What's Up With That!!!!

[brad03ca]

Why is there such a difference in prices between Canada and USA when the "buck" is only a few pennies apart????

[brad03ca]

Why is there such a difference in prices between Canada and USA when the "buck" is only a few pennies apart????

[Little Kopit]

Because goods are brought across in advance and warehoused.

They were brought into Canada long ago.

Now, my type of dog food in the large bag is probably made in Canada. I've seen that the manufacturer has likely made the change from large bag being 18 kg, to large bag being 16 kg just by what is available in certain stores. Of course, I'm buying ahead and buying the 18 kg because it's less overall. How, long have I been doing this? Over a year.

Granted that makes even more sense with all of the pet food recalls that have been going on, even if most of them are south of the border.

I just give this of an example of warehousing. I raised this issue with my vet just a couple of weeks ago. You're probably right was the answer.

[brad03ca]

Cars, trucks are imported/exported every day. Current money rates should apply. Harry Potter novels go on sale Friday....$15.00 in USA...in Canada..$21.00. current rates should apply. <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> They were brought into Canada long ago. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> These examples don't fall into that explanation. What about gasoline/fuel? These cross the border every day.
Sure beats the heck outta me..

[Little Kopit]

Not all things are imports.

Harry Potter is supplied to Canada by Raincoast books. They were smart enough to pick up the Canadian rights with book 1. Thus, it's the costs of production in Canada in the past two years that apply.

Raincoast is being a lot better than most publishers about filling the entire order grid.

[Erich]

Okay, then why is a product like generators made in Japan so much cheaper in the US than north of the 49th? Even taking into account maybe a slightly different tarrif rate, shipping, price x 2 is just ludicrous. I'm just waiting for the wife to go visit her parents, then the purchase will be made.

[Skip298]

I think the storage answer is one of the reasons..(if merchant bought it for $100 he has to sell it for $100 to breake even, he has to make a profit to stay in business) another is taxes and duties and still another is the fact that the dollar has risen in value to say .98 cents the banks will not give you that rate when you exchange money, they give substantially less and the merchant has to recover that in his prices.. did I mention taxes and duties...they have ways of adding taxes (Luxury,,environmental,,the list goes on and on) that would amaze you.. If you buy in the US they will hit you with the taxes when you come across..

[Little Kopit]

Skip, Me son, ye must do yer research. Either online CA source of rate: http://www.bmonesbittburns.com/economics/fxrates/ or listen to CBC. CA$ is .9384 to US$. Both currencies have been undergoing a long overdue 'correction'.

But the taxes, well the taxes are the reason we 31 million Canucks have as much infrastructure as we do.

[Skip298]

For some reason I just knew that you would have something to say about my post...first of all.. I did not mention a specific dollar comparison amount..(say .98 Cents)because it was a hypothetical comparison and secondly I am not arguing anything about where the money goes or what it does.. I am simply saying there are reasons that the items are more expensive here because of exhorbitent taxation...to finance the Canadian infrastructure and of course the millions of dollars that is pilfered from the system by unscrupulous or incompetent people within the system.(all very public and in all news casts nationally) and finally.......I have better things to do than sit at a computer all day so as be politically correct, do research for anything that is of no use to me at the time or for someone that can easily do it themselves.. I, like many others do not live on the keyboard, we drop in to see whats happening in the world..to read and stay in touch when time permits or when theres nothing better to do.. Its a pastime for that section of us.. not a workethic nor a formal business presentation with proper grammar or punctuation thats made to a board of directors..Its supposed to be word of mouth and normal conversation which isnt governed by monitor...lighten up..

[Little Kopit]

I take great exception to inappropriate value judgments, especially when from the same source have been in great error before.

Anyone who takes the time to post, should also be willing to look at other posts.

Logic is also useful rather than attacks. 31 million vs. 300 million consumer base. You have to pay more per item when you have a smaller market.

& why higher taxes. Fewer people more taxes per service. Same logic.

Or should I say fact. Deny that is to deny reality.

Now, you travel south in the winter. How much time do you spend in the rest of Canada in order to compare what is available in other parts of Canada? Ask yourself that. Do you really know anything other than one part of the province where you live? Spending your consumer $ is your choice, but by going for low all the time you affect what is available to others. Fact.

Higher taxes yes, but not excessive.

????

