Thread: The Shaving Racket -- How Are Gillette and Schick Getting Away with Ripoff Razors?

Nice little write up on the disposable razor market.

Also, I found it on Reddit. I don't know how many of you use that site (I know a few do, as SRD was mentioned more than once) but Its always good to have people voicing how great Straights are.

Originally Posted by markevens

Nice little write up on the disposable razor market.

Also, I found it on Reddit. I don't know how many of you use that site (I know a few do, as SRD was mentioned more than once) but Its always good to have people voicing how great Straights are.

There was a subreddit created not too long ago that I joined:
Straight and double edge community

Don't think the admin is an SRP user, but he's nice and knows his stuff. I refresh it a few times per day to answer questions about straights. Been helping one girl pick out a straight set for her boyfriend as a Christmas gift.

I agree with most of the article, but this line I have a problem with:

accused of marking up prices 4,000-percent more than the cost of production

I don't see anything evil about a 4000% markup. As a company, they can charge retailers/wholesalers/distributors whatever they want for their product. Those people can choose whether or not to buy at that price. They can then turn around and offer it to the consumer at whatever price they see fit. The consumer can choose to buy at that price or not. Razors are a competitive marketplace. No one is being forced to buy the razors that are sold at a huge markup, they are buying them at that price because they choose to.

/rant

Originally Posted by markevens

Nice little write up on the disposable razor market.

Also, I found it on Reddit. I don't know how many of you use that site (I know a few do, as SRD was mentioned more than once) but Its always good to have people voicing how great Straights are.

I get the gist of the article and I know not everyone catches the AD bug, but boy, I spent way less money on shaving when I was using my Fusion.

I still love my straights and wouldn't have it any other way though.

Originally Posted by HNSB

I agree with most of the article, but this line I have a problem with:


I don't see anything evil about a 4000% markup. As a company, they can charge retailers/wholesalers/distributors whatever they want for their product. Those people can choose whether or not to buy at that price. They can then turn around and offer it to the consumer at whatever price they see fit. The consumer can choose to buy at that price or not. Razors are a competitive marketplace. No one is being forced to buy the razors that are sold at a huge markup, they are buying them at that price because they choose to.

/rant

Well they didn't say anything about it being illegal, or even evil. Nobody denies their ability to do it, but it's still evil in my opinion -- which is why I'm here now.

The Geek Squad is just as evil to me for the same reasons.

Originally Posted by commiecat

Well they didn't say anything about it being illegal, or even evil. Nobody denies their ability to do it, but it's still evil in my opinion -- which is why I'm here now.

The Geek Squad is just as evil to me for the same reasons.

I guess I was looking at the phrase "accused of" as implying that it's somehow immoral. In my opinion, if that was the only choice in the market and the price was marked up, it would be wrong. In the case of their being lots of choices in the market, then they can sell their razors for whatever they want to.
Same deal with the Geek Squad. No one is being forced to hire them.

If there were a monopoly or a cartel, it would be a whole different deal to me.

Oh, and for what it's worth: I choose not to buy inferior razors at those prices.