Category: Rants

STUFF

“Stuff,” we collect it and then we discard it. We as consuming Americans are all about our “Stuff.” It seems stuff finds us in all different ways; it is given to us, bought, acquired as well as sometimes stolen. Often our inability as consumers to turn down a deal often leads us to acquire more stuff. I mean really am I the only person on the planet whose bought something they didn’t need because it was “just too good to pass up?” I really believe this is how Amazon Prime came to be. Here this massive online retailer offers the one thing no one wants to turn down because it is “just too good to pass up”, free shipping. Can you believe it? Free Shipping, as if this is something new and unique. I mean its not as if they give it to anyone else. As if somehow I am special,and there is no catch to obtain this minor caveat; oh, that’s right Amazon Prime costs eighty dollars per year!

Recently my wife decided to part ways with some of her Stuff. In the Sixteen wonderful years I have been married my wife has somehow managed to acquire 12 COACH purses, of which she uses only 1 sometimes 2 at a time. Too make a long story short some of these deals had to go; so…when you want to get rid of stuff where do you go? To the Mecca of all unwanted (shit) stuff, eBay.

A week ago in our wanting to get some return on her investment in this stuff my wife and I listed eight of these wonderful Italian marvels on eBay. This is where it gets interesting, we listed all of these purses with pictures and in all fairness, not a lot of detail but what the hell there is a picture “right”, for a starting price of merely $9.99 each with $15.00 dollars S&H. I fully understand people, or shall we say potential customers of being leery of a genuine Italian purse with a starting price of only $10.00 dollars. Let us set that aside, I have a user ratting of 46 which in the world of eBay is the equivalent of a starving artist, but then I never claimed to be Amazon. People, come on… $10.00 dollars, a freaking soda at the local convenience store is $1.59. Coffees at a local chain store is $2 to $5 dollars for cripes sake, and trust me, these places are not going out of business.

Shipping is a whole other monster in its own right. I have received about 30 e-mails on the condition and piss-poor pictures my wife and I took with my 8mp camera on my phone. Now I realize I could have taken a few more pictures and maybe spruced up the auction listing, but eBay charges for all of this window dressing as well as for additional  pictures and let’s not forget they also get a percentage of the auction, which would cut into “Big Daddy’s” (that’s me) profits. What annoys me more than anything is the notion I am charging too much for shipping. USPS charges $11.95 for their Priority Mail flat rate service. Take into account my wife had to run across town and pick up 8 boxes “full disclosure,” she didn’t pay for, bring them home and package all of these “had to have handbags” at just a mere $3.59 per gallon. When the auctions ended, we then took the boxes across town again and mailed them at $3.64 per gallon. When you break down time and money and effort to mail these items I’ do not believe we are charging too much to ship these items. One fellow eBayer an I use this term quit loosely and with no pretense of community, thought the price was paramount to RAPE, to this person I simply say, “GO TO AMAZON AND PAY $390 DOLLARS FOR THE FUCKING PURSE YOU SKIN-FLINT”, After you pay your eighty dollars for Amazon prime.

I mean really $10.00 fucking dollars and you want free shipping. I suppose next you will demand the Chinese charge less for their junk products by using water paints instead of lead paints due to the price of precious metals being too expensive.

In these times where a cup off coffee is $2 to $5 dollars and gas is pushing the $4.00 dollar per gallon mark I find it funny these so-called “Bargain hunters” are crying about a $200 to $300 dollar gently used item listed for a starting price of $25.00 dollars.

The Ice it be coming…

To those of us who love to ice fish this warm weather to put it mildly “SUCKS.”  You have to wonder what we’ve done to have such a bad run of weather this time of year? I know most people like the mild start to winter, but lets not forget there is a whole industry out there relying upon the start of the next Ice Age.

While I enjoy the break with the heating bill and for the most part it’s not a bad thing to not have to dress like an Eskimo, “Enough Already,” lets get on with winter and start making some Ice.

Water is damn hard to stand on when  not “Frozen.”

Backwater of Mississippi
Better Times