Yeah, in America, we don't celebrate it until the final week of November. The pilgrims (who were pretty insignificant people in American History, in my example) landed and celebrated their good harvest in mid-october. The second part of thanksgiving happens at 5:00 Friday Morning. This is when EVERY store in america opens and has some store wide sale and people show up early to get all their christmas shopping done. Black Friday, this date, is a synonym to chaos!
EDIT: Head on over to the Effed Up News Thread to get a sampling of the chaos.
I don't know about others around here but it's a pretty toasty holiday. See?
I'd invite you guys, but it's sort of a family thing. I guess.
I couldn't pass you all off as my significant other, so I guess your out of luck.
Aren't bonfires illegal? I mean, I too enjoy setting huge piles of flammable things on fire, but eh. Maybe it's just Texas and other southern dry states that have a constant fire ban in place.
EDIT: I've never actually gone shopping on Black Friday. I don't want to be trampled by scary and frantic women and men! Ya know... on second thought, maybe I should go shopping on Friday. I'm a po' college student. I bet I could find some freakin AWESOME deals!
You CAN find some amazing deals. Best Buy is my favorite place to go. They have AMAZING prices on DVD collections. I'm going to hit it up on Friday, for sure.
The BJ's near my house started Christmas decorations a few days before Halloween. Eventually, someone will suggest it would save time to just leave them up all year.
They might be fully illegal in Texas but I believe (actually im like 90% sure) up here in CT you can get a permit to have them as large as you want for a bit of a fee.
I've never actually gone shopping on Black Friday. I don't want to be trampled by scary and frantic women and men! Ya know... on second thought, maybe I should go shopping on Friday. I'm a po' college student. I bet I could find some freakin AWESOME deals!
This will be my first Black Friday working in a retail environment. I'm frightened.
Doesn't Mario work at a Genius Bar thing? That's like tech support. He wouldn't be caught in the stampede.
EDIT: And I worked today so I purchased nothing, but it's quite alright. If I can even remotely consider buying something like this, I figure I don't really need to be too worried about saving money.
I got shoes half off... 59.99 instead of 119.99! And the second pair was half off the sale price... which means that this is what happened:
Original Price Sale Price Buy one get one half off price
First pair: 119.99 59.99 -
Second Pair: 99.99 49.99 24.99
Normal Retail Price: 219.98
What I paid (technically not me because I'm only 15 and live with my parents): 84.98
Savings:$135!!!!!! CHA-CHING!!!!!!!!
Okay, I wondered if you were male or female, but I think this confirms it.
And Blob, though this is an arbitrary 'holiday', something of significance happens on this day: you can find DVDs and video games for REALLY CHEAP. That's cause enough for participation in my mind.
Yeah, um, I'm actually a guy. I forgot to mention those were Track & Field cleats. Sorry for causing gender confusion. Don't worry, Andrew, I'm not taking offense.
Doesn't Mario work at a Genius Bar thing? That's like tech support. He wouldn't be caught in the stampede.
Actually, they had me working on the sales floor today to help combat the extra foot traffic. It was HECTIC. No trampling luckily. I won't be in a hurry to work the floor again (I appreciate the safety of the bar), but I certainly have a newfound respect for the Specialists that do it every day.
Cheap is a relative term my dear mind flayer. Besides it costs about 38¢ to make those disks and they charge you ten dollars? Two if its an old one? And of course the big advertised furniture and electronic sales are simply marked up prices marked back down.
I'm going a little overboard, but my point is that I'll take insane over greedy anyday. Blobby out.
While that is a big increase in price from production to retail, you also have to figure that the profits are divided between the manufacturers, the studio, actors and writers, and the place selling the DVD (I'm not entirely sure on how much each party gets and if any others are included).
Right. You're not just paying for a manufactured disc of plastic, you're paying for the creative energies that went into producing that particular product and anyone else who touched it.
It's not greed, it's simple economics my dear globule of depravity! These are not products of necessity (products of necessity being food, water, etc). These are goods that satisfy wants, not needs. Will we still be able to wake up tomorrow morning if we do not buy the newest season of 24? It may be difficult, but yes we can.
