[geeks] FYI: CompUSA is offering OS X 10.5 for $99 (after rebate)

[Shannon Hendrix]

On Oct 27, 2007, at 6:27 PM, Joshua Boyd wrote:

> So, how in the world can the local computer shop be making 13% or less
> margin on items sold unless they are buying from the most brain  
> dead of
> sources?

Because the available source are almost all braindead and/or overpriced.

I tried to find a distributor myself, and the best I could do was  
roughly 40% more than Newegg, on average.  On some parts items, it  
was much worse.

It wasn't always like that.  Fifteen years ago around here I could  
easily undercut any mail order house (and there used to be quite a  
few better than newegg) by 25 percent.

In fact, I used to belong to a group that maintained a business  
license for the sole purpose of buying computer gear at  
distributors.  We saved a ton of money, and yes, we resold it by  
hawking it at computer meetings, at school, etc.

Maybe I didn't look enough, but I checked with local stores and a lot  
of other people, and never could find a distributor worth doing  
business with.

Three local computer consultants and one store that I know of buy all  
of their equipment at Newegg, using multiple addresses to get around  
ordering restrictions.  That's the only way they can stay alive.



-- 
Shannon Hendrix
shannon at widomaker.com