The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago,
I believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco

"Paul MR" wrote in message
...
The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago, I
believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco

Sure, lots of reasons. What is paint thinner made from? What fuel is used
to transport it? What fuel is used to keep the store heated? What is
selling for $100 a barrel?

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
"Paul MR" wrote in message
...
The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago, I
believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco

Sure, lots of reasons. What is paint thinner made from? What fuel is used
to transport it? What fuel is used to keep the store heated? What is
selling for $100 a barrel?

Crude at $100 is up around 70 percent, but paint thinner at $ 8 then
is up around 400 percent.
Looks like greed and gouging to me at that rate.

"Paul MR" wrote in message
...
The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago, I
believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco


Interesting question. Make a note to call the manufacturer and find out
more. Let us know what they say.

"Jack" wrote in message

Sure, lots of reasons. What is paint thinner made from? What fuel is
used
to transport it? What fuel is used to keep the store heated? What is
selling for $100 a barrel?

Crude at $100 is up around 70 percent, but paint thinner at $ 8 then
is up around 400 percent.
Looks like greed and gouging to me at that rate.

There may be a bit of gouging, but that 70% applies to the cost of
everything involved in making and transporting the mineral sprits also. Add
fuel surcharges, heat, lighting, year end bonus for the CEO of Lowes, it all
adds up.

Have you price other materials? Take a look at the cost of copper tubing
and steel pipe. I'm paying $48 a foot for 12" pipe right now, 4" is about
$28.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. net...

"Jack" wrote in message

Sure, lots of reasons. What is paint thinner made from? What fuel is
used
to transport it? What fuel is used to keep the store heated? What is
selling for $100 a barrel?

Crude at $100 is up around 70 percent, but paint thinner at $ 8 then
is up around 400 percent.
Looks like greed and gouging to me at that rate.

There may be a bit of gouging, but that 70% applies to the cost of
everything involved in making and transporting the mineral sprits also.
Add fuel surcharges, heat, lighting, year end bonus for the CEO of Lowes,
it all adds up.


I deal with shipping grocery products as part of my job. Cases of liquids
like cooking oil can't be stacked as high in the truck as stuff like cereal
or paper towels, to use two examples at the other extreme. So,
across-the-board shipping cost increases have a greater affect on products
that don't occupy the space in the trailer to its fullest capacity.

The selling price of a product is essentially unrelated to the cost of the
product. All selling prices are set by the free market system, by the law of
supply and demand, by what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

You paid $ 8 because that is the best price you can get anywhere. You cannot
buy it cheaper.

If you have a garage sale, do you base your selling prices on your cost, or
on what you think a buyer may pay for it?
--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
"Paul MR" wrote in message
...
The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago, I
believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. net...

"Jack" wrote in message

Sure, lots of reasons. What is paint thinner made from? What fuel is
used to transport it? What fuel is used to keep the store heated?
What is
selling for $100 a barrel?

Crude at $100 is up around 70 percent, but paint thinner at $ 8 then
is up around 400 percent. Looks like greed and gouging to me at that
rate.

There may be a bit of gouging, but that 70% applies to the cost of
everything involved in making and transporting the mineral sprits also.
Add fuel surcharges, heat, lighting, year end bonus for the CEO of Lowes,
it all adds up.

I deal with shipping grocery products as part of my job. Cases of liquids
like cooking oil can't be stacked as high in the truck as stuff like
cereal or paper towels, to use two examples at the other extreme. So,
across-the-board shipping cost increases have a greater affect on products
that don't occupy the space in the trailer to its fullest capacity.


Thanks, Joe. That's a component that had never occured to me. Life is
full of facts which help to tie ends together.

"C & E" wrote in message
...

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
. net...

"Jack" wrote in message

Sure, lots of reasons. What is paint thinner made from? What fuel is
used to transport it? What fuel is used to keep the store heated?
What is
selling for $100 a barrel?

Crude at $100 is up around 70 percent, but paint thinner at $ 8 then
is up around 400 percent. Looks like greed and gouging to me at that
rate.

