Blog

Short blog posts, journal entries, and random thoughts. Topics include a mix of personal and the world at large.

Stolen goods

An often forgotten marketplace to save some money is eBay. I recently had to buy some tools, and the same brand-new pieces were cumulatively $50 cheaper on eBay. Not a bad deal for me considering the only con is that I have to wait longer for shipping. Amazon really spoils you in terms of delivery speediness.

I do wonder how it is possible for an eBay seller to undercut the official vendor. Keep in mind: eBay takes a 10% cut the transaction before money hits the seller’s account. Either the margins are that enormous, or the tools must have been acquired via not so honorable means.

Retail theft is indeed a problem. At our local Home Depot, the expensive power tools and hand tools are locked behind security cages. Otherwise that would be an easy payday for some enterprising individuals who are willing to bypass the checkout counters. The best margins are when the cost of goods sold is zero!

I’ll be honest: it’s entirely possible the brand-new tools I bought on eBay were stolen. How can a buyer know for sure? The items were sold by anonymous entity with a username somewhere in the Midwest. Due diligence surely cannot be on the buyer. We’re all just trying to save a few bucks in this economy.

Which eBay is also great if you’re okay with second hand. I bought many a used replacement part for my Golf GTI. It doesn’t make sense to pay four times more for a new tonneau cover at the dealer when a used one from eBay works just fine. It’s going to get scratched up anyways, so who cares of it comes already pre-scratched.

Let the games begin

It is that time of the year again: dodging potholes. The winter rain has once again revealed the absolutely sorry condition of our roads. Craters are everywhere, ready to ruin your day. The problem is that the municipality never goes beyond filling the potholes. The holes get covered only for the next winter rain to wash it all away. Thus the cycle continues.

I remember one year this particularly gnarly pothole ruined the evening of five cars. I drove by to many emergency flashers, the drivers flabbergasted at what to do with a broken rim in this heavy rain. Best strategy would be to carry a AAA membership. You might have to wait a bit for a tow, but at least it’s a problem for someone else to deal with. $99 per year is worth not having to change a wheel in the pouring rain.

Not that you can change a tire in modern cars anyways. A substantial amount are not equipped with a spare tire. My old BMW M2 did not have one. It was outfitted with a can of goo instead. In the event of a tire puncture I would plug the can into the tire valve. The foam then fills the injured tire, keeping air long enough allow the car to get to a service point.

I’ve never had the pleasure, but the goo reads like really messy business. Nothing beats physical replacement tire and wheel. That’s why I am glad my current VW Golf GTI comes with a honest to goodness spare tire. Pro tip: make sure to periodically check the tire pressure on your spare tire. Last thing you want is to have to use it, only to find it severely under-inflated. A life saver turning into salt on the wound.

To the drivers behind me perhaps wondering why I am darting side to side on the road: I’m trying to avoid the potholes! Replacement tires in this economy!?

The long and short of it

Lately I’ve been seeing lots of media about how online gambling is ruining lives. Our smartphones have become slot machines. Such easy access paves the way for some incredible degeneracy. No longer do people have to physically get on plane to Las Vegas.

But is it a problem that needs solving? As with any vice, there’s opportunity for going overboard. The few that would drink themselves into bankruptcy (or death) shouldn’t prevent others from enjoying alcohol responsibly. Prohibition only does to drive the vice underground. Organized crime benefits, while the drunkards remain.

Adults are making adult choices. Therefore they should shoulder the consequences (if any) of those choices completely. Yes, online gambling platforms are exploiting the heck out of our dopamine pathways. That’s not any different than buying Pokemon card packs and praying you get that rare one to sell online for a relatively massive return. I can assure you no one will have sympathy for the guy in the basement going into five-figure debt on what is essentially cardboard.

Besides, don’t we already have an escape valve for folks in heavy debt? The only thing that personal bankruptcy can’t solve is student loans. That’s the downside exposure for these gambling platforms: if enough of their users declare bankruptcy, the shrinkage may become untenable. And maybe, just maybe, stricter limits on bets would materialize.

That’s probably wishful thinking. The United States consumer will keep consuming longer than you can remain solvent.

Catch me if you can

When America violates the sovereignty of another country, that’s perfectly fine! Essentially kidnapping a foreign President in their home soil; why wouldn’t other nations do just that? The People’s Liberation Army special forces should airdrop into Taipei, no problems! When you are famous like the United States, they just let you do it. Grab them by the Maduro.

There’s precedent to this sovereignty violation thing. Many years ago, American Seal Team Six flew into Pakistan in the zero dark of night to kill Osama bin Laden. The international community said nothing about that, because we can all point to Osama as say, “Yup, that’s a bad guy.”

So this isn’t about President Trump - Osama was under President Obama. It’s about America flexing its muscle and daring dissenting nations to do anything about it. Russia invaded Ukraine because it can. The only thing the rest of the world has done is protest loudly at the United Nations. When the deterrent is effectively zero, the bully shall reign until it gets punched in the face.

