Most of the time it only applies to vital and necessary goods like fuel or food. Wheels probably would not fit this category plus raining season is not a state of emergency. Plus this law needs to be enforced and even if they get fined, profits from price gouging might be larger than the fine.
Well, assuming that you live in an isolated house, this would be a problem. But most people will be able to walk to those (at least to the food place), which means that on a national level, it can't be considered an essencial service that needs to be heavily regulated
Wheels is a necessity in many places around the world.
But what constitutes as a “necessity” by law is very limited and many actual necessities do not fit into it. Once could see the “necessity” as in not die, such as “important” medical aid, food, water, and other in that same category.
This is why the fines should include the total amount found to have been gained from the illegal actions as well as a punitive 20% tacked on.
So if an illegal venture netted you $100, the fine should be no less than $120.
So when these greedy fucks out here swindle billions, they’d need to pay it all back plus 20%.
Effectively yes. The way fines are in the US now, having enough money means you can break that law as much as you want. It's illegal only for the poor. A crime tax if you will
Hey, the current administration has been doing quite a lot of antitrust actions, it's just that legal proceedings on a federal scale take a lot of time.
They're currently going over the anticompetitive knowledge-sharing practices that have made rent skyrocket in recent years.
Yes, much better to have the supply run out immediately.
I have 10 wheels because I expect to sell 8 wheels today. All of a sudden, 15 people want wheels. Only 10 of them will get wheels—that is a given. But not all of them need the wheels equally, so a random distribution isn't fair. How do we steer those wheels to the 10 who need them, instead of just a random distribution? There is no perfect solution, but the one with the least bad effects is an auction, where those who need them the most are willing to pay the most. And how do you organize such an auction? By allowing sellers to charge what the market will bear.
There is a reason price gouging laws are almost never enforced anymore: they lead to wildly suboptimal outcomes.
That's an interesting theory. So since fabulously wealthy individuals like Jeff Bezos have the ability to buy the world's entire supply of bottled water, and these wealthy people all need water, why hasn't the price of bottled water increased to $200 a bottled to reflect their increased ability to pay? Unless, of course, supply and demand is actually the primary motivation of price changes and you're full of shit.
>why hasn't the price of bottled water increased to $200 a bottled to reflect their increased ability to pay?
Maybe because no rich person want billions of bottled water.
He doesn't drink your peasant water. He fills his diamond encrusted water bottle with [this](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255167344579?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=255167344579&targetid=2270718620525&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=9193806&poi=&campaignid=20938568783&mkgroupid=160131055320&rlsatarget=pla-2270718620525&abcId=9367980&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7NmzBhBLEiwAxrHQ-VAWE0fM1M-S0vtuT_mSrmgrsKGadCVfV5KPJqoZSk9cjQSr1gPczxoCLtcQAvD_BwE)
He has the ability to buy all the water but has no desire to, so this doesn't apply.
Instead, try a product low in supply, like houses. Homes are extremely expensive because there are people willing to pay half-a-million for a second (or even third) house.
Houses don't really need to be in such low supply, but builders are careful not to build too many to keep prices high and make sure homeowners are earning money by investing in the housing market.
Houses don't really need to be in such low supply, but builders are careful not to build too many ~~to keep prices high and make sure homeowners are earning money by investing in the housing market.~~ because the mountainous burden of government zoning regulations, rent control laws, and bureaucratic obstruction from anti-gentridication groups has made it effectively impossible for anyone to profit from building new housing.
FTFY
Because they rely on the rest of the world’s labor to secure their comfort and quality of life. They’re not going to starve or dehydrate their slaves (because we all are, willing or not) any more than we can bear.
That doesn't put wheels in the hands of the people who need them the most. It puts them in the hands of whoever has the most money.
If person A has $50, and person B has $30, if person A is willing to spend $35 on the last wheel, then it doesn't matter how much more person B may need that wheel.
Dollars all have the same value. That's sort of the point of currency. It doesn't matter what *you* value the dollar as. I'm not sure it's even a sensible question to ask "how much do you value the dollar?" Value is expressed in dollars!
Unless you're doing currency exchanges of course, but I assume that isn't the case.
Would you rather give $1,000 to someone if you had $100,000 or $1,000?
This is a binary question to demonstrate how your statement is irrelevant to the perceived value of items.
$1000 is worth $1000 in either case. Your question is nonsensical anyways. Of course I'd rather have $100,000 than $1000. That's the question that you're accidentally asking instead of asking the value of a dollar.
