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jolooote's avatar
jolooote
Explorer
Jan 20, 2016

Oil prices down.Y is a quart so high?

Hi all. Going to change the oil in my Class'A'. Went to the auto parts store to get the oil. Conventional. A Barrel (55 Gallons)sells for about $32 on the world market. WHY does it STILL cost about $5.00 a QUART???:M
  • brirene wrote:
    . Just said on the news that air travel prices are the lowest of the year.


    Well yeah, it's only Jan 21st
  • jolooote wrote:
    Hi all. Going to change the oil in my Class'A'. Went to the auto parts store to get the oil. Conventional. A Barrel (55 Gallons)sells for about $32 on the world market. WHY does it STILL cost about $5.00 a QUART???:M
    Simple. Because people still buy it at that price.
  • I don't understand why some people stand up for the big business's when we all know they are taken advantage of the public every chance they get an we cannot do much about it.
  • They have trained us well. The insidious onslaught of high prices is fractured and spread all over the entire spectrum of products. It is impossible for you to do much as they are so fractured. To them however, it all comes down on the bottom line in a big fat glob of ill gotten gain. They are not going to give it up once they have it. Their enhanced bottom line probably produced a healthy bonus for them. To take it back is unthinkable. Prices are still creeping up and will until we refuse to buy. Sure they might mount a big sales campaign like the one that did not happen on Black Friday. Some will continue to buy, then look for the tax payers to make it up for them
  • What's the difference between a wholesale price increase and a wholesale price decrease? One is always passed along to the consumer.
  • dapperdan wrote:
    westend wrote:
    jolooote wrote:
    Hi all. Going to change the oil in my Class'A'. Went to the auto parts store to get the oil. Conventional. A Barrel (55 Gallons)sells for about $32 on the world market. WHY does it STILL cost about $5.00 a QUART???:M
    Because it's not the same product, for one. If cotton prices go down do you think a shirt is going to be less?

    We are lucky to see gasoline and other fuel prices falling. It is about inventory being held, there is just so much tank space.


    I get what you're saying westend but what I don't get is here in the Milwaukee area as soon as the raw material (crude) creeps up we see an immediate increase, when the raw material (crude) goes down like it has been the prices aren't keeping in pace with the slide.

    It just seems to go UP faster than it goes DOWN

    But ya know what? Aint nothin we're gonna do about it but take it.

    Dan
    You noticed that too? :B
    There is little impetus for a fuel seller to decrease prices. He has paid for his tank inventory at a certain price and the only reason to lower it is to keep up with the competition. On the other side, if he believes his wholesale price is going to rise, as does his competition, you're darn right the pump price will be going up.

    FWIW, in 1990-91 I delivered a lot of diesel fuel, about 4 million gallons. Our company had an analyst service that monitored NYMEX pricing because pennies meant something. On the day that the US entered into the Gulf War between Kuwait and Iraq, our analyst initially forecast a $.05 increase in the wholesale price because of the Majors' mutual price adjustment. By Noon, the refinery gates were locked (no deliveries) and the next day fuel was $.30 higher/gal. Anyone that thinks oil and fuel is sold as to it's value is not understanding the nature of the beast.
  • This is EXACTLY right! Near my office, there are two self-serve stations directly across from each other. One is selling for $1.79 and the other for $1.95. Every morning when I pass by, both have an ample supply of customers pumping gas.

    If I were a station owner and I could sell for 9% more than the next guy and still attract customers, why wouldn't I???? Lazy, foolish customers are the problem. Seek out the lowest price and the rest will HAVE to follow.

    Stefonius wrote:
    Simple. Because people still buy it at that price.
  • Everyone can explain the market and how it works, but it boils down to the fact that they will charge what they can get away with.

    Several years ago, tire prices almost doubled, especially RV and truck tires. The industry response was......the cost of oil! It was funny, because a $250.00 Goodyear went to almost $350.00 overnight. So......oil was about $75.00 a barrel, so I guess that meant that each tire used a couple of barrels of oil per tire to make.

    Now at $30.00 a barrel, I don't see the tire prices cut in half. No matter what they say or do, oil has always been a tool used to justify prices going in one direction only.....up.
  • jolooote wrote:
    Hi all. Going to change the oil in my Class'A'. Went to the auto parts store to get the oil. Conventional. A Barrel (55 Gallons)sells for about $32 on the world market. WHY does it STILL cost about $5.00 a QUART???:M


    your assuming selling price would be adjusted based on material cost.

    In general, selling prices are set by mfg/seller to maximize gross profit taking into account the expected sales volume as selling prices change. If material prices or other costs go down, unless dropping the selling price would increase volume enough to get greater profit, mfg will not adjust the selling price. Basic Business 101.
  • It's amazing how naive most of you are... And how little you actually know about how things work.

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