Past Opinion Articles

Article for the week of 2/1/07

Let's take an inside peek at the world today…
By, Puns McKenna

Have we, the world as a whole, made advancements? Certainly we have! But what do you think the populace wakes up eager to see? Shh… I'll tell you but you have to lean in real close. What is this marvel you ask?

Buy one, get one free.

I can hear it now. Blasphemy, you say! Well no, not really. I can feel all of the "you're crazy" stares already, and I ain't even done yet. So, buy one, get one free. Why is it so eagerly sought after and watched for? That's pretty easy really. People want to get the most stuff for the cheapest price. But I say caveat emptor. That's right! Let the buyer beware.

Buy one, get one free looks good initially, but take a closer look. About to balk and stop reading? Well, bear with me just a wee bit longer. Now, the next time you're confronted by buy one, get one free just follow a few basic steps. Look at the product. What kind of quality is it? Does it look like it to more than a few cents to make? Does it look to be worth what you'd pay for just one?

If so, you've got nothing to worry about. If not, and this is the case ninety percent of the time, be wary. Often we see something that we really appeals to us; something we really desire, for what looks to be a good price. In the end, it's likely only good on the surface.

So why is buy one get one free so appealing? Hmm. Well, it could be that when a person sees the word free, they think that they're getting something for nothing. But that's a common misnomer. Nothing in this world is free. Why? Because someone had to pay someone else to make it. First you have to purchase the materials, then you pay for the labor. Packaging and marketing are important too. And all of it costs money. Now who do you suppose pays for it?

The stores? Well yes, they do. Stores pay manufacturers a fixed price for a product, then turn around and sell it to the consumer. And do they sell it to the consumer for the same price they paid for it? No! That's a laugh. They sell the product for a higher price, because they want to make a profit on the product as well as recoup their costs. Now you have to ask, why they'd sell a product, buy one get one free. Easy! It's a subtle way to get you to spend more money and fill their coffers with gold. A final word… Caveat Emptor!