There may be a bit of gouging, but that 70% applies to the cost of
everything involved in making and transporting the mineral sprits also.
Add fuel surcharges, heat, lighting, year end bonus for the CEO of
Lowes, it all adds up.

I deal with shipping grocery products as part of my job. Cases of liquids
like cooking oil can't be stacked as high in the truck as stuff like
cereal or paper towels, to use two examples at the other extreme. So,
across-the-board shipping cost increases have a greater affect on
products that don't occupy the space in the trailer to its fullest
capacity.


Thanks, Joe. That's a component that had never occured to me. Life is
full of facts which help to tie ends together.



It's simple math, really. If freight from point A to point B costs $1000.00
and you have 1000 cases on the truck, freight per case is a buck. Halve the
number of cases, and now the freight is two bucks per case. Obviously, this
doesn't explain the huge price jump that Paul mentioned. But, it explains
some of it. Fuel costs also impact the delivery of raw materials to the
manufacturer, as well as Home Despot's cost to bring product from warehouse
to store.

On Dec 22, 2:30�pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"C & E" wrote in . ..







"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote in message
...
"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
y.net...

"Jack" wrote in message

Sure, lots of reasons. �What is paint thinner made from? �What fuel is
used to transport it? �What fuel is used to keep the store heated?
What is
selling for $100 a barrel?

Crude at $100 is up around 70 percent, but paint thinner at �$ 8 then
is up around 400 percent. �Looks like greed and gouging to me at that
rate.

There may be a bit of gouging, but that 70% applies to the cost of
everything involved in making and transporting the mineral sprits also..
Add fuel surcharges, heat, lighting, year end bonus for the CEO of
Lowes, it all adds up.

I deal with shipping grocery products as part of my job. Cases of liquids
like cooking oil can't be stacked as high in the truck as stuff like
cereal or paper towels, to use two examples at the other extreme. So,
across-the-board shipping cost increases have a greater affect on
products that don't occupy the space in the trailer to its fullest
capacity.

Thanks, Joe. �That's a component that had never occured to me. �Life is
full of facts which help to tie ends together.

It's simple math, really. If freight from point A to point B costs $1000.00
and you have 1000 cases on the truck, freight per case is a buck. Halve the
number of cases, and now the freight is two bucks per case. Obviously, this
doesn't explain the huge price jump that Paul mentioned. But, it explains
some of it. Fuel costs also impact the delivery of raw materials to the
manufacturer, as well as Home Despot's cost to bring product from warehouse
to store.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

dont forget hauling flamables now required a CDL driver and license. I
used to sell methy alcohol for machines. Its cost per gallon doubled
overnight because of regulator changes.

Walter R. wrote:
The selling price of a product is essentially unrelated to the cost of the
product. All selling prices are set by the free market system, by the law of
supply and demand, by what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

True, unless plain greed, price gouging or illegal price fixing enter
into the picture. I plan to follow JoeSpareBedroom's suggestion and see
what spin the manufacturer tries to make me believe.
Paul in San Francisco

You paid $ 8 because that is the best price you can get anywhere. You cannot
buy it cheaper.

If you have a garage sale, do you base your selling prices on your cost, or
on what you think a buyer may pay for it?

Paul MR wrote:
The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago,
I believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco
Looked at the cprice of uel lately? Transporting gallon cas of liquid
ai't cea.

And its not just the fuel to transport the finished produc.

Most generic paint thinners appear to be petroleum derivatives.

Feed stock is expensive.

"Paul MR" wrote in message
...
The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago, I
believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time. Yesterday
in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00! Is there any
reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco

I use my thinner several times, by settleing out the paint till it's clear
again. Thus, cost becomes less significant.

In real life there is no such thing as "plain greed, price gouging or
illegal price fixing". These are just slogans cooked up by smart
politicians for their dumb constituents. If you were in the business of
selling paint thinner, how much would you sell your product for? $ 2? or $
8?

