The incredible insight in the post below made it so that I could not sleep last night. My mind was just racing. My only problem now is finding the proper sites to post my messages to or the proper people to e-mail, and I am sure that everything will change for the better. Let me explain.

I have been wanting a new Corvette for the last 2 years. The only problem beyond picking the color LOL, is that GM seems to want between 45 - 60K for them. Don't those dumb asses realize that if they would only lower the price to 30K they would sell a whole lot more of them? This would allow them to spread their fixed fixed costs over more units, and they would be able to lower their price yet again to 26K. They would be moving so many Corvettes that the bottom line profit would be unbelievable!!!!!! I know I will just send this incredible insight to the VP of North American marketing for Chevrolet and let him/her take the credit for this awesome idea. I am sure this will lead to an incredible bonus for him/her and a meteoric rise to his/her career. For me all I want is my Corvette, that will be thanks enough.

Second I have been noticing something strange relating to housing prices in the Twin Cities. Hmmmmm they have been going up. I will simply address this new strategy to the Minnesota Realtors Assn. since no one needs to take credit for this fabulous idea. I have wanted to buy a home in Dellwood for the last 8 years. Every time a suitable one comes on the market it is priced between 900K - 1.6MM. Don't the realtors get it??? They would sell more homes and I am sure their total sales would increase if they would simply lower the price. Since they are paid on commission more total sales dollars means they will make more money too. I bet I will probably be able to pick up that next house for a mere 430K and the seller will not be hurt because the next house they buy will be soooo much less too. Everyone wins again!!!!! The only problem will be that everyone will lose a tax deduction because they will have less mortgage interest to write off. Ooohhhhhh well, a small price to pay for that 9000 square foot house at only 430K.

It is all so clear to me now. Thanks to this forum the truth is finally revealed!!!!! I am forever grateful to you all.

OK go ahead guys and light me up, I don't care. You may not consider the analogy relevant but I guess I do. People have said that this topic gets discussed regularly and yes it does. We let the marketplace know what we think with our actions. We evaluate the relative value and make our buying decision, then we move on. When we buy a new Buick do we write the local Chevy dealership and tell them, complaining that the price of the Corvette is too high, I don't that would do much good. By the way yes I know they are both GM but you get the point.

My ending point. If you see a new unproven, unreviewed dream "car", go ahead and take your test drive which equals looking at the car's site, then go ahead and move on and buy your Buick and be happy with your decision. Stop whining about the price of the Corvette that you cannot afford and the perceived value that you were not willing to pay. Heck if you see a proven top shelf dream "car", go ahead and take your test drive equaling looking at the site and reading other drivers reviews. But if you cannot part with the money to put her in your own garage, again please do not whine. It is really not that much fun reading that dribble.

If you want to offer Buick prices to the Corvette dealer, go ahead no one is stopping you. If you are successful let me know as I will take you along to negotiate my next car purchase, my Corvette, and my next home too I would be happy to compensate you the $$$/ hour for these excellent negotiation skills.

By the way I run my own business too, and some clients I look forward to seeing, others are tolerated, then there are some that I refuse to see because it is just not worth it in the long run. The old 80/20 rule. Some clients do try to negotiate my fees which I know are more than reasonable, guess which class they fall into??? They better be damn charming, drop dead gorgeous, or funny as hell if they hope to fall in the first category. Do you think this might be similar for the ladies???


Have a nice day.

my point is; everyone wants top dollar (a few may be worth it, but not most) but no one wants to guarantee any level of customer satisfaction. Also, who has never paid up front, or gotten a refund after things did not go as planned?

Not to start anything but, what I am saying in GM speak is this- a cavalier and an escalade are not the same monthly lease. And you get a warranty and take it back to the dealer if it does not perform, or isn't quite what you saw in the glossy brochure.

I can get that Corvette(that probably isn't street legal here) for the price of a Buick.  I just have to go to Montreal to get it.

I agree with most of what you said.  If the sps can get away with charging what they do, then so be it.

Bubbaloo;  I agree, the real theme of the original post has been overlooked.  No flame intended Leaky (and I mean that), but to follow your analogy...  It's great that there are million dollar homes available, but at some point every builder, feeling like they work just as hard as the high end guys do, feel they're being emotionally cheated if they don't get a million dollars for their 2,000 SF bungalow in Robbinsdale.  

The point of the original post was "you can't tell me that EVERY builder honestly thinks their homes are worth a million bucks, or that EVERY car builder thinks their car is a Corvette."  To follow along with what trooper said before...  There's artificial inflation going on, and every provider really worth 150 has realized that as long as EVERYONE jumps on the 300 bandwagon, the market forces that distribute pricing across the spectrum can be essentially defeated.

I'm not saying a provider shouldn't be free to charge whatever.  Trust me, I'm a pretty serious libertarian.  I'm not saying we should put together a commission to regulate pricing.  But I have to agree that the idea that 100% of all providers think they're in the top 10% just gets old after a while.

Again, no flame/judgement/condemnation intended to anyone, just my own observations.

Exactly.  All makes and models have decided they are equivalent to Corvettes, despite all evidence to the contrary, and have adjusted their sticker prices accordingly.

Obviously, if the Corvettes cost the same as any other make, you may as well buy the real thing.  Because actual Corvettes are in limited production, they are on backorder, other models are hurting for sales, and a lot of people have decided to just walk (either out of either necessity or in protest) or buy a car from another state.

The other cars feel it would be beneath them to lower their prices, however, so they just hang out on the lot hoping to be mistaken for a Corvette, or find someone desperate enough for a ride to pay Corvette prices for a Yugo.

-- Modified on 10/9/2003 8:37:32 PM

here's my take:
sometimes you pay extra because of a long proven legacy of quality (the connoisseur sic)
sometimes for rarity (the collector)
sometimes for simply sunning in the status (the rap star approach)
sometimes because you think expense=quality (the fool)

In my opinion, the rips will be outed in time, but a few customers will get taken.  Quality, class, value will thrive and get the price they deserve as long as there is not some unfair market force trying to crush them (aka GM crushing International Harvester or Miami Companions hurting indies).

If you look just a little before my initial poas you will see morgan introducing a new girl to the site and if you click on the link her price is $$$. Someone I assume is un proven and to be fare un tarnished to appearntly all on this site but Morgan. I dont think it's right. People like Cathrine,have earned the right to charge the rates and I think us guys should just keep this in mind when seeing someone. A provider who every one knows are the best in are town should not raise the price for the medieyoker (i have know idea how to spell that). They deserve to have the $$$ be more than a un rated or lower rated. If the ford wanted the same 40k for a focus they charge for a t bird well I dont have to tell anyone they should not sell 1 and shame on anyone who dose buy 1. And I know my wrighting skills anent the greatest but I did get A's in freshman comp when it mattered!

Guys, those of us who avail themselves to services such as TER and Bigdoggie have an opportunity to make informed decisions on how to spend their money. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of guys that either don't know about these services or don't bother to do their homework. The result is that ladies that offer inferior service for the $ still get enough business to maintain the price. Almost all of them realize this is true, but they don't care, they are a part of the 30% of the ladies that just should not be in the business. We have a group of ladies (10-12) that are reliable and deliver as advertised. Their charges are generally $$$ - $$$+ that is the market, don't blame them, blame the market.  The ones we need to tell each other about are the ones who charge the top dollars, but don't deliver.

Totally Agree. We need to spread the word.   I also agree with BD, it is ridiculous to see new comers jumping out of the chute with prices that rival more experienced girls.... unless they got their experience somewhere else, I find it silly.  my 2cents