Guys, just saw something so overpriced it made me laugh out loud. What are some of the worst 'anti bargains' you've seen out and about:
Here is mine:
Cycling Bib Shorts from X Bionic - $450
http://www.urdi.com.au/products/x-bionic/bibs/bike-fennec-bi…
I have a few pairs of Assos and Castelli bibs that I thought were expensive at a third of this price. These things would need to be pedalling for me then washing and degreasing my bike after the ride for this price!
I found this deal on the Bicycle network Australia where other cyclists were making fun of the price.
The online Oxford Dictionary defines a bargain is defined as:
"A thing bought or offered for sale much more cheaply than is usual or expected"
As somebody who regularly buys cycling bibs and somebody that owns bibs from serious cycling clothes manufacturers like Assos, Sugoi and Castelli as well as compression cycling bibs from Skins and 2XU and some cheaper bibs from Endura etc, and who also owns jerseys, gloves and jackets from Gore, Pearly Izumi, 2XU, Craft and others I consider these bibs to be offered for sale at a price well above what is expected. I'm not sure if any of the teams are wearing these on the Tour De France but there are teams wearing other brands that can be bought much cheaper.
Show us how this is a outright rippoff op.
OK, quick look on google:
This is an Australian website selling these same shorts for $315, that's $135 less than the pair in my original post with free postage selling for $315 http://www.wildfiresports.com.au/x-bionic-biking-bib-brace-f….
This German website has the Women's version going for about $250AUD + postage http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/bike-lady-fennec-bib-shor…
Here's a euro site that with currency conversion and 20 euros postage to oz has these going for about $330 https://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;menu=100…
Comparative to other brands, here's a link to some 2XU compression shorts. I've tried to show some expensive shorts and 2XU claim, like x-bionic to have some kind of proprietary science behind stabilisation of muscles to reduce rider fatigue. 2XU claim these are world class professional knicks. This pair is Amazon Global eligible so they ship to Oz and Amazon has a 25% off on expensive cycle clothing applied at checkout at the moment, they should work out around $170 ish. Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/2XU-Compression-Cycle-Short-Black/dp/B…
Castelli are one of the top manufacturers of cycling clothing, their kit is currently being worn by team Gamin-Sharp in the Tour De France. The Body Paint bibshorts with the Progetto X2 insert is one of their flagship models in their shorts line. I am sure I could find it cheaper but here is a link to buy these Castelli shorts for about $230 + shipping including a free tube of chamois cream. These guys also have a 10% off code to celebrate the tour de france so down to just over $200.
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/sp/road-track-bike/bib-shorts-…
There are other cycling clothes manufacturers known for being extremely expensive, namely brands like Rapha and Assos. Assos in particular are known for being leaders in many areas of cycling clothing R&D and their stuff can cost a lot, possibly they also have some super expensive shorts.
I am sure I could find cheaper if I keep looking. I reckon over $400 for a pair of bibs is extremely expensive and seems like an anti-bargain to me!
The cost of production is quite irrelevant.
If you've ever done some form of economics, then you would know that prices are set by demand and supply. It might not be worth $450 to you, but if they're able to produce it and charge $450 for it, that means that there are those out there who would view this as a reasonable price and hence would be more than glad to snap it up.
However, here is where things get murky. In economics, we often study perfect markets, where all participants behave as we expect them to and there are no informational asymmetries. However, in the real world, that's not the case.
Someone might pay more for something because they don't know any other place that sells it cheaper or because it adds other benefits that is worth something to them. For example, buying locally and getting the product instantly rather than having to wait for shipping.
Thus, I don't think it's fair to call this product a rip-off unless you can actually prove that the retailer is pulling strings and selling it at a higher price than others to unsuspecting or trusting customers.
Why are you looking for something like that?
(are you trying to dress Borat?)
looking because I am a keen road cyclist that has spent a fortune on cycling kit over the years. I actually first saw this because cycling enthusiasts on the Bicycling Network were making fun of the price. Typical high end Bibs similar to those worn in the upcoming Tour De France go for around the $200 ish mark, I have never seen any close to this price.
Worst anti bargain I've seen this past year is a custom-fitted wheelchair for $12000. For that money I'd expect to buy a mid-sized late model motor car!
walk into either Gucci, dior etc and check a price of a handbag there… there are handbags that are over 10k! o.O
that's crazy!
not as bad as $350 plain Hermes t shirt , at least those hand bag last for years
hmm.. i don't see how this is an "anti-bargain"….
The actual manufacturing of this product may not be anything near the price they're selling it for and that's going to be the case for most products. What we don't get to see is the amount of money the company has spent on research and development that they'll need to try recover as part of sales of their final product.
A classic example is the pharmaceutical companies - the final tablets/medication they come up with might cost $0.10c each to manufacture, but they could sell them for $100/tablet. Someone didn't just sit there one night scratching their head to come up with the formula to manufacture those drugs. The company would've spent many millions in research and medical trials to come up with the final product. So they will need to apportion the cost based on the expected sales of the new drugs they've come up with to recover those millions.
The product you've got above sounds very expensive to the everyday cyclist (and it doesn't look like the company is targetting this market), but to a person who takes cycling very seriously where every bit can make a difference, this product could be seen as a bargain.
I guess what I'm saying is, certain products won't be for everyone and you probably shouldn't diss a particular product just because it's not suited to you - whether it's the way it's used or the price.
We, as buyers, always have the option to not buy it.