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7 Bizarre Trends That Predict an Economic Collapse

Started by Lord Cataplanga, December 11, 2011, 04:28:10 PM

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LMNO

Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 05:54:26 PM

They were lying to you. Did you know? That car salesmen will lie to you to make a sale now vs. risking you walking out and rethinking?

Yeah. They do.

Worst case scenario would be you have to wait a couple months for your car to be built and painted your color. But that guy wanted his commission NOW.

Hm.  Come to think of it, we were in a bit of a rush, as our previous car had recently been stolen, and we were bleeding money from the rental.

Live and learn, I suppose.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

I AM SORRY. SOMEWHERE IN THERE I HAVE BECOME A COMPLETE ASSHOLE.

But I seriously hope that someone will stab me in the fucking face or at least tell me I am a fucking idiot if I exhibit signs of total naivete.

I walked out of my first car dealership at 18 because they were not saying things that I liked, and also because I wanted to see what they would say if I left. It's a fantastic experience. It changes everything. They do not like it at all. And then I told the dick salesman who tried to tell me that I couldn't have what I wanted that I was going to make a point of giving the commission to someone else because I don't like being bullied.

Just a tip: EVERYONE who is trying to sell you anything is lying. Brought to you from 13 years of retail.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Corellated: Never say yes the first time, and never, ever say yes if they ask you again.

As a fucking magnificent salesperson, I never sold people a fucking thing. I just asked them questions until they told me what they wanted. If someone is pitching something at you, you don't want it, and say no. If they push, walk the fuck out.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2011, 05:08:49 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on December 13, 2011, 02:14:47 PM
Quote from: Nigel on December 12, 2011, 10:10:05 PM
Car color has little to nothing to do with the price.

Oddly enough, when we bought our last car, we were told that if we wanted it in burgundy, we had to get the luxury package, with leather heated seats, power everything, Bose stereo, etc etc.  It turns out that we simply could not have the standard package in that color; it simply wasn't offered.

So, in that case (and yes, it's anecdotal), the car color was directly linked to the price.  I wonder how many car manufacturers do that.


Incidentally, we went for dark grey.  Mrs LMNO still dreams of heated seats, though.

How hot, exactly, can you get those seats?

Not even close to hot enough.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 06:09:00 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2011, 05:08:49 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on December 13, 2011, 02:14:47 PM
Quote from: Nigel on December 12, 2011, 10:10:05 PM
Car color has little to nothing to do with the price.

Oddly enough, when we bought our last car, we were told that if we wanted it in burgundy, we had to get the luxury package, with leather heated seats, power everything, Bose stereo, etc etc.  It turns out that we simply could not have the standard package in that color; it simply wasn't offered.

So, in that case (and yes, it's anecdotal), the car color was directly linked to the price.  I wonder how many car manufacturers do that.


Incidentally, we went for dark grey.  Mrs LMNO still dreams of heated seats, though.

How hot, exactly, can you get those seats?

Not even close to hot enough.

:(

I was gonna take Filthy Assistant to lunch.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Triple Zero

One thing I was told when I saw a bright green car and said "We should get one of those!" is that they are harder to trade back in when you buy a new one, so that could be a reason (don't have any statistics to back it up either).
Ex-Soviet Bloc Sexual Attack Swede of Tomorrow™
e-prime disclaimer: let it seem fairly unclear I understand the apparent subjectivity of the above statements. maybe.

INFORMATION SO POWERFUL, YOU ACTUALLY NEED LESS.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2011, 06:13:49 PM
Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 06:09:00 PM
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 13, 2011, 05:08:49 PM
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on December 13, 2011, 02:14:47 PM
Quote from: Nigel on December 12, 2011, 10:10:05 PM
Car color has little to nothing to do with the price.

Oddly enough, when we bought our last car, we were told that if we wanted it in burgundy, we had to get the luxury package, with leather heated seats, power everything, Bose stereo, etc etc.  It turns out that we simply could not have the standard package in that color; it simply wasn't offered.

So, in that case (and yes, it's anecdotal), the car color was directly linked to the price.  I wonder how many car manufacturers do that.


Incidentally, we went for dark grey.  Mrs LMNO still dreams of heated seats, though.

How hot, exactly, can you get those seats?

Not even close to hot enough.

:(

I was gonna take Filthy Assistant to lunch.

Is a disappointment.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Triple Zero on December 13, 2011, 07:14:53 PM
One thing I was told when I saw a bright green car and said "We should get one of those!" is that they are harder to trade back in when you buy a new one, so that could be a reason (don't have any statistics to back it up either).

Is total bullshit. Statistically speaking. People are superstitious assholes.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


The Good Reverend Roger

Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 08:21:34 PM
Quote from: Triple Zero on December 13, 2011, 07:14:53 PM
One thing I was told when I saw a bright green car and said "We should get one of those!" is that they are harder to trade back in when you buy a new one, so that could be a reason (don't have any statistics to back it up either).

Is total bullshit. Statistically speaking. People are superstitious assholes.

I always believed the red car/insurance thing, just because that's the sort of shit actuaries do, to get revenge on the world for making them go to the prom alone.  It sort of bothers me that it isn't true.

