Not really cool, and certainly damp.\u00a0\u00a0 Then not really hot, and still damp, although actual cool is supposed to be coming.\u00a0 Just not today, or yesterday.\u00a0\u00a0 It was 93F in the sun at my house in the afternoon, according to my unfortunately placed weather station.\u00a0\u00a0 Radio said 80F at 5pm, so I’ll take that as more accurate, but still, 80F!<\/p>\n
Oh well.\u00a0 Mostly caught up on auction stuff.\u00a0\u00a0 Fewer bargains as more people find the auctions and bid.\u00a0\u00a0 Fewer bargains at the thrift stores too.\u00a0\u00a0 The stores have raised prices (as they do periodically, when they get jealous of resellers), and they are FULL of resellers looking for a “come up”.\u00a0 They are having the same staffing issues as the rest of the working world, and so shelves are a bit bare and the stores are disheveled.\u00a0\u00a0 Signs of the times.\u00a0 Eventually the flow of free stuff to the thrifts will reduce or cut off, and there will be a shakeout in that industry too.\u00a0\u00a0 The ‘returns’ reselling space is getting very crowded with some of my long established auctioneers dipping their toes in this month.\u00a0\u00a0 The ‘little\u00a0 guys’ might have a chance if their overhead is low, but the big guys have the capital and the staff, and can gobble up bigger lots.<\/p>\n
As a nation, we can’t just open boxes from China, we can’t have an economy based on giving each other massages and haircuts, and we can’t just keep reselling the same cr@p to each other, ’round and ’round.\u00a0\u00a0 We have to make stuff, adding value to it as we do.\u00a0\u00a0 When I see all the stuff we used to make domestically in these estate auctions, it depresses me no end.\u00a0\u00a0 Clocks- we had dozens of manufacturers.\u00a0 Ditto for radios, tools, household goods, textiles, white goods, appliances.\u00a0 You could build your house, furnish it, park your car in it, and EVERY SINGLE THING would have been made by your neighbors and your countrymen.<\/p>\n
It wasn’t just us.\u00a0 Even Canada had a domestic industry for housewares, and even TVs.\u00a0 Now we have chinese drywall, brazilian lumber, iron work imported from INDIA, clothing from vietnam, electronics from china and singapore, gasoline from Norway, and food from Chile.\u00a0\u00a0 We enrich the middle men, support virtual and ACTUAL slavery, while impoverishing our neighbors.\u00a0\u00a0 What can’t go on won’t.<\/p>\n
Big changes coming.\u00a0 Lots of people will be grist for the mill of change.<\/p>\n
Try not to be one of them.\u00a0\u00a0 Live through to the other side.<\/p>\n
Stack some stuff, then stack some more somewhere else.<\/p>\n
nick<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Not really cool, and certainly damp.\u00a0\u00a0 Then not really hot, and still damp, although actual cool is supposed to be coming.\u00a0 Just not today, or yesterday.\u00a0\u00a0 It was 93F in the sun at my house in the afternoon, according to my unfortunately placed weather station.\u00a0\u00a0 Radio said 80F at 5pm, so I’ll take that as more accurate, but still, 80F!<\/p>\n
Oh well.\u00a0 Mostly caught up on auction stuff.\u00a0\u00a0 Fewer bargains as more people find the auctions and bid.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n