Subject:
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Re: Blue Hopper Car Mania...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 11 Oct 1999 03:48:19 GMT
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Viewed:
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947 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
Hmmm - interesting.
Some good points there about what actually happened
with the blue hoppers. Unfortunately, although you've responded
to points made by several other people, you haven't directly
addressed the reason why I had expressed concern about
the blue hopper buying. My point was that selling stuff is
fine when you're performing some service to the buyer, but
it's wrong to to implement some scheme to make money
when your scheme actually either doesn't benefit or even directly
hurts the people who are supposed to be your customers.
Having said that, you indirectly answer that point to the extent
that you have provided good reasons why in *your* case you
were providing a useful service that was benefiting not only
your customers (your bidders) but other people
too. I'm happy with that and from what you've written I don't
think I would accuse you of doing anything wrong
(but note: that doesn't necessarily apply
to *other* people who've jumped in and bought blue hoppers
specifically with the intention of selling them). I'd say that
people who bought up hoppers AFTER the limited supply from BB was
established, in order to resell them at a profit, are engaged
in a scheme to make money by hurting their customers, and so
are doing something that is wrong.
<snip>
> Now, I'm not sure that I feel any obligation to defend my actions, so
> don't take this as a defense. It's merely an explanation for those that
> might be interested. In fact I don't even have to explain my actions,
> for that matter so consider yourself lucky I decided to.
But in any business it's important that your customers are happy with you-
otherwise they won't be your customers for much longer :) -
and that does sometimes involve explaining your actions to customers
and potential customers who may be unhappy about something you've
done. Since you do want the rest of us to buy some of these blue hoppers
off you, you presumably do have a good reason for explaining what happened
with the hoppers. :)
> There has been a lot bandied about lately that buying a large quantity
> and then reselling is somehow wrong. Why is that, exactly? The argument
> seems to be (and I may be straw dogging if I don't get it right, but I'm
> in an airport between flights so this is a bit rushed) that everyone is
> entitled to a "fair" share, and that arbitrage is wrong.
As I indicated above, that was some people's reasoning, but not mine.
> So I put in for 500, I had no idea how many there were going to be.
> There could have been thousands and I could have been stuck with all of
> them. That's the risk in arbitrage, there may not be any market! Paul
> said there were likely to be less and suggested 200 as what he would
> give me. Paul only actually allocated me 96 once all was said and done.
> And I was A OK with that, he decided to allocate more to other people.
> His goods, his choice (someone else may have said "hey you promised me
> 200 I want my 200" but not me. I was willing to take whatever he'd
> allocate me and I told him that the first time we talked)
Do you believe in sticking to agreements that you make?
If Paul explicitly promised you 200 then you'd have every right to complain
if he didn't deliver on that. If he didn't then you don't have any grounds to
complain once you only got 96.
Incidently, this suggests that part of this whole discussion has already
been anticipated - some of us have been talking about how nice it
would be if BB tried to ration the blue hoppers to some extent - from
what you've said it sounds like BB actually were doing that all the time
anyway.
> I'm gonna try some willpower and have this be my only response. Fat
> chance, but I'm gonna try.
Ha ha! I always think that too,
Simon
http://www.SimonRobinson.com
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Blue Hopper Car Mania...
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| (...) OK, what if I buy up ten of them now at $35 each from Larry or wherever with the intent of holding them for a year and selling them for $60. That's still a useful service. There are a whole slew categories of customers that would be receiving (...) (25 years ago, 11-Oct-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Blue Hopper Car Mania...
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| I figured I'd let this percolate for a while before I responded. First a side point, auctioning IS selling. What else would it be? You all know my stance on it, it's the fairest way to allocate a scarce quantity. And it is a kind of sale. Now, I'm (...) (25 years ago, 11-Oct-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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