Never heard the green car thing.  Having never done anything with a car but have it hauled off by amused wreckers, I have no clue about anything involving resale.
" It's just that Depeche Mode were a bunch of optimistic loveburgers."
- TGRR, shaming himself forever, 7/8/2017

"Billy, when I say that ethics is our number one priority and safety is also our number one priority, you should take that to mean exactly what I said. Also quality. That's our number one priority as well. Don't look at me that way, you're in the corporate world now and this is how it works."
- TGRR, raising the bar at work.

Kurt Christ

Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 05:56:56 PM
Quote from: Kurt Christ on December 13, 2011, 03:44:38 AM
Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 12:25:41 AM
Quote from: Cramulus on December 13, 2011, 12:09:00 AM
here's my guess about that:

during a recession, they make manufacture fewer cars, so they focus on the most popular colors?

most people seem to prefer drab colors:

Color    Percentage of New Cars
Silver    20.2%    
White    18.4%    
Black    11.6%    
Med/Dark Gray    11.5%
Light Brown    8.8%
Med/Dark Blue    8.5%
Medium Red    6.9%
Med/Dark Green    5.3%
Bright Red    3.8%
Dark Red    0.9%






Off topic: car color is correlated with accident rates

QuoteDrivers of silver-colored cars, according to the report, have a 50% less chance of being involved in an injury-causing accident than do drivers of white cars!

FUCK I DRIVE A WHITE CAR, WHAT DO I DO SHIT DAMN FUCK



But during economic boom times, brighter colors are more popular. Is all I'm saying. And auto makers know that during a recession, brighter colors won't sell, so they start making fewer of them when an economic downturn approaches.
Do you have data that shows people will preferentially choose more drab colors in times of economic scarcity given that both are equally available? I'm not disputing the phenomenon, but I think the cause and effect may be the opposite of what you posit; car companies know that brighter colors normally have less broad appeal than drab ones, and phase them out in cost-cutting measures (not that the brighter color cars cost more to produce, but it would save money to cut down on the number of colors produced total) to focus on only the safer, more widely marketable colors. This leads to fewer new bright cars on the market, and consumers who would normally want the brighter cars settle for the dull colors.
I'm not saying I know this to be the case, but from the given information, it seems to be another reasonable explanation.

By "the opposite of what you posit" I assume you mean "I am utterly illiterate" because you seem to think I said something other than "people tend to buy drab cars in a recession" and "manufacturers offer more drab colors prior to and during a recession"

You fucking complete retard.
QuoteBut during economic boom times, brighter colors are more popular. Is all I'm saying. And auto makers know that during a recession, brighter colors won't sell, so they start making fewer of them when an economic downturn approaches
You suggest a cause/effect relationship in your post, that car companies think people won't want to buy bright cars in a recession, and so make less of them. You give a particular reasoning for their decision; I suggested an alternative reasoning for the same decision.
Formerly known as the Space Pope (then I was excommunicated), Father Kurt Christ (I was deemed unfit to raise children, spiritual or otherwise), and Vartox (the speedo was starting to chafe)

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Kurt Christ on December 13, 2011, 10:21:31 PM
Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 05:56:56 PM
Quote from: Kurt Christ on December 13, 2011, 03:44:38 AM
Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 12:25:41 AM
Quote from: Cramulus on December 13, 2011, 12:09:00 AM
here's my guess about that:

during a recession, they make manufacture fewer cars, so they focus on the most popular colors?

most people seem to prefer drab colors:

Color    Percentage of New Cars
Silver    20.2%    
White    18.4%    
Black    11.6%    
Med/Dark Gray    11.5%
Light Brown    8.8%
Med/Dark Blue    8.5%
Medium Red    6.9%
Med/Dark Green    5.3%
Bright Red    3.8%
Dark Red    0.9%






Off topic: car color is correlated with accident rates

QuoteDrivers of silver-colored cars, according to the report, have a 50% less chance of being involved in an injury-causing accident than do drivers of white cars!

FUCK I DRIVE A WHITE CAR, WHAT DO I DO SHIT DAMN FUCK



But during economic boom times, brighter colors are more popular. Is all I'm saying. And auto makers know that during a recession, brighter colors won't sell, so they start making fewer of them when an economic downturn approaches.
Do you have data that shows people will preferentially choose more drab colors in times of economic scarcity given that both are equally available? I'm not disputing the phenomenon, but I think the cause and effect may be the opposite of what you posit; car companies know that brighter colors normally have less broad appeal than drab ones, and phase them out in cost-cutting measures (not that the brighter color cars cost more to produce, but it would save money to cut down on the number of colors produced total) to focus on only the safer, more widely marketable colors. This leads to fewer new bright cars on the market, and consumers who would normally want the brighter cars settle for the dull colors.
I'm not saying I know this to be the case, but from the given information, it seems to be another reasonable explanation.

