List things that seem inexplicably expensive

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and maybe ILXors with a grasp of economics or manufacturing can explain why they are so expensive.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:56 (nineteen years ago)

e.g., razor blades for stupid razors like Sensor Excel, Mach III, etc.

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:56 (nineteen years ago)

companies be wanting profit.

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

Truffles

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

They are hard to find (requires a hyper-sexualized piglet).

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:59 (nineteen years ago)

(The above sentence is 37% true.)

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:59 (nineteen years ago)

ferraro rochet

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

Topic bars (they so small why so dear?)

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

Cornettos

(beginning to see the nut connection)

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:01 (nineteen years ago)

Magnum ice cream
Solero ice cream

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:01 (nineteen years ago)

Pizza

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

Iced moccachino

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

amtrak

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

I second Amtrak, WTF?

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

Hay fever remedies. They're tiny tiny tablets made in obscene quantities, yet even the generic ones are much dearer than, say, aspirin.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

I always wonder how they calculate the price of, say, a Balenciaga handbag or a pair of Gucci loafers. Is it only the name that makes it that much more expensive? I realize they use better leather (or other fabrics) but still...

― nathalie starts to cry each time we meet (stevie nixed), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Music CDs in Britain

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Everything everywhere in the UK (but esp. London).

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:05 (nineteen years ago)

Cell phones. There's only a few bucks worth of plastic and circuitboards in each one and they're practically considered disposable by the service providers (who recently opted to replace my phone entirely rather than solving one little service problem), but when you want a new one OH NO you should expect to pay THROUGH LE NOSE.

I assume the rest of the cost is to cover promotion/marketing, but I don't know nuthin about this business of business.

― Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

-tube tickets
-rent
-taxes
-booze

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

Blade Runner on dvd

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

Beer, made from the most inexpensive ingredients found on earth.

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

-west end cinema tickets (i mean, why bother? you buy the film outright for the same price within a few months)

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

Houses, someone's having a laugh.

― not-goodwin (not-goodwin), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

My incredibly wealthy flatmate just spent $570 on an LV bag that is essentially a purse with a zip and the LV logo printed across it.

Ridiculous. But she seemed so happy I didn't have the heart to make a snarky comment.

Anyway, the question is not why are things expensive but why would anyone would buy them?!!!

― Roz (Roz), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:08 (nineteen years ago)

also, I just paid 4 dollars for a loaf of "artisan" bread. i r sucker.

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

We need more explanation on this thread. I was thinking about the razors for Mach III etc. this morning and figured it must be because the companies can basically monopolize the production of the specially designed razor blade cartridges for their own razors, but why can't CVS or whoever create a cheaper generic blade that fits on the Mach III handle? Does Gilette own the design patent to such a degree that no one can produce a cheaper generic?

― n/a (Nick A.), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

Amusement Parks (Kings Island is like $35 to get in for one day now)

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh/yourturn/images/ytf34.jpg

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

vet bills
dentist bills

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

Cat Litter

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

Cigarettes (I speak as a non-smoker)

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

NYC

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

Fresh vegetables. At Sainsburys. Or at least, the ones that are chopped and washed and stuck in little packages. Why do they cost so much more than the ordinary ones? Sure, labour. But it can't cost THAT MUCH to pay someone to wash and chop and stick broccoli in little bags.

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

they don't wash them, I think

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:15 (nineteen years ago)

vet bills

fucking tell me about it!

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:15 (nineteen years ago)

Organic food (my original, flawed reasoning being that if it's truly organic it should be cheaper as there shouldn't be as much involved in the process (no pesticides etc.)

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:16 (nineteen years ago)

Doritos.

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

Nathalie, I used to wonder the same but I find that as long as you keep a lookout on the finishing details and are moderately selective, you can often see what your $$ is buying you. Obv not true of every designer/house but I have gotten really good results from some of my "luxury" items, like shoes that never need breaking in and don't rub or scratch or pinch anywhere at all (even though they're heels!) and feel like butter inside & out, or clothes with finishing details inside known only to wearer (like colored piping or secret pockets). Learning to sew also really made me sit up and notice stuff like this.

Please note that I am a sample sale junkie & haunt places like Century 21 & TJ Maxx -- even with the points above I can't justify paying FULL price for stuff.

― Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah, new editions of uni textbooks. Daylight robbery especially if they're only useful for about one semester.

― Roz (Roz), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

Well, if they don't wash them, it's violation of truth in advertising or whatever, because it certainly says on the little bags "washed and ready to eat".

― Win A Lie-Down, Mrs. Davies (kate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

toilet paper...you wipe your ass with it for crying out loud.

― Lupton Pitman (Chris V), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

washed = water has passed over them, perhaps.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

software

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

graphics cards.

― g-kit (g-kit), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

Breakfast cereal.

― laurence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

I thought they rinsed them with lots of chemicals

I don't eat "ready to eat" things, if I can help it

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

Parking lots. The lot near this one venue in Chicago was asking $25!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

software

professional software hell yes. everything else, nay.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

Cherries. The price of cherries compared to rasberries, bluberries etc is mad.

Neither do I RJG. I find them a little creepy.

― Anna (Anna), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 171 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

http://www.vinylexchange.co.uk/ProductDetails.asp?ArtistID=&GenreID=430&IID=416822

― piscesboy, Monday, 5 September 2005 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

Guitar cables! Like, WTF? 10 feet of wire, wrapped in plastic and with a pin at each end. £10!!! Why oh why? If I knew how to make mine own, I would!

kate they're really easy to make!

