What physical item has the highest markup on earth?

[AMDZen]

i would think the markup on a large soda at the movies is more than the popcorn.

Agreed. Coke pays restaurants and places to carry their product, so not only is it 100% profit, they make a little extra on top.

 

[bfdd]

Why does everyone always repeat that whole "ticket sales go to studios" stuff? If ticket sales go to the studios, then why can I go to a theater locally and watch TWO new releases for $5 total? Do the movie companies really say "hey, you're in NYC, therefore we're charging your theater $8 per person who sees the movie. Oh, and you - you're in a rural area, so we're charging $2 per person who sees this movie."

Actually it does for the most part go to the studios for the first couple weeks. After that it ends up in the hands of the theater. Around the time Jaws came out they started doing this. This is why you see such a rush for blockbusters, trying to make new big ones every quarter instead of once a year or two. They have to hit the market with a new blockbuster as soon as the share of ticket sales starts going back to the theater. It's really fucked up hollywood, some people I work with hate the current model as they feel it lowers the overall experience and quality of cinema.

 

[Hugo Drax]

http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2008/11/most-expensive-speaker-cable-world-audioquest-audiophile/

$21,000.

Its the labor. Those cables are hand crafted by specially trained Tibetan monks in base camp IV mount everest. The unique atmospheric conditions and impeccable hand crafting with bespoke materials exudes a warmth and sonic clarity you need to experience. They are worth it if you appreciate fine impeccable quality.

 

[KeithTalent]

Sex. Should be free, but always ends up being very expensive.

KT

 

[Childs]

Its the labor. Those cables are hand crafted by specially trained Tibetan monks in base camp IV mount everest. The unique atmospheric conditions and impeccable hand crafting with bespoke materials exudes a warmth and sonic clarity you need to experience. They are worth it if you appreciate fine impeccable quality.

In other words, Made in China.

 

[edro]

Android Phones

 

[ElFenix]

Agreed. Coke pays restaurants and places to carry their product, so not only is it 100% profit, they make a little extra on top.

no.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

All production costs and supply vs. demand factored in, diamonds by a million miles.

 

[guy666]

Agreed. Coke pays restaurants and places to carry their product, so not only is it 100% profit, they make a little extra on top.

Umm I don't think that Coke pays restaurants to carry their product. I have worked at three different restaurants and I have never heard of Coke paying them. There is no way you make over 100% profit on drinks, the fountain itself isn't cheap and repairs are expensive if you need more than the free ones you get every year from Coke. Also ice machines are pretty expensive and break fairly often.

 

[Childs]

deleted

 

[Childs]

Agreed. Coke pays restaurants and places to carry their product, so not only is it 100% profit, they make a little extra on top.

They don't pay, but they have been known to have very aggressive anti competitive business practices that border on illegal.

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/08/b...la-on-distribution.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

[geno]

Diesel jeans.

 

[DigDog]

probably water ... what's the commercial value of half litre of water?

 

[davmat787]

but it comes with FREE GROUND SHIPPING!!!

I bet they could personally fly these insanely priced cables out to you and barely scratch their margins.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

I bet they could personally fly these insanely priced cables out to you and barely scratch their margins.

You are likely correct. $250 each way? That's about a 5% drop in total sale, 6% of net income on that item.

Inredible really!

 

[shortylickens]

Diamonds. 9/10th's of them are stored and will never see the light of day. Those things arent worth nearly the MSRP.

 

[jman19]

Movie theater concessions are way overpriced but some of the math in this thread is lol worthy.

 

[evident]

Printer Ink.

If you bought a gallon of ink via individual inkjet cartridges, it'd cost you like $10k.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA-uN2Dmn0M

 

[Rudee]

RedBull. Stiff costs mere pennies a can to make.

 

[Powermoloch]

bottled water

 

[zerocool84]

Sex. Should be free, but always ends up being very expensive.

KT

Whether it's from a hooker or a wife, they both cost money.

 

[silverpig]

Graphene.

Last I checked it sells for $10/sq micron. It's .13 nm thick.

There isn't enough money in the world to buy a gram of it, and it's just plain old carbon.

 

[TechAZ]

Yeah, but that's not the first version of the item to be used. I assume hospitals have been doing those types of surgeries and inserting those stints for decades.

You can't include R&D for all previous versions of the product.

A large % of the profits go into future R&D and product development cycles. Of course there are still huge profit margins, thank the insurance industry.

 

[Howard]

Guys, this isn't a thread about what's the most expensive shit out there.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

Guys, this isn't a thread about what's the most expensive shit out there.

Look below.

Graphene.

Last I checked it sells for $10/sq micron. It's .13 nm thick.

There isn't enough money in the world to buy a gram of it, and it's just plain old carbon.

Oh crap, highest markup. Hmm...