Let me try get something into perspective here.... I shall start with the example of a trip to a local hardware CHAIN store some time ago. I purchased a product. I required a copy of a document that was supposed to come with the product, but didn't. The teller called the Manager. The Manager obliged, begrudgingly, and strolled off casually to do same. 10 minutes later I had my copy, and smiling (not) left the CHAIN store. Whilst lounging in my vehicle I noticed that the Manager had allowed some 'thought for the environment', and had copied my requirement onto a piece of recycled paper. The piece of recycled paper in question was in the form of a stock delivery inventory, for paintbrushes, rollers, paint trays etc. The columns reflect box quantities, quantities of items per box. Cost of items per each from wholesaler. Cost of items to retail stock. The last two columns got my attention. Let us take the paint trays first. Cost of item wholesale - R5.80. Cost of item to floor stock - R26.10 Let us take the paintbrushes second. 1 size, cheap ass plastic handle. Cost of item wholesale - R2.50. Cost of item to floor stock - R11.50 Now I am not going to do the math for you. But that is a MASSIVE markup. Even if we factor in transport. Rental. Staff, etc. etc. etc. Now let us bear in mind, that the items in question were IMPORTS. They come from a factory, that in itself probably turns a tidy PROFIT for the owner/s. They are then shipped to and enter the country via an AGENT, who himself is making a tidy PROFIT, before selling them on to the CHAIN store; who incidentally are known to screw their supplier for 'the best (lowest) price', who OBVIOUSLY are themselves making a tidy PROFIT. My estimate of the produced cost, shipped, of that paintbrush would be R0.25 Now apply that to your bicycle parts. If an "online store" such as CRC can sell - shipped, exactly the same item as you can purchase here, but for 50-60% of the price, and make a tidy PROFIT, well....then something is wrong. You can't argue that their overheads are non-existent. They own a massive warehouse, filled with technology and the people to operate it. Can you imagine their shipping invoice every month? Agree? So who are the suckers here then? Do you notice the COMMON TERM? Let me state. Here and now. If I can buy that same brush/crankset for 200% of the RETAIL PRICE, from another source, then I shall be doing it! I do not give a toss who's marketing / sponsorship / My Crib budget takes a walloping. OPEN SOURCE vs CAPITALISM, and may the best man win!
