Is it just me

[Slick Fork]

Or are prices really kind of crazy???

Now don't get me wrong, Although I mostly lurk it's not my first day and I'm guilty of shelling out some pretty big bucks for various items.

I guess what's prompting this is a thread I keep seeing bumped up a "SALE" on a certain companies two part containers. Now, in the interest of keeping this civilised it's not a bash on the retailer as I've never had any dealings with them... this is just what prompted me to comment on prices in general

I mean really, they are offering on SALE a pop bottle sized container capable of holding liquid for the bargain price of $40 and I'm supposed to be excited? I could understand $15 or $20 as a retail price cause after all, you do get the straw that reaches to the bottom...

Same goes for some of the skimmers out there. I can understand the portion of price that goes to the pump but lets face it, the rest of it is simply a plastic jug with a specific shape. I get that some research and development goes into these things but when you prices going into the THOUSANDS of dollars and huge add ons for ridiculous stuff. You want a bubble plate... you know a thin plastic disc with holes drilled in it... that'll be an extra $100 (if you're lucky). I've heard the old argument that the materials are expensive and they use nothing but the best acrylic but come on, it's gotta hold water and mix it with air. I don't need it to withstand atmospheric re-entry or earn a 5 star crash test safety rating. Advanced engineering... half this stuff is mass produced in China and once the physics were figured out all these companies do is make minor adjustments in shape to see if they can tweak it a little.

I know, companies charge what the market will bear... maybe that's the problem. When someone see's a 2.5 litre jug for $40 and says "Hey, that's a good deal" instead of going to Canadian Tire or Wal-Mart and paying $5 for a juice jug they really are making it worse for all of us.

I'm sure I could think of lots more examples but I've probably ranted enough for now! Again, not a bash against any specific vendors... just the dry-goods industry in general!

Cheers