# E-Bay experience



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

I purchase a lot more items on E-Bay then I try selling on there. 

Twice now, I've purchased an item, only to find out that it came from Amazon. Funny thing is, the item arrived in record time......and on a Sunday, or like today, a holiday. Both times, USPS made the delivery.

The latest purchase was made on May 28, and it arrived today, May 30. 

I don't know a whole lot about Amazon and how it functions. But, from what limited experience I do have with them, it's too bad that our government can't function as efficiently and effectively.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Although Amazon functions efficiently and effectively, it has never yet made a profit. I have been informed that it does not yet break even.
Like you, I prefer a government that is well-run, efficient, effective, and self-supporting.
So I am not entirely sure that Amazon is a good model.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Well, compared to what we currently have in regards to our government, almost any model is better than what we have now.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

paratrooper said:


> Well, compared to what we currently have in regards to our government, *almost any model is better than what we have now*. [emphasis added]


Oh. OK. Which version do you prefer: Hillary's or Bernie's? :mrgreen: :smt083


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

paratrooper said:


> I don't know a whole lot about Amazon and how it functions. But, from what limited experience I do have with them, it's too bad that our government can't function as efficiently and effectively.


The simple answer, Amazon functions on super sized *Greed*..............


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Although Amazon functions efficiently and effectively, it has never yet made a profit. I have been informed that it does not yet break even.


How much is Amazon worth as a company?
The Amazon (AMZN) founder has lost $6.3 billion so far this year, second only to Slim's $6.5 billion decline. Bezos has most of his wealth tied up in company stock, which has declined 17.3 percent since Jan. 1, bringing his net worth to $29.7 billion.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Cait43 said:


> ...The Amazon (AMZN) founder has lost $6.3 billion so far this year...bringing his net worth to $29.7 billion.


I feel for the poor guy.
Certainly, I can empathize with him in his plight.

The couple of recent stock-market downturns have cost us about half of our retirement money.
Because of this, we haven't been buying as much from Amazon as we probably should've been.
I guess, therefore, that Bezos's loss is probably all our fault.
Sorry, Jeff!

[/snark]


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Oh. OK. Which version do you prefer: Hillary's or Bernie's? :mrgreen: :smt083


Truth be told, I'm not very impressed by any that we have to choose from. :watching:


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

paratrooper said:


> Truth be told, I'm not very impressed by any that we have to choose from. :watching:


You're still assuming you have a choice.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

BackyardCowboy said:


> You're still assuming you have a choice.


I more-or-less assume everything, that is, until someone tells me I can't. :watching:

I have this odd gut-feeling that if elected to office, Trump will end up back-firing in our faces.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

paratrooper said:


> ...I have this odd gut-feeling that if elected to office, *Trump will end up back-firing in our faces.* [emphasis added]


I can only respond with a throwback to my grammar-school days: ...No kidding? And what was your first clue, Sherlock?


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

I have bought and sold on ebay since like 1998. Only had a problem once or twice.


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## rustygun (Apr 8, 2013)

I am a big fan of Amazon. Usually find good prices on stuff. Wife has a regular account there and I know the password so it gets charged to her credit card. She is really enjoying her magpul MS-1 sling and stream lite TLR-1 . HE HE. 

I know people who buy everything through Amazon. I mean cat litter, toilet paper, anything you can think of and as a amazon prime member standard shipping is free. It comes right to your doorstep.


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Oh. OK. Which version do you prefer: Hillary's or Bernie's? :mrgreen: :smt083


Matter of fact I like the configuration known as Bernie's Resisted. It requires Bernie as POTUS and a Congress with small Republican majorities in both houses, and an active Progressive caucus. Well it also requires a Congress not full of flounders (the fish). Hell, I may as well wish for the return of 25¢ banana-splits.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

So it,pretty much sounds like everybody thinks we are toast with either option? What is the alternative then?


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I can only respond with a throwback to my grammar-school days: ...No kidding? And what was your first clue, Sherlock?


Just a WAG I suppose. :smt102

That, and the fact, I'm suspicious of anyone wanting to get involved in politics.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

paratrooper said:


> Just a WAG I suppose. :smt102
> 
> That, and the fact, I'm suspicious of anyone wanting to get involved in politics.


so am I. You certainly have to ask "why" when it takes so much money for anyone to be a viable candidate, and certainly the salary for the POTUS is pocket change compared to many corporate CEO/CFO positions. You naturally assume (and correctly so, imo) that there is an ego need there requiring satisfaction, and that certainly makes me question why I would want to vote for anyone who is that unsure of themselves in this life.

I still feel though that even if Trump turns out to be a complete jackass, he's far preferable to Hillary or anyone like her. She is arrogant beyond belief and is convinced that she is better than all of us "regular" people. I just can't stomach her. Every word that comes out of her mouth sounds like fingernails on a blackboard, in my mind.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

RK3369 said:


> ...You certainly have to ask "why" when it takes so much money for anyone to be a viable candidate...


