January 18, 2007
Office Despot
.
Something happens to me whenever I go into an office supply store. I get a buzz (and no, not from the Wite-Out) because there's just so much cool STUFF! I can barely contain my excitement as I flit among all the different kinds of paper, card stock and poster board, various shapes and sizes of functional doo-dads to go on the desktop, and big ticket items - furniture, monitors, printers, whiz-bang computers - to cram onto my wish list. And the pens, oh sweet Jesus the pens!
Of course budgetary constraints usually sober me up in short order, and yesterday my inebriation was abruptly squelched by the fact that an ink cartridge, just a black one and the generic brand at that, costs TWENTY-EIGHT DOLLARS. I knew the things weren't cheap because I've bought them before, but for some reason it just hit me there at the register (they have them stocked behind the counter, I suppose because they cost their weight in silver), and with what I consider to have been fairly restrained incredulity I asked the clerk, "For real?" My voice may have cracked just a bit.
So my thought on this is that somehow I must be the genius appointed to invent the refillable ink cartridge. Of course then the forces of cartridgenious no good will dispatch their minions to dispatch me from this plane of existence, and then within a few months some giant conglomerate will invest in a way to make color laser printers as affordable as a DVD player, thus rendering my martyrdom insignificant.
So that's $29.66 out of thirty, here's your change, sir - you have a wonderful evening.
.
Something happens to me whenever I go into an office supply store. I get a buzz (and no, not from the Wite-Out) because there's just so much cool STUFF! I can barely contain my excitement as I flit among all the different kinds of paper, card stock and poster board, various shapes and sizes of functional doo-dads to go on the desktop, and big ticket items - furniture, monitors, printers, whiz-bang computers - to cram onto my wish list. And the pens, oh sweet Jesus the pens!
Of course budgetary constraints usually sober me up in short order, and yesterday my inebriation was abruptly squelched by the fact that an ink cartridge, just a black one and the generic brand at that, costs TWENTY-EIGHT DOLLARS. I knew the things weren't cheap because I've bought them before, but for some reason it just hit me there at the register (they have them stocked behind the counter, I suppose because they cost their weight in silver), and with what I consider to have been fairly restrained incredulity I asked the clerk, "For real?" My voice may have cracked just a bit.
So my thought on this is that somehow I must be the genius appointed to invent the refillable ink cartridge. Of course then the forces of cartridgenious no good will dispatch their minions to dispatch me from this plane of existence, and then within a few months some giant conglomerate will invest in a way to make color laser printers as affordable as a DVD player, thus rendering my martyrdom insignificant.
So that's $29.66 out of thirty, here's your change, sir - you have a wonderful evening.
.
Labels: ink, martyrdom, office supplies
Comments:
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The printer cartridge thing is a personal bugbear of mine. I bought a cheap and cheerful printer for £30, a few months later the ink ran out and I went to buy a colour replacement cartridge which cost £25.
How these prices can be justified is beyond me.
I always overdo the post-it notes. I have a draw full of the things.
How these prices can be justified is beyond me.
I always overdo the post-it notes. I have a draw full of the things.
# posted by 
: January 18, 2007 6:05 PM
: January 18, 2007 6:05 PM
"I must be the genius appointed to invent the refillable ink cartridge."
Don't think so. They've been around for at least 15 years - I was selling them at Sears in 1992.
Sorry, man.
Don't think so. They've been around for at least 15 years - I was selling them at Sears in 1992.
Sorry, man.
# posted by : January 18, 2007 6:07 PM
: January 18, 2007 6:07 PM
It's the old Razor/Blades marketing ploy, only geometrically increased, and there oughta be a law! [starting to foam at mouth] Heck, why don't they provide flexible tubing so we can just pump our blood directly into their stupid printers!
I'd rather pay more for a good printer as long as the ink is reasonably priced.
I'd rather pay more for a good printer as long as the ink is reasonably priced.
why don't they provide flexible tubing so we can just pump our blood directly into their stupid printers
Don't think so. They've been around for at least 15 years - I was selling them to Satan to facilitate those contracts. He sold them on BOTH sides of the aisle, cheeky bastard.
Don't think so. They've been around for at least 15 years - I was selling them to Satan to facilitate those contracts. He sold them on BOTH sides of the aisle, cheeky bastard.
There's a place right down the road from me that refills cartridges for about 1/3 the price of buying new. Thank God, because I have two 6-color Epsons at home. Ack!
Wow, I looked up the refills and they're not bad - about $30 for up to 11 DIY refills (rubber gloves included).
I tried looking for prices on the blood at www.mephistosupply.com, but the site was down. Like, waayy down down...MUWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA ! !
I tried looking for prices on the blood at www.mephistosupply.com, but the site was down. Like, waayy down down...MUWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA ! !
"the forces of cartridgenious no good"
1) Man, I wish I'd thought of that phrase first.
2) Now I know who's been out to get me.
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1) Man, I wish I'd thought of that phrase first.
2) Now I know who's been out to get me.
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