--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
"Paul MR" wrote in message
...
Walter R. wrote:
The selling price of a product is essentially unrelated to the cost of
the product. All selling prices are set by the free market system, by the
law of supply and demand, by what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

True, unless plain greed, price gouging or illegal price fixing enter into
the picture. I plan to follow JoeSpareBedroom's suggestion and see what
spin the manufacturer tries to make me believe.
Paul in San Francisco

You paid $ 8 because that is the best price you can get anywhere. You
cannot buy it cheaper.

If you have a garage sale, do you base your selling prices on your cost,
or on what you think a buyer may pay for it?



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

In real life there is no such thing as "plain greed, price gouging or
illegal price fixing". These are just slogans cooked up by smart
politicians for their dumb constituents. If you were in the business of
selling paint thinner, how much would you sell your product for if you had
customers waiting to buy? $ 2? or $ 8? Ah, you are a price-gouger, too?


--
Walter
www.rationality.net
-
"Paul MR" wrote in message
...
Walter R. wrote:
The selling price of a product is essentially unrelated to the cost of
the product. All selling prices are set by the free market system, by the
law of supply and demand, by what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

True, unless plain greed, price gouging or illegal price fixing enter into
the picture. I plan to follow JoeSpareBedroom's suggestion and see what
spin the manufacturer tries to make me believe.
Paul in San Francisco

You paid $ 8 because that is the best price you can get anywhere. You
cannot buy it cheaper.

If you have a garage sale, do you base your selling prices on your cost,
or on what you think a buyer may pay for it?



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:50:02 -0800, Paul MR wrote:

The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago,
I believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco

Nest time you're in the store; price Kerosene. +35 bucks for 5 gal.

:-))

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in
t:


"Paul MR" wrote in message
...
The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months
ago, I believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the
time. Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling
for $8.00! Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and
price gouging? Paul in San Francisco

Sure, lots of reasons. What is paint thinner made from? What fuel is
used to transport it? What fuel is used to keep the store heated?
What is selling for $100 a barrel?

Budweiser?

On Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:54:56 -0600, Red Green
wrote:

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in
et:
What is selling for $100 a barrel?

Budweiser?

Sewing Machine oil?

Paul MR wrote:
Walter R. wrote:
The selling price of a product is essentially unrelated to the cost
of the product. All selling prices are set by the free market
system, by the law of supply and demand, by what a buyer is willing
to pay for it.

True, unless plain greed, price gouging or illegal price fixing enter
into the picture. I plan to follow JoeSpareBedroom's suggestion and
see what spin the manufacturer tries to make me believe.
Paul in San Francisco

It is not sane to believe a national chain - Lowes or Home Depot - would
"gouge" or collude to fix prices on a gallon of paint thinner! Millions of
dollars in fines, legal expenses, depositions, and possible jail terms would
simply not be worth the profit.

Greed, on the other hand, is good.

Oren wrote:
On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:50:02 -0800, Paul MR wrote:


The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago,
I believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco


Nest time you're in the store; price Kerosene. +35 bucks for 5 gal.

:-))


I was shocked to see that in the Lowes the other day. I was
afraid that the price had gone up to that universally, but was
pleasantly surprised to find that my regular supplier still
has it for 4.75 per gallon. Once again, the big box stores
are much more expensive than the real suppliers.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

"Robert Allison" wrote in message
news:Ndwbj.8955$GV4.3403@trnddc05...
Oren wrote:
On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:50:02 -0800, Paul MR wrote:


The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago,
I believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco


Nest time you're in the store; price Kerosene. +35 bucks for 5 gal.

:-))


I was shocked to see that in the Lowes the other day. I was afraid that
the price had gone up to that universally, but was pleasantly surprised to
find that my regular supplier still has it for 4.75 per gallon. Once
again, the big box stores are much more expensive than the real suppliers.


They make big money on the accessories. Their paint prices might be
competitive, but they hope you won't be knowledgable about prices for items
like thinner.

