[BC] Absurd markups!

[Fee Lee]

WFIFeng at aol.com writes: 

>  
> 
> In a message dated 10/24/2007 9:28:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
> curt at spam-o-matic.net writes: 
> 
>>  How many are willing, even in the wasteful USA, to pay 18x the
>>   value for anything ?
>>   2x probably. 5x questionable, but 9-18x ??
> 
> Well, if you buy USB cables at Retail, you're paying approximately a 4,000% 
> markup! No, that is *not* a typo! 
> 
> Those USB cables that most stores sell for $20? They cost *Fifty Cents*!! 
> 
> I have a friend who works for a small business that makes Ham Radio accessory 
> equipment, and they frequently buy USB cables, wholesale. 50c each. When he 
> told me that, I nearly keeled over! 
> 
> Yes, the ones they get are the same quality as the store-bought $20 ones. 
> 
> "Unbelievable" doesn't even begin to cover it!!  
> 
> Willie...

I just ordered over 150 USB cables 10 feet long from Mouser and I paid $3.18 
apiece for them and they are made by Molex.  If I had to buy them from Best 
Buy or Circuit City, I would probably pay between $30 and $40 apiece for 
them.  Granted it, the price for one cable is around $3.75 and if I had 
ordered 200 or more cables the price would have dropped to around $2.86 
apiece.  Mouser will sell you one or a thousand cables though the partipular 
cable I ordered had only 500 in stock.  BTW the USB cable I ordered had the 
special small USB 2.0 connector on one end that the big box stores probably 
would charge extra for. 

                                             Fee Lee