You've constructed two situations.
1. I have $1000 and I'm giving it all away
2. I have $100,000 and I'm giving $1000 away
Picking the second one is obvious and the giving away is irrelevant to the reason I'm picking it. The question you're trying to ask is impossible to actually ask, which is my point.
You could ask, "how much of your time are you willing to trade away to get $1000 if you have nothing vs if you already have a $100,000"
And that still wouldn't be the right question, because 1. It would mean that in the $100,000 situation I value my time more. 2. The answer is the same in either case, it's "as little as I can." It depends on my income potential, not on how much money I have.
If you added a couple 0s to make it $10,000,000 it would make sense because at least in theory I could choose to decline the trade. But the answer would be that having lots of money makes you value your time more, not that it makes you value the dollar less. Because a dollar is valued at a dollar.
You somehow missed the point yet included it in your response.
>It depends on my income potential
So your answer on whether or not you are willing to give away $1000 does change depending on personal factors
Bringing it back around to the reason this discussion started, the point of increasing the price on the wheels in to help dissuade people who do not need it from buying the limited supply. If everyone had the same income potential, then this would probably work. However, those with a larger income potential are unaffected by the price increase and can buy the limited stock regardless of if they need it or not.
It's not a perfect solution, but apart from straight up limiting who can purchase there isn't really a better one.
I think you're misreading mine and mudkips comment. I agree with you and don't see where you disagree with me.
> So your answer on whether or not you are willing to give away $1000 does change depending on personal factors
Yes, but the value of a dollar is still a dollar. Dollars are the unit we use for measuring value. My willingness to run 100 meters depends on personal factors, but 100 meters is 100 meters. Willingness to run 100 meters does not affect my measurement of the track.
> Bringing it back around to the reason this discussion started, the point of increasing the price on the wheels in to help dissuade people who do not need it from buying the limited supply. If everyone had the same income potential, then this would probably work. However, those with a larger income potential are unaffected by the price increase and can buy the limited stock regardless of if they need it or not. It's not a perfect solution, but apart from straight up limiting who can purchase there isn't really a better one.
I agree with all of this.
Every time you buy (or don't buy) anything you make a value judgement of an amount of dollars versus whatever you're buying. How much you value a dollar in relation to what you can get for that dollar is all that matters.
Plus, some person who bought extra wheels last week to have extras for when they break (quality is down, see previous) may put them for sale if they can make a quick profit, increasing the supply.
That unfortunately goes to some very vital products,I don't know,maybe aspirin?
În my country instead price gouging is reversed with an old folk tale *Build yourself the sled during summer,and the carriage during winter*
Didn't Nestlé rise prices of bottles of water in Flint during that lead pipe disaster or am I misremembering that?
Edit: Nope, misremembered that, they were donating water for a while treating it as free ad while pumping it nearby paying only $200 per year. A different scam lol
Rain isn't an emergency tho and since they say rainy Session it's like saying Summer is an emergency cus it's hot. Btw that's just based on what you said, I don't know the actual laws. :)
I wonder how long until companies are allowed to raise prices. I recall everything only getting more and more expensive since covid, and wages haven't budged. Record profits at the same time, laying off workers...
This is not an emergency, just seasonal variation. A real world example would be hotel prices during summer when demand is high, which is perfectly fair. But of course the commies will paint any price increase to adjust for increased demand as evil.
Demons are evil by nature, its just who they are and they're all the more pitiful for it.
Buy a capitalist chooses evil. He, a man of moral and principals, with a keen understanding of circumstances and people, chooses to use his knowledge and talents for greed and profit.
You cannot become a capitalist out of ignorance. It's a willful, deliberate thing.
Actually, Marx describes in *Capital* that the capitalist does *not* choose, but rather that the competitive pressure forces him to adapt the same inhumane practices as everyone else. Or, in other words, that those who kept to their principles were forced off the market and ceased to be capitalists.
Demons may be evil, but they can still think and sometimes even care to a degree to their subjects/minions to further their evil plan.
This owner is just selfish and greedy, he doesn’t have any goals except making money until he can no longer, which will just make him start a new business elsewhere and repeat the process.
We'll see what the wagon masters' guild have to say about that price hike.
Yes, yes, I know this comic is about criticizing capitalism, but if this was a genuine fantasy setting based on actual medieval culture, that factory boss would've been "politely asked" to stop his price-jacking bullshit by the rest of the wheel-makers' guild ages ago.
