working for distribution has made me a super cheap ass

[OS]

For several months, I worked for an LED manufacturer and I saw parts that radio shack sold for 3-4 dollars (say blue 5mm LEDs), it cost us like .40.

Then I started working for a computer hardware distributor and I found out things like my favorite logitech wheel optical mouse is like $7, when it costs like $30 at a BB/CC.

So today at walmart, I needed to buy some some soap and it was like $6 for a liquid refill and I'm like, WTF, why is that so expensive. Now that I've had a glimpse of what stuff costs the companies I've worked for, I'm kind of curious how much everything costs on the store/distributor sides. To the layman, $1 is nothing, but on the manufacturing side $1 can be huge.

 

[beer]

It costs $.40 to make a single LED? I though tit'd be cheaper than that.

 

[Blieb]

I need to be a middle man ...

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: Elemental007
It costs $.40 to make a single LED? I though tit'd be cheaper than that.

Depends what kind, I was talking about a high brightness, 5mm blue type.

If you're talking about those 5 mm dull red ones that have existed since the beginning of time, those are like 5 cents a piece in quantity.

 

[Coquito]

your fine for now, but until you start continuously wearing nothing but hanes sweats; filling empty soap bottles with more water; eating nothing but ramen for lunch/mac & cheese for dinner, your not really that deep.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: Coquito
your fine for now, but until you start continuously wearing nothing but hanes sweats; filling empty soap bottles with more water; eating nothing but ramen for lunch/mac & cheese for dinner, your not really that deep.

I'm not that bad yet, but I do waste a lot of money on food. Like I eat at Baja fresh every day at work even though it's expensive. I really need to stop, it doesn't make sense to spend like 8 or 9 dollars on lunch every day.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Our book company - it costs .30 to print the book while we sell them for $9.95-12.95. And jack up the UPS rates.

BTW James - I'm getting it tomorrow morning, you'll be one of the first to see the pics

 

[Ronstang]

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: Coquito
your fine for now, but until you start continuously wearing nothing but hanes sweats; filling empty soap bottles with more water; eating nothing but ramen for lunch/mac & cheese for dinner, your not really that deep.

I'm not that bad yet, but I do waste a lot of money on food. Like I eat at Baja fresh every day at work even though it's expensive. I really need to stop, it doesn't make sense to spend like 8 or 9 dollars on lunch every day.

So you are just a selective cheap ass? Your utility for food seems to be higher than that for soap.....hmmm......so are you a stinky fatass?

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: Ronstang

So you are just a selective cheap ass? Your utility for food seems to be higher than that for soap.....hmmm......so are you a stinky fatass?

You know I was just thinking about that. Naw, what happens is work sucks and while being relieved to be out of the office, I blank out and just start throwing money around at lunch. I'm on the skinny side, and I use a lot of soap hence my trip to walmart to buy another jug of soap.

 

[Coquito]

i'd just like to say that even though these hanes sweat pants only set me back $3.33, they are very comfty.

 

[fr]

You know that $8-9 you spend for food at Baja Fresh probably cost $0.30 to make.


$9 for a meal isn't bad if you like it.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: Blieb
I need to be a middle man ...

Unless you are farmer, miner, or a fisherman you are a middle man.

 

[DaviDaVinci]

Do you know how much it costs to produce generic lighters (stuff you use to light cigarettes or whatever you prefer to burn)? Let me put it this way. My cost is a nickel a piece. I wonder what it costs the wholesaler. Maybe 3 cents, 4 cents? What it costs to import over here? What it costs the manufacturer? Who knows, all I know is that I sell it for $1+tax.

Thank You, come again.

You do have a very good point. Once you see the wholesale prices or the import prices, you NEVER EVAR want to pay retail EVAR again.

 

[Hector13]

Originally posted by: OS
For several months, I worked for an LED manufacturer and I saw parts that radio shack sold for 3-4 dollars (say blue 5mm LEDs), it cost us like .40.

Then I started working for a computer hardware distributor and I found out things like my favorite logitech wheel optical mouse is like $7, when it costs like $30 at a BB/CC.

So today at walmart, I needed to buy some some soap and it was like $6 for a liquid refill and I'm like, WTF, why is that so expensive. Now that I've had a glimpse of what stuff costs the companies I've worked for, I'm kind of curious how much everything costs on the store/distributor sides. To the layman, $1 is nothing, but on the manufacturing side $1 can be huge.

you are ignoring the fact that a place like walmart or best buy (or even your distributing company) needs to pay for a lot more than just the cost of their goods. They need to pay for rent, salaries, insurance, advertising, returned items allowance, etc.

 

[amdskip]

I'd say the average mark up at walmart is 40%. I'm going back to work today, yay!

 

[NogginBoink]

Originally posted by: DaviDaVinci
Do you know how much it costs to produce generic lighters (stuff you use to light cigarettes or whatever you prefer to burn)? Let me put it this way. My cost is a nickel a piece. I wonder what it costs the wholesaler. Maybe 3 cents, 4 cents? What it costs to import over here? What it costs the manufacturer? Who knows, all I know is that I sell it for $1+tax.

Thank You, come again.

You do have a very good point. Once you see the wholesale prices or the import prices, you NEVER EVAR want to pay retail EVAR again.

It truly is amazing.

Someone can get the raw materials, shape them, assemble them, fill them with fluid, package them, pay for the packaging and shipping... and their assembly overhead, rent, insurance, utilities, etc... deliver it to the wholesaler in the united states, where the wholesaler takes his cut for warehouse space, wages, insurance, utilities, etc... and he can ship them to you for five cents apiece.

Wow.

 

[radioouman]

I design parts for the automotive industry. Mainly plastic parts. If you are familiar with the plastic clips that hold your door panels or other interior panels on your, I make those. We manufacture these clips and sell them for less than $.10 a piece. If we are supplying large quantities, we sell them for as little as $.03 a piece. I went down to a dealer to buy one of these fasteners recently. The price was $4.95 + tax!!!!!!!! We supply that particular part for $.13 a piece.

 

[DaviDaVinci]

Originally posted by: radioouman
I design parts for the automotive industry. Mainly plastic parts. If you are familiar with the plastic clips that hold your door panels or other interior panels on your, I make those. We manufacture these clips and sell them for less than $.10 a piece. If we are supplying large quantities, we sell them for as little as $.03 a piece. I went down to a dealer to buy one of these fasteners recently. The price was $4.95 + tax!!!!!!!! We supply that particular part for $.13 a piece.

That's such a rip off especially when you buy one from Lexus. It cost me $10 in PLANO, TX when the same damn piece from toyota anywhere is like $3 if not cheaper. NO THANK YOU!

Hell, sometimes, they'll even give those out for free.

That reminds me I broke a couple more. Can you sell me some? I'll pay you 25cents a piece

Anyone need lighters for X'mas? By the way they don't ship them to me, the cigarette guy BRINGS them to me. That's the higest markup %-wise that I can think off.

 

[guyver01]

Originally posted by: Elemental007
tit'd

nice typo. what's on your mind?

 

[LS20]

now if we can all show our significant others how much that 60$ banana republic blouse really cost in slave labor....