Posted and emailed

On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:50:02 -0800, in alt.home.repair you wrote:

:The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago,
:I believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
:Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
: Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
:Paul in San Francisco

I haven't bought any paint thinner for a number of years. I remember it
being pretty cheap, maybe $2/gallon, and I have two gallon cans (one
metal the other plastic), in varying degrees of fullness. I generally
pour a little off into glass jars from which I get whatever paint
thinner I need for a variety of purposes.

I usually recycle my paint thinner. Thus, if I clean a brush with paint
thinner, I pour the liquid into another jar which is kept for the
purpose. After a time, clear liquid rises to the top and the impurities
settle to the bottom and form a firm substance. Thus, I can decanter off
what is essentially simply clear paint thinner from that jar when I next
need a bit of thinner. Using this practice is a big part of the reason I
don't need to buy thinner very often. I even reuse thinner I use to
clean the chain on my bike, after the sediment has settled out. Reusing
it is also better for the environment, certainly better than pouring it
down the drain or allowing it to evaporate (unburned hydrocarbons).

Dan in Berkeley

"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
Posted and emailed

On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:50:02 -0800, in alt.home.repair you wrote:

:The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago,
:I believe) it cost $2.50. That was very high I thought at the time.
:Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
: Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
:Paul in San Francisco

I haven't bought any paint thinner for a number of years. I remember it
being pretty cheap, maybe $2/gallon, and I have two gallon cans (one
metal the other plastic), in varying degrees of fullness. I generally
pour a little off into glass jars from which I get whatever paint
thinner I need for a variety of purposes.

I usually recycle my paint thinner. Thus, if I clean a brush with paint
thinner, I pour the liquid into another jar which is kept for the
purpose. After a time, clear liquid rises to the top and the impurities
settle to the bottom and form a firm substance. Thus, I can decanter off
what is essentially simply clear paint thinner from that jar when I next
need a bit of thinner. Using this practice is a big part of the reason I
don't need to buy thinner very often. I even reuse thinner I use to
clean the chain on my bike, after the sediment has settled out. Reusing
it is also better for the environment, certainly better than pouring it
down the drain or allowing it to evaporate (unburned hydrocarbons).

Dan in Berkeley



Another trick for using less is to NOT clean the brush if you're painting
today, and then doing another coat tomorrow. Instead, wrap the brush in
aluminum foil, being careful to keep the bristles nice & flat. Put that into
a plastic bag, and place in the freezer. Take it out about 30 minutes ahead
of painting, and it'll be as if you'd never stopped the day before.

On Dec 22, 6:54*pm, "Walter R." wrote:
In real life there is no such thing as "plain greed, price gouging or
illegal price fixing". These are just slogans cooked up by smart
politicians for their dumb constituents. If you were in the business of
selling paint thinner, how much would you sell your product for if you had
customers waiting to buy? $ 2? or $ 8? Ah, you are a price-gouger, too?

I agree with you 99%, except that the government can impose price
fixing, and institute monopoly powers, like in the case of the USPS.
Of course, technically it's not illegal since it's got the
government's stamp of approval.

On Dec 23, 8:37*pm, Daniel Prince wrote:
"Walter R." wrote:
The selling price of a product is essentially unrelated to the cost of the
product. All selling prices are set by the free market system, by the law of
supply and demand, by what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

I think that is true only in the short term. *If paint thinner could
be sold for $4.00 a gallon at a reasonable profit and the law of
supply and demand made it sell for $8.00 a gallon, new companies
would start making it and the companies that already make it would
make more because they could make big profits on it. *Soon the
supply would increase until the price was around $4.00 a gallon.

First off, define "reasonable profit".

How is what you're saying any different from Walter? As he stated,
the price is determined by supply and demand. If the supply increases
in your example without any more demand, the price will go down, as
you noted. None of that has anything to do with the cost to make the
product.

On Dec 23, 11:48*am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"Robert Allison" wrote in message

news:Ndwbj.8955$GV4.3403@trnddc05...





Oren wrote:
On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:50:02 -0800, Paul MR wrote:

The last time I bought a gallon of mineral spirits (about 18 months ago,
I believe) it cost $2.50. *That was very high I thought at the time.
Yesterday in Lowe's, I noticed the cheapest brand was selling for $8.00!
Is there any reason for this other than plain greed and price gouging?
Paul in San Francisco

Nest time you're in the store; price Kerosene. +35 bucks for 5 gal.

