From: Paintball Plus (pball@csionline.net)
Date: Tue Jan 21 2003 - 20:21:19 PST
Thanks so much Fred. I was trying to think of what to reply, and you
went ahead and saved me a whole lot of time and energy. So very well put.
Bruce
Fred H. Schlesinger wrote:
>GlacierI really think that this entire thread is
>both on and off track at the same time. There is
>no perfect system that will satisfy everybody's
>tastes and competing interests.
>
>Everyone can see what trucks are selling for at GL
>auctions. And anyone can bid on a truck on GL's
>auction site. Much like Ebay, the prices are
>somewhat subjective because the location,
>desirability and condition of the items for sale
>are variable. This is not like the stock market,
>where every share of IBM is worth relatively the
>same on the same day. So there will always be
>price fluctuations, and unless you want GL to
>start establishing FMV reserve prices on these
>trucks, there always will be.
>
>It is GL's job to make the playing field as fair
>as they can. And it is their charge to move a lot
>of trucks. In that regard, they should publish
>whatever information they know about a vehicle,
>and make the process as easy for a one off bidder
>to compete against a volume buyer. They have every
>incentive to do this as this will move the most
>trucks and get the best price, and since GL is a
>joint venture, they will share in the proceeds.
>
>As long as no one has inside information, or is
>making secret profits or kickbacks, or is
>restricting the supply of trucks to drive up
>prices, and no one on this list has alleged this,
>then that is how capitalism legally works, and it
>is the best you can reasonably expect. This
>should be fair to everybody.
>
>Publishing who bought what truck, so that you can
>use that information to negotiate with a dealer
>when trying to buy that truck from him will not
>get the government another dollar. If anything,
>it will reduce the number of bidders as GL
>auctions become less attractive to dealers.
>As a taxpayer, I am not in favor of that, and as a
>potential MV purchaser, all I want is a fair shot
>at the truck I want. If somebody pays more, that
>means they wanted it more.
>
>I doubt if If $10,000 trucks are selling for
>$1000. Sounds like the old story of the Harley in
>a crate that I keep looking for. But sometimes
>somebody gets a great deal in a competitive
>bidding situation. And some of the trucks sold by
>GL look cheap, but you never know until you bring
>that puppy home and try to fire it up. My guess
>is that more people get stuck and overpay. In
>each case, economics teaches us that the market
>will solve the aberation.
>
>If the market perceives that a dealer adds value,
>whether it by getting you a clear title, or towing
>the truck off site, or changing the oil or
>rebuilding the engine, then they will be
>compensated for that perceived value. Joe Young
>constantly emphasizes the value that he (and other
>dealers) ads to his sales and his pitch is very
>persuasive. And there is a great advantage in
>being able to test drive the vehicle before you
>buy it. There will always be those who want to
>buy from a dealer and hopefully get the benefit of
>the dealer's expertise and direction if their
>truck later craps out. And there will always be
>those who want to go it alone, whether because
>they enjoy hitting their head against the wall, or
>think they can get a bargain, or just like the
>challenge.
>
>Many say that they can not afford to continue the
>hobby of collecting Military Vehicles in light of
>rising prices that they perceive that dealers are
>getting. This lack of demand, it it actually
>exists and isn't just griping, will effect resale
>prices.
>
>Please don't bother to cut this up and reply
>sentence by sentence. I didn't do it to you, I'm
>sure that you are smarter than me so you don't
>have to prove it.
>
>Fred
>
>
>
>
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>
>
-- Bruce KalinUSMC MTA MVPA North Jersey MTA South Jersey MVPA
USMC M35A2C W/W M2 50 cal, TVS-2 Night Vision Scope M16 x 2 RT-246, PRC-77, VIC/1 Deep Water Fording Kit
M105A2 w/ rust :-)
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