On 9/19/2017 8:02 AM, Joerg wrote:
On 2017-09-19 07:06, wrote:
I'm pretty sensitive to component prices since I have to build
everything up from scratch.

One thing that has become clear lately is that buying from an on-line
store directly is becoming cheaper than buying from Ebay or Amazon.


Not always. Often the shipping costs are high unless you exceed a fairly
high Dollar amount. One bike shop had that limit at $150 so I bought the
tube via EBay. Same price but free shipping.

Then there are the auctions. I got a pair of Mr.Tuffy road bike tire
liners for $1.25 plus $3.99 shipping. That's imposible at an online store.

Or the brake pads from China, $2/pair and free ship. As I have always
said the postage fees are grossly lopsided between Asia and the US and
that is one of the core reasosn for our trade deficit. Except that most
politicians (except manybe one ...) do not understand that.

For some reason, often an online store will have higher prices, for both
the product and for shipping, when you go direct to the store than when
you buy via their eBay or Amazon store. They are selling to two
different market segments.

When I bought yard signs last year for my campaign, the price on eBay,
for the same signs from the same company, was far less, even though they
had to pay the eBay commissions.

I bought some stuff from Online Metals, and it was less to go through
Amazon than to buy direct. When I asked them about this the reply was
"you should buy through Amazon."

For bicycle stuff it varies. I bought some dynamo wheels and the eBay
price was less than the price direct from the same shop.

For both brick and mortar, and online, prices are set to reflect the
market. I recall when a former employee of mine told me about going to
buy a new computer keyboard in Berkeley. The store owner showed her a
used keyboard for $30. When she replied "I can buy a new keyboard at
Fry's for $8, he replied, "yes, but most people in Berkeley don't know
that."