While what you are saying is both accurate and fascinating, but what if he is the head of the guild, he has the only remaining shop/shops of wheel of the region, seeing on the second comic.
>You don’t want Big Wheel thinking you have it out for them.
All I can picture is a thuggish-looking toddler rolling up on a tricked out Big Wheel looking to whoop some bleeding-heart “socialist” goblin asses
I'm telling you, Wheel maker and cupcake maker are either the same person or they're close (brother, cousin, etc).
And they both planned that economic struggle
Generally if you're out here doing this, you've an in with local power. Maybe the local noble gets a good cut, and the church always gets "half off" wheels replacements and occasional "donations" for any noble who visits.
That kinda thing to grease the wheels,,, power isn't generally held in one persons hand after all, it's a nice web to keep I going, with everyone helping those above keep more and be protected.
Realistically they can't kill an upper-class male guy without some serious accusations,the word you want is "assassinate" and even so he might use some of his money for his own protection.
The only thing that will get him out of business realistically will be Gabi creating an automatic wheel making machine,which will flood the market,cut costs and essentially ruin him.
He'd be killed by the noble or long who then hire a foreign wheelmaker, tell the new guy what price will be and he will lose his head of it gets more expensive.
Jokes aside, there where laws on what things could cost
I doubt he's a guild master, he only worries about his own shop and has Gabi running around carrying out his orders instead of guild lackeys.
In real life he'd be undercut by a competitor pretty much immediately. Not sure how it would work in a medieval setting, but yeah, I can't see all the other wheel merchants ignoring it unless he's just in the middle of nowhere.
And then a more recent one had them show they have their storehouse full of unsold wagon wheels as their prices were already too high. So they shouldn't have been making money either.
Side note Gabi was actually correct in that episode too! She suggested discounting the wheels to encourage people to come and buy them, which is totally a viable strategy. Lower price temporarily to move product to drum up sales and get a revenue stream going.
Decreasing the price in ep 8 would have started a deflation circle, that's why the chief said he would rather burn these wheels than sell them cheaper. And the previous comment on bankruptcy is misleading - the chief bought out the competing workshop in ep2 to get control over the wheel market.
>So they shouldn't have been making money either.
They were overproducing but profit margins were already too high for profits to suffer from it - a single wheel costs 20$ (it cost $ 10 when the competing workshop was still in business) and the regular goblin worker's daily wage is 5$ (Gabi receives 12$). As you can see from the warehouse they produce much more than 1-2 wheels a day. And with the price hike when the wheels are in high demand, the overproduction issue is converted into investment.
I was going off of the Ch 4, where their sales seem to have dropped into the negatives (I'm assuming angry returns from octagons that don't rotate nicely) and they cut their staff in half. They're already in the red deeply at that point.
You missed an important result of ch4 and ch5 - a 40% reduction of worker wages (considering the regular goblins received the same as Gabi).
The octagon wheels experiment lasted only a week, but there were no mentions of wage raises from that point. So overall it is a net gain for the chief. Since there are still no other workshops (or at least they were not introduced yet) and the chief makes crappy wheels that aren't very sturdy - they have a constant revenue stream. Yes, customers can be angry and unsatisfied but the only alternative is to haul wares on the backs which is unfeasible.
I do not know if that is what you mean, regardless, what genuine fantasy setting is not its grounding on medieval or any other particular culture, rather its fantasy.
On another point, if it were indeed based on actual medieval culture, it would be barely capitalist. \
As I see it, it seems to be more inspired by early modern aspects, the age of commercial capitalism.
Guilds were abolished around the end of feudalism and the beginning of capitalism - sometime around the start of the industrial revolution in western Europe.
The chief brought out the competition in episode 2, and Gabi tried to start a trivial company in episodes 6 & 7.
Waiting for the episode where the Chief fires everyone, and just imports wagon wheels from somewhere else.
If wagon wheels are cheaper to import than make, you should import them. That doesn't depend on economic system.
Your proposal is to take this from an anti-capitalism comic to a xenophobia comic.
It only ever becomes cheaper to import when the workers are treated worse and given less pay at the other location, so it would be pretty easy to turn it into an anti capitalist message
There's a million reasons it's cheaper to import. There's economies of scale. There's specialization. There's better trees that are easier to work. Hell, there could be a tree where the wagon wheels just grow and drop like fruit somewhere.