Nor is this commentary on whether or not Maduro has done terrible things. If the nations of this globe cannot respect each other’s borders and sovereign rights absolutely, then what the heck are we doing? It’s all a shell game because there’s a tacit understanding on who’s got real power (read: nukes) and influence to impose their will internationally. A country’s extradition laws is only as solid as its ability to defend itself against the offending nation.

Though I guess Pakistan’s nukes didn’t deter a DEVGRU team from jumping in unannounced. I guess it would be rather difficult to defend harboring bin Laden of all people.

Can Americans at least get cheaper gasoline prices out of this embarrassment?

The waiting game

Before you buy anything on Amazon, it’s smart to check camelcamelcamel on an item’s historical pricing. Has it been cheaper in recent weeks? Is the discount really a discount, or did the vendor simply raise the price then handed out coupons? If you’re able to wait, it’s good strategy to ensure you’re getting the best price. All the randomized savings here and there can add up bigly.

Amazon, not content to let a third party service get all the ad revenue, have rolled out historical pricing check right in the item description. The “Rufus AI” doesn’t go as far back as camelcamelcamel - the past 90 days versus for as long as an item has been listed, but I reckon three months is sufficient data to see if you’re getting ripped off. Who cares if a thing is $20 cheaper back in 2021. Inflation comes for everything and everyone.

I however am incapable for waiting. The worst part of online shopping is the lag time between ordering and the package arriving at the door. Especially if the item is part of a bigger project I am working on.

I bought a used VW Golf GTI back in October, and I’ve been slowly fixing the flaws left behind by the previous owner. The goal isn’t to make it perfect again - as much as I want to. The goal is to refresh the car to a level where it would be as if I had owned it the entire time. A portion of that is buying new parts to replaced worn out ones. And the worst thing that can happen to me is seeing that an item is backordered.

It seems I don’t get satisfaction until something is done. This in between process stuff is merely an annoyance. Good things come to those who wait? Forget that! I want a project done as quickly as possible so I can move on to other things. In the meantime I’ve got to look at an unfinished - to me - car, and it bugs me every time.

That backordered set of wheels cannot come soon enough.

There's another problem

For the obsessive compulsive, buying a used car has one big advantage: it comes already imperfect! Having purchased three new cars in my life thus far, I can say the agony of that first flaw - usually a curb rash on the wheel - hurts a metric ton. The car is no longer perfect, and it is all my fault.

A used car solves that problem. The previous owner(s) blemished the car already. It’s physical impossible to keep a car perfect, short of trailering it from the factory right into a hermetically sealed, climate controlled garage. Forever.

Sadly, the compulsion to keep something perfect rear its head in another way. A few months ago I bought a used 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI. Ever since delivery, I’ve been fighting a battle to refrain from making it perfect again. Existing curb rashes on the wheels? I should buy a brand new set. The leather steering wheel is excessively worn? A replacement isn’t that much money. What’s another interior trim piece to “fix” the unsightly scratches?

See the problem? Instead of obsessively trying to keep a new car perfect, I am instead obsessively trying to make a used car perfect. Both are bad, I do not recommend. Soon as they figure out a pill for this malady I shall be first in line.

The financially conscious part of me is doing its best to keep the spending in check. The goal is to have a functioning car, properly maintained. Perfection is optional. Replacing wear items like perished rubber window trim is entirely appropriate. Replacing an interior button because the lettering has worn down? I shall not go that far. Not in this economy.

I will be replacing the wheels on the GTI. Because one of them is bent. I’ll allow the extravagance of buying four new wheels, even though I could easily buy just the one to replace the broken rim. We car enthusiasts sure love new car parts, straight from anywhere, not just Japan.

Stop it. Get some help

Headlines are buzzing about the high price of new cars. The average transaction price for new vehicles in America is now over $50,000. The average monthly payment for a new car is nearly $750. As is the wont during these high inflation times (why would Joe Biden do this?), people are grumbling about the ever increasing cost of personal motor transport.

I do not have an ounce of sympathy for this situation. The beauty of the capitalistic system is that it takes two to proverbially tango. Sling all the greed accusations you want against the automakers and dealerships: car buyers still have to sign on the dotted line. The Truth in Lending Act dictates that consumers are given complete information on exactly what sort of loan they are contracting themselves for. No excuses.

The average new car may be selling for over $50,000, but a perfectly fine Toyota Corolla sedan can be had for $22,275 starting. It’s got power everything, and Apple CarPlay. And because it’s a Toyota, it will last forever with minimal maintenance. Now you may say that you need something bigger for your family. That’s a want, not a need. The Corolla is equipped with child seat anchors in the rear. For sure it’s not as convenient as a Toyota Sienna minivan, but do you have $40,120 starting for a Sienna?

New cars aren’t expensive - the cars people want to buy, are. If stretching your wallet for that three-row SUV is going to be financially difficult, then perhaps it’s just not in a cards for you. No one is entitled to a fully-loaded SUV with all the trimmings. Consumers’ unwillingness to purchase within their means isn’t the fault of the banks or the automakers. Let’s not strip agency - and blame - from fully functioning adults.

I will however get on Porsche’s case for raising prices so dramatically over the last year…