By "the opposite of what you posit" I assume you mean "I am utterly illiterate" because you seem to think I said something other than "people tend to buy drab cars in a recession" and "manufacturers offer more drab colors prior to and during a recession"

You fucking complete retard.
QuoteBut during economic boom times, brighter colors are more popular. Is all I'm saying. And auto makers know that during a recession, brighter colors won't sell, so they start making fewer of them when an economic downturn approaches
You suggest a cause/effect relationship in your post, that car companies think people won't want to buy bright cars in a recession, and so make less of them. You give a particular reasoning for their decision; I suggested an alternative reasoning for the same decision.

Really? Your reasoning is essentially exactly the same, and you are stupid for thinking otherwise.

Please explain to me how "they will sell fewer brightly-colored cars" is different from "they will mostly sell safe bland colors".
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

For Roger:

Red cars have higher resale value, at least.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Kurt Christ

Quote from: Nigel on December 14, 2011, 12:57:30 AM
Quote from: Kurt Christ on December 13, 2011, 10:21:31 PM
Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 05:56:56 PM
Quote from: Kurt Christ on December 13, 2011, 03:44:38 AM
Quote from: Nigel on December 13, 2011, 12:25:41 AM
Quote from: Cramulus on December 13, 2011, 12:09:00 AM
here's my guess about that:

during a recession, they make manufacture fewer cars, so they focus on the most popular colors?

most people seem to prefer drab colors:

Color    Percentage of New Cars
Silver    20.2%    
White    18.4%    
Black    11.6%    
Med/Dark Gray    11.5%
Light Brown    8.8%
Med/Dark Blue    8.5%
Medium Red    6.9%
Med/Dark Green    5.3%
Bright Red    3.8%
Dark Red    0.9%






Off topic: car color is correlated with accident rates

QuoteDrivers of silver-colored cars, according to the report, have a 50% less chance of being involved in an injury-causing accident than do drivers of white cars!

FUCK I DRIVE A WHITE CAR, WHAT DO I DO SHIT DAMN FUCK



But during economic boom times, brighter colors are more popular. Is all I'm saying. And auto makers know that during a recession, brighter colors won't sell, so they start making fewer of them when an economic downturn approaches.
Do you have data that shows people will preferentially choose more drab colors in times of economic scarcity given that both are equally available? I'm not disputing the phenomenon, but I think the cause and effect may be the opposite of what you posit; car companies know that brighter colors normally have less broad appeal than drab ones, and phase them out in cost-cutting measures (not that the brighter color cars cost more to produce, but it would save money to cut down on the number of colors produced total) to focus on only the safer, more widely marketable colors. This leads to fewer new bright cars on the market, and consumers who would normally want the brighter cars settle for the dull colors.
I'm not saying I know this to be the case, but from the given information, it seems to be another reasonable explanation.

By "the opposite of what you posit" I assume you mean "I am utterly illiterate" because you seem to think I said something other than "people tend to buy drab cars in a recession" and "manufacturers offer more drab colors prior to and during a recession"

You fucking complete retard.
QuoteBut during economic boom times, brighter colors are more popular. Is all I'm saying. And auto makers know that during a recession, brighter colors won't sell, so they start making fewer of them when an economic downturn approaches
You suggest a cause/effect relationship in your post, that car companies think people won't want to buy bright cars in a recession, and so make less of them. You give a particular reasoning for their decision; I suggested an alternative reasoning for the same decision.

Really? Your reasoning is essentially exactly the same, and you are stupid for thinking otherwise.

Please explain to me how "they will sell fewer brightly-colored cars" is different from "they will mostly sell safe bland colors".
You state that they believe bright colors sell less in a recession, so they stop making them. This is not the same as stopping making bright colors because it is cheaper to make fewer colors of car, and brighter colors are less widely appealing than more neutral colors to begin with. Essentially, your statement is: Because bright colors sell less in a recession, car companies stop producing them. Mine is: Because car companies want to cut costs in a recession, they stop making their niche products, which results in even fewer of these colors sold in recessions. Or, more simply: Because car companies start producing fewer bright colored cars in a recession, there are less bright colored cars sold.
I'm sorry if I was unclear, but these are not equivalent chains of cause-effect.
Formerly known as the Space Pope (then I was excommunicated), Father Kurt Christ (I was deemed unfit to raise children, spiritual or otherwise), and Vartox (the speedo was starting to chafe)

AFK

Quote from: Nigel on December 12, 2011, 10:10:05 PM
Car color has little to nothing to do with the price.

Sure, but my point was about the psychology of the buyer.  People who are putting disposable income towards a vehicle are more likely to be in a mindframe where they are looking for more than just utility in a car.  As opposed to the person who needs to buy a new car because theirs shit the bed.  These people aren't using disposable income, they are using income that has to do some mad multi-tasking like putting bread on the table, clothes on the kid, etc. So their approach to buying a vehicle is almost 100% about utility.  Something that gets them from destination to destination. 

The former is going to have the luxury of looking for a car that is more of a looker.  Color certainly plays a role in that kind of decision-making because it is one of the first things that will get noticed by other people. 
Cynicism is a blank check for failure.

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Jesus fuck, the pointless fucking pedanticism in this thread is making me feel like I accidentally stumbled into a colony populated by the genetic spawn of Enki and Requia.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."