Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Valuation Incompetence


Nice chair, right?

Well my MIL has a *Buy It Now* price of $10 on it. So far it's survived not one, not two, but THREE successive yard sales.

No takers for a yellow-cushioned, solitary chair, I guess. The market has spoken.

At that point one must figure it's worth south of $10 - perhaps a whopping $3.69 ???

Around here, if you put it - or anything - on the corner, an undocumented migrant worker (or hoarding 'old coot') will relieve you of it within the hour. So why not take advantage of that free junk removal service?

And at the other end of the *valuation incompetence* spectrum you have the spoiled 'young coots' like those kids I mentioned before and....my nieces and nephews.

They *forget* and leave behind laptops, iPods, and cellphones like you wouldn't believe.

For example, a week ago my nephew left his car in the driveway - which will be here indefinitely - with the doors all unlocked, the GPS up on the windshield, AND his iPod visible right there in the front seat.

Of course I could have taken those items out of the car and secured them inside.

BUT I don't believe in *bailouts* or interfering with natural justice!  Perhaps the anonymous migrants who cut the lawn would more highly value his MP3 player?

It's a shame wealth, entitlements, and Big Education have successfully severed the links between generations.

Because the Depression-era 'old coots' could teach the kids a thing or two about the *cyclical* nature of the economy.

And because the 'new coots' could teach the *nappers* and *droolers* about decluttering and the bounty of cheap modern technology.

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