:-))

I was shocked to see that in the Lowes the other day. *I was afraid that
the price had gone up to that universally, but was pleasantly surprised to
find that my regular supplier still has it for 4.75 per gallon. *Once
again, the big box stores are much more expensive than the real suppliers.

They make big money on the accessories. Their paint prices might be
competitive, but they hope you won't be knowledgable about prices for items
like thinner.

It's more complex than them hoping you won't know going prices for
items. Big box stores have a convenience aspect to them, as well as
buying less quantities of each item because they stock so many
different products. If you need 1 gallon of Kerosene, the convenience
of buying it while you're buying paint, and a couple of 2x4s, and a
drill bit, and a couple light bulbs is probably worth the extra 2
bucks, rather than trying to find a kerosene dealer, drive to it, and
spend extra time... all to save 2 bucks.

Robert Allison wrote:

I was shocked to see that in the Lowes the other day. I was
afraid that the price had gone up to that universally, but was
pleasantly surprised to find that my regular supplier still
has it for 4.75 per gallon. Once again, the big box stores
are much more expensive than the real suppliers.

You can fight back. One of the more effective efforts:

Editor,
New York Times
New York, New York

Sir:

If the goddamn government can bust the goddamn trusts and lower the goddamn
price of goddam oil, then why can't the goddamn government do goddamn
something about the high goddamn price of goddamn opera tickets?

Most cordially yours,
John D. Rockefeller

---
John, I sent the above letter over your name because I figured you would
have more influence.

Yours,
Mark Twain

"Daniel Prince" wrote in message
How is what you're saying any different from Walter? As he stated,
the price is determined by supply and demand. If the supply increases
in your example without any more demand, the price will go down, as
you noted. None of that has anything to do with the cost to make the
product.

But the cost to make something has EVERYTHING to do with how much an
item has to sell for the producers to make a profit.


It has everything to do with the minimum the product must sell for, but has
little to do with the maximum. If my costs are $1.00 per item, I can make a
tiny profit selling it for $1.01, but to assure I'm still in business ten
years from now and can stand the normal cycles of ups and down, I'd have to
sell it for $1.30 or maybe $1.60. But since people are willing to pay $3,
I'd sell it for that much.

I don't know why people get upset if a company makes a good profit. IMO,
they have a moral obligation to make enough to pay its debts, pay its
suppliers, and pay its employees a fair wage.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

"Daniel Prince" wrote in message
How is what you're saying any different from Walter? As he stated,
the price is determined by supply and demand. If the supply increases
in your example without any more demand, the price will go down, as
you noted. None of that has anything to do with the cost to make the
product.

But the cost to make something has EVERYTHING to do with how much an
item has to sell for the producers to make a profit.


It has everything to do with the minimum the product must sell for, but
has little to do with the maximum. If my costs are $1.00 per item, I can
make a tiny profit selling it for $1.01, but to assure I'm still in
business ten years from now and can stand the normal cycles of ups and
down, I'd have to sell it for $1.30 or maybe $1.60. But since people are
willing to pay $3, I'd sell it for that much.

I don't know why people get upset if a company makes a good profit. IMO,
they have a moral obligation to make enough to pay its debts, pay its
suppliers, and pay its employees a fair wage.



Oh, and heaven forbid if your price goes up a little each year. Now, you're
in bed with the devil. But, the people who curse you expect cost of living
increases in their paychecks. :-)

"Daniel Prince" wrote in message

If you could make it for $1.00 and sell it for $3.00, someone else
would start making it and selling it for $2.95.

Yes, that happens every day. It is called "Competition" and is good for
business. If forces the first company to find a way to make it for 80¢ and
sell it for $2.75.

I remember buying a computer and paying $335 to upgrade from the standard
14" monitor to a 17". Now you can buy a complete computer that is 20X
faster for close to that money and get a flat screen LCD monitor with it.