You’d Think They Were Razor Blades

I bought a couple of tiny flashlights not long ago, newfangled LED ones that look like they’d hold a single AA battery.  They were under $3 each, which must have been a mistake because I have yet to find any similar ones for so little, and in fact LED flashlights have turned into a way of rejuvenating the market and making a premium.

The flaw is it’s too easy for the flashlight to switch itself on, so I ended up with a muted spot of light in my pants pocket many times without my noticing.  Until it died, all too soon.  It was handy while it lasted.  Subsequently I got some mini first aid kits in waterproof containers that have room to spare for a flashlight of that size or smaller, some matches, perhaps a small jackknife, and presumably some things like a bit of floss or other survival items of the smaller variety.  I haven’t fully equipped them, but in each vehicle is one with a flashlight.  But I digress.

I opened up the dead flashlight to replace the battery and to my surprise out came three alien batteries, tiny lithium disks.  These turned out to be newfangled “357” size batteries.  I saw them at Hannaford on a battery display, $8-something for three.  Ouch.  Then I saw them while passing by a similar display at Wal-Mart, $5-something for three.  I grabbed a pack and blessed the $3 discount that made it possible rather than absurd to keep the $2-something flashlight viable.  (Similar flashlights now run $5-something.)

We also have a book that takes batteries: The Moon In My Room.  It’s the one that we used to get Sadie into a bedtime ritual, with a moon nightlight built in.  The book goes for $9.95.

I assumed it took one or two of those batteries, and considered using the pack there instead of the flashlight.

It takes four.

Somehow in that little tiny compartment they squeezed four of these things, almost impossible to get out.  That’s $12 worth of batteries and sales tax in order to have four of them to replace in a $10 book.  Leaving a stray two not good for anything around here offhand.  Doh.

I find the price differential fascinating, like expensive blades for cheap razor handles, except the blades that come with the razor handles are effectively free.  I also find the package size versus the variable need to be a bit like hot dogs versus buns.  Heck, nevermind the differential in price.  The price in general is fascinating, if fascinating means absurdly high.  Yeesh.

1. It’s the “it’s cheaper to buy a new one” or the “you get a free printer with this computer” effect.  It always makes my Yankee Thrift heart cringe in pain too.

   Posted by  on  02/23  at  04:23 PM  from 
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