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| Freethinker |
Something I read following shortages of various products due to one of our recent hurricanes was an opinion piece criticizing policies designed to prevent price gouging. The author pointed out that price caps imposed by the government or individual companies actually made shortages more likely due to several factors. First is that when people know prices will rise as a result of something like a hurricane, they are more likely to keep that in mind next time and prepare in advance rather than waiting until the last moment when many others are lining up to find and buy. Being gouged a few times will serve as a spur—to some people at least—to not let it happen again. Second, if they do wait, higher prices will discourage people from buying more than they believe is reasonably necessary. If TP is going for $5 a roll, they’re unlikely to load up a shopping cart with a six month supply. That means the supplies that are available will last longer. And then there is the effect on the vendors. If a seller knows he can get more than the normal price for something, he’s more likely to anticipate the spike in demand and be willing to spend the money and effort necessary to lay in a larger than normal supply. Or the vendor may decide to keep prices at the normal level as a gesture that will be appreciated by the public. Even if that doesn’t help limit shortages, it allows the free market to operate without unnecessary governmental interference. ► 6.4/93.6 “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” — Plato | |||
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| Thank you Very little  |
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Recondite Raider |
I have been looking at alternatives to toilet paper. There used to be the Sears catalog, leaves, corn cobs, or news print as alternatives. I have been using the comic section from the Sunday paper and now my ass looks funny. I generally buy my TP from Costco.com so I only have to move it from the front door to inside the house. I might buy three cases in an entire year. __________________________ More blessed than I deserve. http://davesphotography7055.zenfolio.com/f238091154 | |||
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| Member |
I'm checking out of the Residence Inn in Midland. I think I'll clean out the bathroom and raid the housekeeping cart! P229 | |||
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Member |
Don’t do it. TP theft is now a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. ——————————————— The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 14:1 | |||
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| Freethinker |
And with no access to TP or bidets. ► 6.4/93.6 “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” — Plato | |||
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Now in Florida |
Had to go to Costco today...No toilet paper. Plenty of water though with a 5 case limit. They had kleenex, flushable wipes, paper towels. But no toilet paper. Plenty of canned goods, dry goods, foodstuffs, etc. But no toilet paper. The psychology really just baffles me. Is this really peoples' #1 concern right now? The whole thing is just bizarre. | |||
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His Royal Hiney |
Nope. It’s panic hoarding as been reported in the news. Normally, I don’t mind free market action except when everybody else is being stupid. Some years back, people panic bought rice. A 50 lb bag of premium jasmine scented rice pre-panic buying sold for $15. During the panic buying and shelves were empty, the price spiked up to $45 /$50 a bag. Which is all well and good except after the supply and demand had returned to normal, prices never went below $35 again. The sellers figured there was a new floor at which demand isn’t price sensitive. Rice is affected right now also. "It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life – daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning, 1946. | |||
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Member |
maybe it's not for personal use, it's for resale. note to self: check ebay for toilet paper. people are already selling small bottles of hand sanitizer for $5-$20 on craigslist. or people do it for shits and giggles. | |||
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| Dances With Tornados |
I’ll trade a case of toilet paper, a can of Lysol and 2 bottles of hand sanitizer for a ‘69 Pontiac GTO. Must be in excellent running condition. I’m feeling generous, I’ll even toss in a palm full of 9MM 124 grain. | |||
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thin skin can't win |
Don't do it. It's there from $100 a case to $25 for a 9 pack to $10,000 for a Lifetime Supply. You only have integrity once. - imprezaguy02 | |||
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| Freethinker |
36 rolls is a lifetime supply? Oh, wait; that’s if the virus kills us by next summer. Okay, then. ► 6.4/93.6 “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” — Plato | |||
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| Member |
It's a Charmin thing. Since Costco's only name brand is Charmin, that is the problem. Charmin may even make Kirkland (my guess) with the scraps that fell on the floor from making Charmin.  I went to my local Publix supermarket today and looked at the toilet paper aisle, none was on sale, and every variety of Charmin was an empty shelf (I think bounty paper towels also), BUT they had mostly fully stocked all of the other brands of toilet paper like Quilted Northern and not just the junk brands like Scott. | |||
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| Dances With Tornados |
Y’all might check out the fairly obscure brand John Wayne Toilet Paper. It’s rough, it’s tough, and it doesn’t take **** from anyone. But seriously, just go to Amazon dot com and search for Hillary Toilet Paper as well as obama toilet paper. I would be happy to wipe my butt with hillary’s face. Or obamas. | |||
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| Member |
I believe that toilet paper has another name: Scott ——————————————— The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 14:1 | |||
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Member |
Great points. I’ve never understood the sentiment of punishing so-called price gougers. Whenever I’ve expressed this, I seem to get flamed. Consider the hurricane in Houston. I live in Utah, with a semi truck. I could have bought up our surplus generators (at retail), and probably could have gotten a hundred on the truck. Then two days to drive them there, $1000 in fuel, another $1000 in overhead. Probably days to get them sold. Going home would be empty, so tack on another $2,000 in transportation cost. Add in the opportunity cost of suspending my normal operations, the risk involved, and suddenly doubling the cost of the generators is just doing ok, certainly not making a killing. Many say that it is a crime to do this. I saw politicians saying you would be arrested. Therefore, I just pass on the whole idea, and the supply of generators in the disaster zone remained constrained. There’s no incentive for anybody to add to the supply if prices are fixed to pre-disaster levels because supplier costs are way higher during the emergency. It’s not like I could go buy them at wholesale and wait on normal shipping. So shortages remain more acute than they need be because I’m not willing to incur the risk. This doesn’t include people who purposefully hoard the local supply with the intention of gouging their neighbors. That’s a different matter entirely, because these types are acting as an artificial middle man. Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well. -Epictetus | |||
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| Member |
Disparage it? No way man. I support and encourage it. It adds to the countrys resiliency and we all should do our part and prepare. I also have the brazillion rounds of ammo as well in case that's a thing. If more people do it we will all be better off to any possible supply chain disruptions. Wars, for those not paying attention, come with brutal and surprisingly shocking suddenness. Buy cheap stock deep in times of peace and harmony when there is not need and you won't have to be a beggar when it gets critical. You can be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Bravo on getting it figured out. Please, all of us need to continue the practice. | |||
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| Member |
It didn't seem so bad back then, but with 50 years of 2 ply quilted supersoft usage broken only by a couple years of military non 2 ply, I can't imagine what going back to the Sears Catalog or Yellow pages would be like. | |||
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| Freethinker |
Excellent point, sigcrazy7, that I hadn’t thought of and I don’t recall having been mentioned in that article: If vendors can charge what the market will bear, it’s much more likely they will make a trip to pick up merchandise that’s not available locally. And ultimately, what is better for the desperate consumer? To be able to buy a necessity at an inflated price, or not to be able to buy it at all? ► 6.4/93.6 “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” — Plato | |||
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| Member |
My cat does the same thing. | |||
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