People are stupid, but they're not that stupid. They know that pressing DVDs is cheap as hell, and even though the writers, actors, producers, executives, and others who are directly involved with the DVD are entitled to royalty fees, that still doesn't add up to the large price tag when you include manufacturing, distribution, and retail fees. They know they're getting ripped off.
But people pay anyway.
It's because the price they see is reasonable. They may bitch that they're too expensive, but if it was really too expensive, then people wouldn't buy them. Retailers and distributors would know this, and the price would be lowered accordingly until it reached a level people would be willing to pay.
Good god I'm drunk right now and I still lvoe economics. I'm such a business nerd.
I don't think it's reasonable. I haven't bought a new CD or a DVD in years. The ones I have bought were pennies on the dollar at garage sales.
Well, I generally agree. The point is, though, that the majority of the population does not agree with our opinions. They will purchase the DVDs at this price, and therefore, it allows the market to keep the DVDs at their current price.
Yeah, but the only reason you were able to purchase those DVDs in the first place, Jeff, was because someone else did. You're benefiting because someone else went along with the system. If we were to try to actually reform the system by boycotting all DVDs, there wouldn't be that access point, so we need to ask ourselves if we can go without DVDs for a few years.
Comments
EDIT: Head on over to the Effed Up News Thread to get a sampling of the chaos.
Aren't bonfires illegal? I mean, I too enjoy setting huge piles of flammable things on fire, but eh. Maybe it's just Texas and other southern dry states that have a constant fire ban in place.
EDIT: I've never actually gone shopping on Black Friday. I don't want to be trampled by scary and frantic women and men! Ya know... on second thought, maybe I should go shopping on Friday. I'm a po' college student. I bet I could find some freakin AWESOME deals!
Really? I remember it being this early every year. In fact, I think I've seen less Christmas stuff this year than I saw last year.
They might be fully illegal in Texas but I believe (actually im like 90% sure) up here in CT you can get a permit to have them as large as you want for a bit of a fee.
This will be my first Black Friday working in a retail environment. I'm frightened.
Mario, ARE YOU SAFE? OH NOES!
EDIT: And I worked today so I purchased nothing, but it's quite alright. If I can even remotely consider buying something like this, I figure I don't really need to be too worried about saving money.
I found a few gems..
Knocked Up - $5
40 Year Old Virgin - $ 7
Office Space - $4
Heroes, Season 2 - $10
Dead Rising - $10
Pretty sweet.
Original Price Sale Price Buy one get one half off price
First pair: 119.99 59.99 -
Second Pair: 99.99 49.99 24.99
Normal Retail Price: 219.98
What I paid (technically not me because I'm only 15 and live with my parents): 84.98
Savings:$135!!!!!! CHA-CHING!!!!!!!!
Okay, I wondered if you were male or female, but I think this confirms it.
And Blob, though this is an arbitrary 'holiday', something of significance happens on this day: you can find DVDs and video games for REALLY CHEAP. That's cause enough for participation in my mind.
EDIT: *inserts foot into mouth*
Actually, they had me working on the sales floor today to help combat the extra foot traffic. It was HECTIC. No trampling luckily. I won't be in a hurry to work the floor again (I appreciate the safety of the bar), but I certainly have a newfound respect for the Specialists that do it every day.
I'm going a little overboard, but my point is that I'll take insane over greedy anyday. Blobby out.
People are stupid, but they're not that stupid. They know that pressing DVDs is cheap as hell, and even though the writers, actors, producers, executives, and others who are directly involved with the DVD are entitled to royalty fees, that still doesn't add up to the large price tag when you include manufacturing, distribution, and retail fees. They know they're getting ripped off.
But people pay anyway.
It's because the price they see is reasonable. They may bitch that they're too expensive, but if it was really too expensive, then people wouldn't buy them. Retailers and distributors would know this, and the price would be lowered accordingly until it reached a level people would be willing to pay.
Good god I'm drunk right now and I still lvoe economics. I'm such a business nerd.
"Market: I want a new watch. Set the price of watches at $0.10. OK, I bought mine, now set it back up again."
Well, I generally agree. The point is, though, that the majority of the population does not agree with our opinions. They will purchase the DVDs at this price, and therefore, it allows the market to keep the DVDs at their current price.
And what about video games?