ball bearing prices

[[email protected]]

Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.

5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.

Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?

Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This contradicts
other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade readily
available.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[bfd]

[email protected] wrote:
> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
> 5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
> always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
> with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>
> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>
This is too bad as my LBS sells bearings for like $0.05 or $0.10 each.
Now, if you want something special, like Campagnolo bearings, the price
will be closer to what you cite.

If you're a DIY and want to do mail order, then look at
www.thirdhand.com or www.biketoolsetc.com for bearings, great prices!

> Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This contradicts
> other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade readily
> available.
>
That "employee" doesn't know what he is talking about. You may want to
have him read the Bicycle FAQ:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-2.html

 

[JeffWills]

[email protected] wrote:
> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
> 5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
> always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
> with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>
> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>

I'd ask the owner and/or buyer about this. That's way out of line:
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?&d=single&item_id=US-CB14
http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cgi?&d=single&item_id=US-CB532

Jeff

 

[Joe LoBuglio]

[email protected] wrote:
> <snip>
> Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This contradicts
> other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade readily
> available.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark

I has a similar instance at a LBS where they boasted they had grade
300. Possibly good enough, but the grade 25 seemed so affordable I
think most folks would pay the few pennies more just to not have to
worry about what good enough is. Both the price and the grade would
make me want to get them somewhere else.

Joe

 

[[email protected]]

[email protected] wrote:
> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
> 5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
> always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
> with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>
> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>
> Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This contradicts
> other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade readily
> available.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark

Just bought a pack of 25 Grade 25 3/32" ball bearings for $2.99 plus
tax at my local bike shop. Plastic package looked about like what QBP
supplies to every shop.

 

[Bill D]

[email protected] wrote:
..................snip....... In this case they wanted to
> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?

I would hear this message as "We don't want your business" and do my
best to make it so.

.......snip.... The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". ................

The employee is either ignorant or trying to deceive you. I would find
another store.

Bill D

 

[Llatikcuf]

[email protected] wrote:
> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
> 5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
> always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
> with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>
> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>
> Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This contradicts
> other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade readily
> available.

Bike shop in my area wanted $1.50 per spoke for 64 DT DB 14/15 spokes;
$96.00 in spokes? This was after he sold me a starnut and plain black
headset cap for $12.00. He made $12.00 off me, but I have not been back
since....

-nate

 

[Martin Borsje]

[Nom] schreef:
> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
> 5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
> always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
> with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>
> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>
> Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This contradicts
> other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade readily
> available.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark

I'd have his balls for breakfast >:-<<


--
Posted by news://news.nb.nu

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

[email protected] wrote:

> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
> 5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
> always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
> with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>
> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>
> Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This contradicts
> other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade readily
> available.

Go to a bearing supplier. Same goes for bottle cage bolts (also used
for fenders and racks): go to a stainless fastener supplier.

 

[Llatikcuf]

Zog The Undeniable wrote:

> Go to a bearing supplier. Same goes for bottle cage bolts (also used
> for fenders and racks): go to a stainless fastener supplier.

Cage bolts can be found at Home Depot, Lowes, Ace and others. usually
about $1 for four bolts.

-nate

 

[John Forrest Tomlinson]

On 7 Jun 2006 09:49:03 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
>bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
>5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
>always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
>with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
>charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>
>Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
>provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?

The plausible reason is that they want to make money. Assuming you
had the option of not buying them, there's nothing dishonest about
charging a lot for something.

JT

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Remove "remove" to reply
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[[email protected]]

>
> Bike shop in my area wanted $1.50 per spoke for 64 DT DB 14/15 spokes;

a new record??

 

[David L. Johnson]

On Wed, 07 Jun 2006 09:49:03 -0700, mlogan wrote:

> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.

Ceramic? You are being ripped off - or, more likely, they just don't want
to bother with selling bearings. They want you to buy new wheels, not
repair the old ones.

> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>
They don't want to sell them. They'd be willing to re-pack your bearings,
but probably view the sale of bearings as a lost repair ticket.

> Further
information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade".

