It does seem a bit odd that the kites markup post got shutdown due to "business bashing", even though it was fairly generalised discussion about cost structures, and yet it was acceptable to bash Buzz kites for about 30,000+ (I lost count) posts?
Yes I do agree with above. I thought it was made quite clear that Kite retail businesses do it tough like any retailer.
Most discussion was most definitely pro Kite stores and in-fact, those what did whine like little uninformed children, were shut down very quickly by more than one person each time.
But then again most people were very polite and gave their opinion in a balanced way...
The wholesale kite price list....nah that was a stretch too far (although the intention was a good one...just to show how little there is in it) and Laurie did the right thing taking that down.
Yes I'm not so sure that was a right move laurie... then again, it seemed to contravene the so called RULES of engagement.
Suppose someone needs to make a call, don't they.
Kites cost what they cost. Its a competitive business like any (infact it seems a highly saturated market with a relatively small consumer market to be frank). Prices will fall to the whatever the overall market decides.
It's not like their is a kiting oligopoly cartel secretly fixing prices somewhere.
Kiting is a passion...pay up or piss off I say. Waters needs less kooks in it anyway.
I think if you paid a lot less for a kite you would also value it a lot less. Could you imagine a bunch of cheap chinese imports flooding the market? In the next Aldi catalogue maybe? There are $100 smartphones and there are $1000 smartphones, wonder which ones will sell more? What price do you put on stoke and safety and the relative limited time you get to spend kiting?
What a bunch of whingers seriously .. If you don't want to pay full price get last year's model for 30-50% off. That's the retailers/distributor's margin all gone so you can be fully smug about your purchase.
I think your biggest problem Plummet is that it's their not there. You also misspelled missus and the brand is GoreTex.
And obliged. Can't let that one go.
Good luck with the reno.
The old school business model & everyone was happy to buy a kite
Give people what they want - Not what they need
Glad I'm not the only one wishing I had more money and more stuff. Probs just stupid keeping up with the Joneses feelings really....
What do you guys reckon is a good amount of household income? $100000? $150000? $200000?
When do people get to a point where they can start living without felling like they gotta be a tightass all the time?
I suppose it comes down to how much of a trap you fall into buying all the sparkly latest gadgets eh?
Yeah, i agree $130k for a family of 4 with a mortgage is probably a fair amount of money to live reasonably.
However, as far as happiness is concerned, that is within the mind and not money related once you get past basic subsistence level of living. Ie once you can cloth, house and feed your family. Any money above the will not improve happiness. Hahaha apart from buying kites of course,,,, a kite is a bag of fabric happiness!.... hahahah
Seriously, though a couple of years back i took a career change that got me into doing what I love. An awesome move that I do not regret. However, it did mean a $30k pay decrease which was painful as f#$k. I had to get really lean on $$ and could not afford as an decadent lifestyle. My kites would need to last a lot longer before I replaced them!
Roll on a couple of years and am i less happy with less money? no! I have more happyness, Life is good.
Interesting discussion. Collectively my wife's and I are on a lot more than you plummet. We very rarely go out for dinner, even more rare do we get breakfast and sip a soy mocha latte at the local cafe. Our holidays are spent at coastal towns and done very cheaply ... we always still cook where we stay. I haven't bought a new kite in three years although I did buy a couple of kites for my son - but it was close to a zero game having sold some stuff. Infact the last thee years has been a zero sum game for all gear. But unless I sell a child the next kites and boards will cost.
My wife and I get hand me down clothes off the brother and sister in law who at are well and truly caught in the consumer lifestyle that has been mentioned here.
We actually give ourselves some cash every fortnight (in cash) and when that runs out that's it. Haven't used the credit, debit card for a year.
We we live in a very humble house built in the 1980s.
We will however spend whatever on specialised clinics for my sons football, kiting and my daughters singing, theatre and long distance ocean swimming. It doesn't matter what it costs if it is good for their development. So yeh that adds up.
And yet and yet .... somehow with kids fees for this and that, licenses, mortagges, utilities, school fees and
associated costs, insurances and what's not that mortgage doesn't move down fast.
I've done the figures over and over again and the money just seems to vanish ... and I'm better than most at figures.
To be honest I really don't know how people on say an average wage get by. I really don't.
I suppose they just need live pay cheque to pay cheque and mounting credit ?