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

(from parts - from raw material it'd be difficult)

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

Old Superman and Batman collections on Amazon.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:38 (nineteen years ago)

(from parts - from raw material it'd be difficult)

Smelt your own copper!

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

This is going to be like experimental archeology, isn't it? "here A Celt smelts her own copper... is it for a ceremonial headdress? for a ploughshare? No! It's for guitar cables!!!"

― Luminiferous Aether (kate), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:45 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

greetings cards

― koogs, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:07 (seventeen years ago)

bulldog clips. for seriouslies.

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:10 (seventeen years ago)

Envelopes

― Mark C, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:12 (seventeen years ago)

Diamonds, gold, gemstones in general. Hmm, there's a bit of rock.

― moley, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:13 (seventeen years ago)

band t-shirts

― Just got offed, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:13 (seventeen years ago)

banned t shirts.

― darraghmac, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:18 (seventeen years ago)

did anyone ever answer about the mach 3's? it's because they are BLOODY GOOD.

― darraghmac, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:25 (seventeen years ago)

I use an old fashioned safety razor. Blades are cheap.

― Jeff, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:31 (seventeen years ago)

skin grafts aren't.

― darraghmac, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:33 (seventeen years ago)

girls

― max r, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 11:37 (seventeen years ago)

Crazy psychopath exes
http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2006/10/23/mills_mccartney_narrowweb__300x372,0.jpg

― DavidM, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:08 (seventeen years ago)

Watch batteries - when the battery in your watch runs down it's cheaper to buy the same watch again rather than just replace the battery.

― snoball, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:15 (seventeen years ago)

Getting a key cut. Usually at the same type of establishment or market stall you'd get your replacement watch batteries from.

― aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:33 (seventeen years ago)

Also, why do places that cut keys almost always fix shoes? What's the common link?

― aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:33 (seventeen years ago)

Eh? Getting a key cut is cheap isn't it?

― Tom D., Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:33 (seventeen years ago)

Last time it cost me about £6. Seems steep for a small hunk of metal.

― aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:54 (seventeen years ago)

dry-cleaning is pretty expensive.

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:55 (seventeen years ago)

High class escorts. £2,500 for a weekend? Ridiculous.

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:55 (seventeen years ago)

Last time it cost me about £6. Seems steep for a small hunk of metal.

You're going to the wrong places then, I think it cost me about £1.50 last time I got a key cut - about a month ago

― Tom D., Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:56 (seventeen years ago)

fillets of chicken

i might have already nominated this

that's just how strongly i feel about it

― Ste, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:57 (seventeen years ago)

What makes them high class other than the price?

xpost to Dom

― onimo, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:59 (seventeen years ago)

They listen to indie music. That's about it.

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:01 (seventeen years ago)

Oh, they're trained in burlesque dancing rather than poll dancing, that's easily worth another 2k

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:01 (seventeen years ago)

xxxxpost-Seems so. Serves me right for going to the tradesman in Sainsburys.

― aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:01 (seventeen years ago)

There's a new music sweeping the world and it's called indie!

Emily is a whore then?

― onimo, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:07 (seventeen years ago)

poll dancing = team cameron circa right now

― Just got offed, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:07 (seventeen years ago)

Cameron stuffing fivers in George Osborne's g-string as we speak

― Tom D., Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:08 (seventeen years ago)

Series on DVD.

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:09 (seventeen years ago)

tbh, Emily BB strikes me as a kind of de rigeur nu-escort.

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:09 (seventeen years ago)

They're all at it these days, missus

― Tom D., Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:10 (seventeen years ago)

Waify, blonde, posh, money obsessed. I think escorts are inherently bad people.

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:10 (seventeen years ago)

Waify, blonde, posh, ~~money~~ indie obsessed

― Tom D., Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago)

gotta make a p, innit.

― max r, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago)

Pie?

― Dom Passantino, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:12 (seventeen years ago)

p = pound = £

― max r, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:13 (seventeen years ago)

Waify, blonde, posh, money obsessed. I think escorts are inherently bad people.

the more i think about it, the less surprised i am that some of my fellow-students have been selling their bodies for cash

― Just got offed, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:18 (seventeen years ago)

breast augmentation

― max r, Tuesday, 16 October 2007 13:25 (seventeen years ago)

three years pass...

Cans of compressed air.

I understand that it's not just air, it's something that becomes liquid under pressure, usually tetrafluoroethane, and can freeze your skin, permanently damage your lungs if inhaled directly, or permanently blind you if sprayed in your eyes. That still doesn't explain why it's like ten bucks a can.

― DSMOS has arrived (kenan), Thursday, 14 April 2011 11:55 (fourteen years ago)

this car

― mari$$a marchant (Pillbox), Thursday, 14 April 2011 11:58 (fourteen years ago)

*cough* Dubai *cough*

― did you notice "you spin me round" was playing in the background? (snoball), Thursday, 14 April 2011 12:02 (fourteen years ago)

xxpost - presumably the number of blindings/disablings would increase if a lower price made the stuff more accessible to more people

― I was bored/trolling one day (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, 14 April 2011 14:22 (fourteen years ago)

four years pass...

Greeting cards.

― Immediate Follower (NA), Monday, 4 May 2015 20:59 (ten years ago)

bed sheets

― marcos, Monday, 4 May 2015 21:00 (ten years ago)

radar detectors

― Sufjan Grafton, Monday, 4 May 2015 22:14 (ten years ago)

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