heart decorated wooden one for $5. Love the earlier idea of getting it made locally & supporting local business.

    • a22andrew on 17/05/2014 - 10:54
      +3

      No, i think you were on to something in the first paragraph. $7 toaster from kart, drop it from the second storey, bend to suit… OP just saved $6!

  • Shadow54 on 12/07/2014 - 16:10

    Manufactured cost of the brackets: probably 40 cents.

    Try picking them up in a garage sale or visit the "Chinese" market in Ho Chi Minh City to buy next time you're in Vietnam.

  • terlalu on 13/07/2014 - 11:43

    reject shop or daiso for $2.80

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