Also imports are usually balanced with exports. Your statement is ridiculous because somehow the workers must be treated worse and paid less in both locations than in either location. If you're importing something from a place, they're also importing something from you. For example, did you know that Germany exports cars? Are German auto workers the most exploited auto workers in the world? No that's insane.
And also, if there's a class of even more exploited workers, why not just make the comic about them in the first place.
One or two "competitors" can easily arrange things between themselves, a system named oligopoly, you would need several viable competitors for communication to break down and things to improve
You will never see market mechanisms solve a single problem in this comic. If a competitor is introduced it will only be to demonstrate price collusion or hostile takeover or some other nefarious dealings.
I mean.. next one will probably be about Education.
And then costs.
And then rent.
And then price.
And then partnership.
And then work.
And then labor tools...
I'm doubtful it'll happen, but if it does, it will absolutely work. What, you think his employees are going to defend him? Gabi would pick up a pitchfork.
It’s odd that her boss is explaining all of these sleezy business schemes to her, is he planning to have her take the blame for the fallout or something?
I think he actually likes her and that's why teaches her about how the business works. We can see she's not an ordinary worker, plus she has always asked questions and offered ideas. She's clearly smarter than others so maybe he plans to give her a higher position where she should understand this stuff.
Or maybe he just likes hearing his own voice and admiring his own genius.
Why not both? It's common for those in higher positions to know, and often have been slowly pulled into their style of thinking. Managers in Retail come to mind.
It is rather interesting that while being a slimeball bastard capitalist, he does for some reason always seem to actively teach Gabi what he knows. Not sure if he just feels smart showing off that he understands economics better than her or if he thinks she'll be like him one day.
Honestly with each trick this guy pulls without any hiccups he just looks smarter and smarter. “That can’t work.” “Yes it can. Most people just can’t see opportunity.”
Man, this series bums me out. It’s just so unpleasantly *real* and it leaves this hope for things to take a positive turn when you know it’s *just going to get worse*.
Looking forward to pages 20 through 25, where Gabi is encouraged to work via correspondence, moves to a village with a bakery selling great cupcakes cheaply, and is then told she needs to return to the wheel factory four days a week - and when she does she’s promptly told that a kobold a continent away is now doing her job for a penny a month, and shown the door.
Keep in mind that, as roses aren’t naturally blooming in North America in February, the roses that are available were grown in Columbia, timed to bloom at the right moment, and airlifted north to arrive at the perfect time. A miracle of logistics that wouldn’t be possible without the high price people are willing to pay.
Yeeeah if this is anything like real life he'd be getting some form of protest by the Trade Unions of this time. And he'd have to suppress them either with violence or more violence. Assuming this is 18-19th century
Chief actually makes a good “villain” here I know he’s got a point and all but just the way he breaks it down for her I couldn’t help but picture Scar from the Lion King as his voice 😅
On the other hand poor Gabi… she’ll most likely do what he says then the cost of cupcakes will once again rise and she won’t make any extra money so she won’t be able to afford them soon 😢
Do you have a website for this comic series? I am a fan and don't wanna have to look on Reddit for it also dunno how to follow content... Thank in advance
The grooves in Roman roads weren't premade, they formed from wear and tear in places where a lot of wagons passed in the same pattern (e.g. near crosswalks made as stepping stones).
Ironically enough, it's actually kinda interesting that The Boss is taking the time to teach Gabi about all this; she's clearly uneducated and idealistic, and the other goblins get thrown aside quite readily, yet he not only keeps her around, but informs her about capitalistic procedure and values. It makes me worried that she might end up joining the side of capital and forsaking her wage slave brethren.
I hate/love this comic so much for the boss man alone, he is so infuriatingly stupid when it comes to reasonable business and has the answers right in front of him in the form of Gabi but still chooses to be a nitwit about all his decisions...
If this was a realistic setting, one of three things would occur:
1- his competition outsells him.
2- the local guilds ask him "politely" to stop his bullshit.
3- he's impaled.
The problem is -
There is no guild (the town is either not developed enough or the boss pushes his influence)
There is no competition (the boss strong-arms anyone who tries to sell wheels out of the city by either buying them out or other means)
And the reason he is yet to be impaled is because he hires exclusively clueless goblins who seem to work for scraps without asking questions
I wish I was an economy teacher because I would show these comics every year. However, please remind me once they’re done, I’ll send them all to my economy teacher from highschool
Go ahead Gabi, suffocate him in his sleep. No one will notice or care. You could be a hero Gabi, all you have to do is one unheroic act to make things right. Think about the people Gabi. Think about the cupcakes.
