Courtesy of forbes.com
I admit it. Some mornings, I dedicate time to cursing my computer. Overnight, some dark magic has rendered my passwords useless or an old blog has risen from the grave to republish itself on Facebook. On those days, I call my guru. Usually, he’s good at sorting out the problem and in a matter of minutes, like the caboose of a toy train, I’m realigned on my track and on my way. But an hour or two can also get lost. Then I rush through the day, trying to catch up.
Grudgingly, I admit, technology has created more opportunities than obstacles, however. For example, I read, recently, that a group of high financial flyers, being bored with the current stock exchanges, has decided to create one of their own. The Member Exchange. (“Our Very Own Stock Exchange,” by Nick Baker, Bloomberg Businessweek, Feb. 18, 2019, pgs. 25-26.) Like bit coin or eBay, it may be an idea whose time has come.
I had a friend enamored of eBay. After auctioning off one of his paintings, he ended up making enough new purchases to put himself in the hole. That’s always the risk. Some manage to make a profit, nonetheless. They find treasures at the Good Will and resell them at twice the price on the auction site.
Like the chaps who aspire to their own stock exchange, small entrepreneurs seem to desire their own eBay. Jeff Bezos, head of Amazon, is always ahead of the game. His Fufilllment program allows individuals to sell their goods through Amazon’s warehouses and delivery systems. For the additional cost of an app, a person can also track the shipments. (“Locusts of the retail Amazon,” The Week, Feb. 22, 2019, pg. 32.)
Some folks are so enthusiastic about this new arrangement, they’re buying in bulk from local box stores and reselling items at a markup. One man shelled out money for 182 Monopoly games at Walmart, then resold them for a $2,500 profit. (Ibid. p. 32.)
I get the concept of buying, selling and making a profit. I don’t understand where to find people foolish enough to pay more for a Walmart item than is necessary. Is there an app to locate them, too?