Grade 200 is garbage. Huffy stuff.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Arguing with an engineer is like mud wrestling with a pig... You
_`\(,_ | soon find out the pig likes it!
(_)/ (_) |

 

[Phil, Squid-in-Training]

Llatikcuf wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
>> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>>
>> 5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
>> always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
>> with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
>> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>>
>> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
>> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>>
>> Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling
>> were grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This
>> contradicts other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade
>> readily available.
>
> Bike shop in my area wanted $1.50 per spoke for 64 DT DB 14/15 spokes;
> $96.00 in spokes?

Wholesale prices are not too far off from online retailers. This price is
pretty much standard for DB spokes.

> This was after he sold me a starnut and plain black
> headset cap for $12.00. He made $12.00 off me, but I have not been
> back since....

Now that's insane. Good thing you haven't gone back.

--
Phil

 

[Llatikcuf]

Llatikcuf wrote:

> > Bike shop in my area wanted $1.50 per spoke for 64 DT DB 14/15 spokes;
> > $96.00 in spokes?

Phil, Squid-in-Training wrote:

> Wholesale prices are not too far off from online retailers. This price is
> pretty much standard for DB spokes.
>

Peter sells them for $0.65 a spoke, REI sells them for $0.75 a spoke.
How is $1.50 standard? It's rape!


> > This was after he sold me a starnut and plain black
> > headset cap for $12.00. He made $12.00 off me, but I have not been
> > back since....
>
> Now that's insane. Good thing you haven't gone back.

Yup.

-nate

 

[Antti Salonen]

Llatikcuf <[email protected]> wrote:

> Peter sells them for $0.65 a spoke, REI sells them for $0.75 a spoke.
> How is $1.50 standard? It's rape!

Indeed. Here I see them being sold online for 0.35 euro and they are
something like 0.50 to 0.60 euro in a typical bike shop. $1.5 is
ridiculous.

-as

 

[Donald Gillies]

[email protected] writes:

>Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
>bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.

>Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
>provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?

Sometimes bike shop employees have no idea what things cost. Like the
time i wanted to buy 12 x M6 aluminum dome nuts, they wanted $0.50
total. I told them that 15c/ea would be a more reasonable price since
these suckers were impossible to find at most national bolt-supply
houses.

 

[Donald Gillies]

[email protected] writes:

>Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
>bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.

>Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
>provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?

For this obscene price, and for the other shop that wanted $1.50 for
one spoke ...

The thing that is killing modern bike shops is the belief that 83.3%
markup is a reasonable margin on all their small parts sales.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

[email protected] wrote:
> Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
> 5/32 seem to cost about $4 for 75 online, and 1/4 cost $4 per 25. I
> always like to support my LBS, but my rule is that they have to come
> with 10-15% or so of internet prices. In this case they wanted to
> charge roughly 1000% more, which is a bit ludicrous.
>
> Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>
> Further information: The employee claimed the balls he was selling were
> grade 200, which he said was "the highest grade". This contradicts
> other sources, which claim that 25 is the highest grade readily
> available.
>
> Thanks,
> Mark

None-ceramic balls aren't that much. Grade 25 balls we sell are $.10
per ball, all sizes.

The larger the number, the worse the grade...another clueless bike shop
employee....

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Donald Gillies wrote:
> [email protected] writes:
>
> >Yesterday, LBS wanted to charge me $1 (US) a piece for 1/4 inch
> >bearings, and $0.50 a piece for 5/32 inch bearings.
>
> >Please help me attribute honest motivations to this shop. Can anyone
> >provide honest and plausible reasons for charging prices like that?
>
> For this obscene price, and for the other shop that wanted $1.50 for
> one spoke ...
>
> The thing that is killing modern bike shops is the belief that 83.3%
> markup is a reasonable margin on all their small parts sales.
>
> - Don Gillies
> San Diego, CA

I think idiots in bike shops that spout the BS marketing line and make
promises they can't keep is killing bike shops. Also poor info,
untrained sellers and mechanics AND 'bike shops' that sell at 20%
margin and try to make that the standard...