Paul, at 15:12 on May 20 1996, you wrote to Bill Grimsley...

PE> I think you're comparing me to King of the Hagglers (you). 

BG> I actually HATE haggling, 

PE> That's why you haggled with someone when you already had a Courier?
PE> Just to keep your arm in?

No, the guy was a fuckwit, so I decided to give him a hard time.

BG> but am driven by a primal desire to save money.  As you're possibly even 
BG> meaner than I am, I'd have thought you'd have taken to haggling like a fish 
BG> to water.

PE> There are conflicting things here.  I *really* hate haggling, I don't
PE> like interpersonal anything, and yes, I want a good deal.  That's why
PE> I will ring around, but won't go into a shop and haggle with strangers.

The phone works with trade suppliers, but not as well at retail level.  For
example, just yesterday Randall and I needed 3 Epson ColorIIs printers, and
Edge had quoted an initial price of around $345 ex.  Not happy with that,
we tried again, and after a bit of haggling, got them down to $307 ex.  I
then jumped on the phone to Logical Technologies where I have an account,
didn't like the price they quoted, and told them that I could get them
elsewhere for $307, so they offered them to me for $305 ex.  At an RRP of
$699 (although they can be had for around $599 if you shop around a bit),
the saving was real.

PE> No-one else I rang was any cheaper either.

BG> Sorry, it doesn't work like that.  You need to get off your arse and see 
BG> these people in person.  

PE> Spending 2 hours in public transport to visit each shop is money
PE> to me, Bill.  I'd rather spend the 2 hours doing overtime or
PE> something, in a job that I am good at (programming) rather than
PE> one which I am not good at and hate (haggling), to save $50.

Sure, that's how I felt about mowing my fucking ¬ acre lawn.  Why waste two
hours doing that, when I can do a 10 minute head clean on someone's VCR,
and use the $25 to pay some other poor sod to mow the lawn for me?

PE> Especially when you can do pretty well just phoning around, as
PE> my ram prices showed so well.

So what's your best quoted buying price on 8Mb SIMMs?  Mine is $82 ex, and
would likely drop a tad more with a bit of haggling.

BG> Once you wave a fistful of notes in their faces, it's quite amazing what 
BG> they'll do to relieve you of some of it.  Jeeze Paul, if I can haggle a 
BG> Courier down to $600, anybody can.

PE> Bill, you really are the king of computer upgrades.  You actually
PE> make money on all your upgrades, I was shocked when your spouse

Her name is Lyn, BTW.  :)

PE> told me that, and you told me about some of the wheeling and
PE> dealing you were doing.  If you've got the stomach for it, that
PE> is great.

Not any more.  Prices have fallen so quickly that I doubt I can do that any
more, but you're right, most of my upgrades to date have not only cost me
next to nothing, but I've actually come out in front on some of them.

Regards, Bill

--- Msgedsq/2 3.20