[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by karibear

Nothing about taxes is funny. Don't be surprised if this black tie party turns eventually into an old fashioned neck tie party.

Just remember: We the willing do the impossible for the ungreatful, with nothing and for nothing, so they may have so much and we may have so little.


I think it was Rochafeller that ounce said: Its the right of the wealthy to be carried on the shoulders of the poor and the obligation of the poor to do so without question.


But I tend to think that: A mans true wealth is measuered not by the quantity of his friends, but more by the quality of his friends.
Just food for thought.

[old_grouch]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

I was there. Lots of speeches, flag and sign waving and "we're not gonna take it anymore" chants.

I was there because I agreed -- our children and grandchildren will be paying for this debacle.

We went to the one in Harrisburg, PA. It rained buckets! 2000 people. Lots of signs about smaller government, no bailouts, lower spending, stop socialism, constitutional republic, quotes from the founders, no cap and trade, stop printing money, stop borrowing from China, etc. etc. On the subject of taxation without representation, I would say the debt being foisted on our children and g'children is without their representation. But it's not just about taxes.

I saw that there were two well-attended rallies in the Tulsa area. I kind of doubt the trend to socialism will abate, but it was nice to be in a big group of people for a few hours who don't think we're (rude word for rearends) which is what we live with 99 % of the time here. (Which we are hoping might not be the case in OK.)

[karibear]

Speaking of trade, etc, I have noticed lately on ebay that things coming from China are shipped at the same domestic rate as they would be in the US. On the other hand, the shipping for identical items from Canada to the US are substantially different - 35.00 for postage from Canada, 10.00 and change for UPS ground in the US, or 6.37 flat rate postage in the US. That seems a tad bit off to me.

[Goodpasture]

I'm not at all sure a lot of the stuff on ebay is not being sold at cost and they make their money on shipping and handling

[karibear]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

I'm not at all sure a lot of the stuff on ebay is not being sold at cost and they make their money on shipping and handling

That's partially true, but it also depends on who is selling what. The stores have set shipping rates with set shipping services, ie, UPS ground or FedEx, no exceptions made. Individuals generally charge a bit over the shipping cost, to cover their time and packaging. But the rules have changed recently, and all purchases now must be paid for via PayPal, which Ebay owns. Their charges also reflect the seller's satisfaction rating, so if the shipping cost are too high and people leave less than perfect feedback, the percentage the sellers pay is higher and their profit margin cut accordingly. So both Ebay and PayPal get their shares, and the good deals are harder and harder to find. The e-stores don't have the overhead that a real store would, all they have is warehousing, so they can afford to make less profit than a walk-in store would need. But if you want to see some really radical shipping costs on ebay, look at the musical instruments made in non-Chinese Asia. You can get a brand new hand made sax or violin for instance, for less than 50.00, but it's another l50.00 and up to have it shipped overseas. At least it was a couple years ago, and I doubt if any of those costs have gone down. Goodwill has an online site also, with outrageous shipping costs. In many instances, it's a lot cheaper to order new than it is to 'support' Goodwill.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

I'm not at all sure a lot of the stuff on ebay is not being sold at cost and they make their money on shipping and handling

I think you're right. I don't purchase anything off of ebay. First of all, I don't like purchasing things from individuals that I don't know, especially when I cannot see the product first hand.

[StillwaterTownie]

Well, if you're up to date on Ebay there are a number of sellers offering free shipping because Ebay gives them a discount for doing so. I've bought and sold over a hundred times on Ebay and think only 2 or 3 times have I been less than pleased with the experience.

[EarthBound?]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

I think you're right. I don't purchase anything off of ebay. First of all, I don't like purchasing things from individuals that I don't know, especially when I cannot see the product first hand.

Theres alot of safety nets on e-bay to protect you from a possible scrupulous seller. Bjb123 sells lots of stuff on e-bay and does quite well at it too. if you have any questions, just DM her and she'll be happy to answer your questions.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

I think you're right. I don't purchase anything off of ebay. First of all, I don't like purchasing things from individuals that I don't know, especially when I cannot see the product first hand.

You don't always know who's selling stuff at garage sales or thrift shops, either. There is a recourse on ebay, as long as you pay through PayPal. Even if an item is sold as-is, if it doesn't meet the description the seller puts up, you can still get a refund. I'd say I have somewhat over 400 transactions as buyer and seller, and I can count the times I've been less than pleased on the fingers of one hand, and still have some left over - actually, out of all of that, I think there were two. The rest of what I've gotten has more than made up for that. The real trick is to know what is or isn't a good deal, and deciding whether or not you really want that particular item in the first place. For instance, it's a good source for CDs that have been used once to load into an ipod. Or kitchenware - there isn't much that can be deceptive about pots and pans! I got my new computer [which I still haven't gotten set up] from the ebay division of PCExhange. The price was better than buying from them direct, and they still tuned it up the way I wanted.

[Synopsis]

I rarely buy anything off the Internet, except for prescription drugs...