[Skip298]

Inappropriate values....I certainly hope that refers to my failure to quote the exact dollar value in my post..If not you should be censured for a personal attack..I will assume it is a gramatical error;;

Paras:2-3..no arguments there,

Para 4.. reality...I know reality..I deny it everyday,,I know people that have worked all their lives and they are destitute and living on "welfare" because they cannot get support from the system or the members of the Cdn Military that are paid so little that hey have to go to food banks...yet the same system is generously supporting new comers to the country with little regard to cost ...you cannot appreciate reality when reading about it on the internet or newspaper or on TV..you gotta be there when the reality strikes home..or when its being made..

We have travelled somewhat within Canada..Having had to work at fixed location earn a living and raise 6 kids didnt leave a lot of cash to spend on ourselves meant that we took the best bargains..by that I mean..when we travelled north and found that the prices were such that we really watched our expenditures....and then I learned from a little "slip of the tongue" by a merchant..My prices are higher than down south because...I can only work 6 months of the year due to the weather,so I have to charge more for my products and services...which is basically the same as saying..I can only work 6 months, I will therefore work those 6 months at double time so I can make as much as you do in 12 months..but dont tell the Unemployment people or they will cut me off pogey for the winter...Now Im paying him twice the value for something and also paying a hefty tax to pay him all winter too..or the $35. a night camping fees for a 20 ft site with water and 15 amp service and no sewer, swimming pool or amenties..

Higher taxes yes,, not excessive???I wonder if the rates are the same in Newfoundland as they are here, we have been in the 50% bracket for most of our working lives..supporting myself is hard enough,, why should I support others..Im tired of being the governments withdrawl slip.

My last reality tip for you..If you could see the "real" destination of some of the tax funds that you pay so willingly, I dont think you would be overly pleased..

I also wonder, your posts history indicates that yu live in a RV in a Gravel pit in Nfld....do you pay property taxes or fees to the govt for such useage?? You are employed are you paying all that you should to improve Nfld? and finally, I wonder if snowbirds were to spend our money here in Canada rather than go south, would it make it cheaper to travel here, get more amenities from the CG's etc etc..and therefor allow the freeloaders to come in and benefit at our expense?.

I will repeat my last line in the original post...Lighten up!

[Little Kopit]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I will repeat my last line in the original post...Lighten up! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>









Come back to it tomorrow and ask yourself 'value judgement'. Loaded, just loaded.

Remember the Harperism about 'defeatist attitude'. Think how that has ricocheted for him. Backfire would be another synonym.

[The Big Kid]

as someone that has lived in a large number of the provinces, and spent some time visiting almost all the rest. I do find myself wondering similar things.

Sometimes vendors state that the shipping distance affects the costs, but not true - Keiths beer, brewed only in Nova Scotia(according to the label) is cheaper in PEI. There is a refinery near where I work in Dartmouth, all the tankers load there and move out, gas/diesel is cheaper all over the other provinces(well maybe not NL), but its not cheap here. Answer is - taxes.

Last year I moved from one coast to the other, and after paying bills for a year, I can state - its more expensive to live here. I pay more in income tax, and HST takes a bigger chunk out of my buying power. I have the numbers and a large stack of reciepts to prove it.

The stuff from the US is funny though. I purchase a magazine(my wife calls them pornographic) called Diesel Power. The price went up, a buck in the states, but 2 bucks more here. Price of a subscription is double, but the dollar is near equal.

go figure. There will never be an explanation or understanding of any of it. Businesses charge what they need to(or fold), or can get away with(and everyone gets cranky). There really is no solution.

my 2 cents.

[Skip298]

There is a levy(tax) which is placed on all US books that are imported into Canada..The funds are then pooled and dispersed to "writers/novelists whatever" and it is supposed to benefit Canadian writers..ie; (welfare)It doesnt matter that you cant sell your book because it stinks.. we need novelists..the same goes for Musicians..when you buy any kind of tape,CD or musical recording ,,it even goes so far as to apply a levy on the folks that hold a dance(ie: wedding reception) even though you are only playing CD's..again welfare to support those that may not be good enough to earn their wings so to speak..

And LK.. I spent a career making sure that all the t's were crossed and i's dotted with all the bases covered in order to accomplish the task I had been given..sometimes it worked and sometimes it didnt..in the end, I dont really care much about that system or perfect/perfect now, I just let the fingers do their thing and whatever flows out is what stays.. spelling errors excepted.......