Actually, the payoff can be pretty profitable, particularly considering that, to get elected, you're mostly spending someone-else's money.
And then there's the big payoff in ego-boost, as you point out.
(Pretty obviously, Trump is in it for the ego boost.)

If one runs for national public office and gets elected, and then can manage to get re-elected only once, at retirement time one is then eligible to collect an annual retirement income equal to whatever was the pay for the highest national public office held.
And then, of course, there are the speaker's fees, as well as the opportunity to pull down the big bucks for influencing your former colleagues to vote in specific ways (that is, "lobbying").

I note that I am presently represented by one federal Senator and one federal Representative who are in it mostly because they want to exercise control over other people and events (that is, the "ego boost" thing), and one federal Senator who very obviously is in it for the money (since she is a decided do-nothing).
Our state Senator is an even mix of control and public service, which is acceptable; one state Representative is in it mostly for power and control; and we have one state Representative who truly represents his constituents, and has no further ambition than to do his job equitably and well.
In today's government, I think that one really good one, and one who is so-so, out of the six really isn't too bad.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I note that I am presently represented by one federal Senator and one federal Representative who are in it mostly because they want to exercise control over other people and events (that is, the "ego boost" thing), and one federal Senator who very obviously is in it for the money (since she is a decided do-nothing).
> Our state Senator is an even mix of control and public service, which is acceptable; one state Representative is in it mostly for power and control; and we have one state Representative who truly represents his constituents, and has no further ambition than to do his job equitably and well.
> In today's government, I think that one really good one, and one who is so-so, out of the six really isn't too bad.


Steve, I completely agree with you, but isn't that a sad statement about what we settle for in this country in this day and age? Same kind of statistics for Public Education. In SC, the high school drop out rate is still 50%. For a state with slightly less than 5 million people, you have to ask how many McDonalds are going to be built in the future to give these kids anything to do other than turn to dealing drugs and burgularizing? Yet somehow, we accept the fact that a 50% drop out rate means that our teachers should get smaller class sizes, and annual incentive based bonuses, and we should be building new schools all the time. Why build new schools? We might better make a governmental investment in McDonalds and build state owned and operated franchises so we have someplace for all the drop outs to go to work.
Unfortunately, that is what we get for allowing 2 out of 6 politicians to be "acceptable" at doing what we elected them to do, while the other 4 build their retirement nest eggs.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

paratrooper said:


> I more-or-less assume everything, that is, until someone tells me I can't. :watching:
> 
> I have this odd gut-feeling that if elected to office, Trump will end up back-firing in our faces.


Do you really think you have a face left to be blown out,,:smt033Obama blew that away, lol, one good thing about "Trump denial",,,,there is a cure . Hang on help is on it's way .


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

paratrooper said:


> I purchase a lot more items on E-Bay then I try selling on there.
> 
> Twice now, I've purchased an item, only to find out that it came from Amazon. Funny thing is, the item arrived in record time......and on a Sunday, or like today, a holiday. Both times, USPS made the delivery.
> 
> ...


i was bored a couple years back and starting selling a few items on eBay, I made about 4K just selling junk, lol. 
It becomes addicting though be careful. My family started hiding things,so I wouldn't eBay them, lol.:smt033


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

pic said:


> i was bored a couple years back and starting selling a few items on eBay, I made about 4K just selling junk, lol.
> It becomes addicting though be careful. My family started hiding things,so I wouldn't eBay them, lol.:smt033


The items I did list on E-Bay, I sold w/o too much hassle. I haven't sold anything for quite a while, but I do recall shipping expenses getting crazy.


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

pic said:


> My family started hiding things,so I wouldn't eBay them, lol.:smt033


You mean like the Kids?


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

I'm just trying to be thankful that I still have six months before I have to choose which poison I want the country to die from. I'm accustomed, after 40 years of voting, to choosing the lesser of two evils, but I never dreamed it would come down to a choice between the Wicked Witch of the East or one of the Katzenjammer Kids.


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## RK3369 (Aug 12, 2013)

Bisley said:


> I'm just trying to be thankful that I still have six months before I have to choose which poison I want the country to die from. I'm accustomed, after 40 years of voting, to choosing the lesser of two evils, but I never dreamed it would come down to a choice between the Wicked Witch of the East or one of the Katzenjammer Kids.


lol, you're definitely dating yourself if you remember the Katzenjammer Kids. But, given the choice, I'll vote for Hans or Franz, doesn't matter which kid it is, definitely not for the Hildabeast under any stretch of the imagination.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

BackyardCowboy said:


> You mean like the Kids?


I tried to eBay them.
The description read ; they eat all the time, they get plenty of sleep, their bowel movements are regular.
They will also do chores around the house after the third notice.


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