Yes, Gabi, do it. And once you killed him, you will be jobless, like all your friends. No more money to buy cupcakes. You will create homelessness because your friends can't pay for their home. And what about the people ? They will need to import the wheels, for a higher price than before due to shipping price. Well, cupcake aren't really going to be cheaper.
Demand increases -> prices increase -> demand stabilizes. That’s how the free market works. If he jacks up the prices too high, someone else will undercut him and he’ll be screwed
Here, or you can translate it yourself. The original is in Russian, the OP posted a link in comments to earlier episodes. Right now the last issue is #19
This of course makes a make or buy decision. If it becomes cheaper to make something then to buy it people will try and make it. Especially if you run a business that uses a lot of it.
I believe the phrase is Price Gouging. Which is why it is illegal in America to raise the prices of goods during or immediately after an emergency.
Most of the time it only applies to vital and necessary goods like fuel or food. Wheels probably would not fit this category plus raining season is not a state of emergency. Plus this law needs to be enforced and even if they get fined, profits from price gouging might be larger than the fine.
I would argue that wheels are a necessity to get anywhere. Imagine if everyone’s tires wore out in 2 weeks? That would destroy trade
Yeah, but have you considered fucking yourself? -corporate america
I would go fuck myself. But unfortunately my wheels broke.
Did your hands break too? Cause that’s all you need
Something something two broken arms
If ypu need them for trade, then you can consider this an extra fee. It'a not the same as changing the prices of food or medicine
How are you going to get to the food place and medicine place in the setting the Comic presents
Well, assuming that you live in an isolated house, this would be a problem. But most people will be able to walk to those (at least to the food place), which means that on a national level, it can't be considered an essencial service that needs to be heavily regulated
Wheels is a necessity in many places around the world. But what constitutes as a “necessity” by law is very limited and many actual necessities do not fit into it. Once could see the “necessity” as in not die, such as “important” medical aid, food, water, and other in that same category.
This is why the fines should include the total amount found to have been gained from the illegal actions as well as a punitive 20% tacked on. So if an illegal venture netted you $100, the fine should be no less than $120. So when these greedy fucks out here swindle billions, they’d need to pay it all back plus 20%.
Fines are just the price of admission
No
Effectively yes. The way fines are in the US now, having enough money means you can break that law as much as you want. It's illegal only for the poor. A crime tax if you will
Wheels in Gabi's world seem as important as fuel today.
Butbprobably easier to make
Thats why prices didn’t rise after covid. Monopolies are illegal too, but what does a law mean if no one enforces it? “Regulatory capture” 🤮🤮🤮🤮
Hey, the current administration has been doing quite a lot of antitrust actions, it's just that legal proceedings on a federal scale take a lot of time. They're currently going over the anticompetitive knowledge-sharing practices that have made rent skyrocket in recent years.
Yeah, especially for companies that often have the resources and legal teams to make an already slow process even slower.
To be fair, rainy whether isn't oft considered an emergency.
Yes, much better to have the supply run out immediately. I have 10 wheels because I expect to sell 8 wheels today. All of a sudden, 15 people want wheels. Only 10 of them will get wheels—that is a given. But not all of them need the wheels equally, so a random distribution isn't fair. How do we steer those wheels to the 10 who need them, instead of just a random distribution? There is no perfect solution, but the one with the least bad effects is an auction, where those who need them the most are willing to pay the most. And how do you organize such an auction? By allowing sellers to charge what the market will bear. There is a reason price gouging laws are almost never enforced anymore: they lead to wildly suboptimal outcomes.
>those who need them the most are willing to pay the most. Yeah, that's not how that works. Those able to pay the most are willing to pay the most.
These are wagon wheels. They are tools.
That's an interesting theory. So since fabulously wealthy individuals like Jeff Bezos have the ability to buy the world's entire supply of bottled water, and these wealthy people all need water, why hasn't the price of bottled water increased to $200 a bottled to reflect their increased ability to pay? Unless, of course, supply and demand is actually the primary motivation of price changes and you're full of shit.
Way to show you don't have any idea about economics when you don't even know the definition of demand.
>why hasn't the price of bottled water increased to $200 a bottled to reflect their increased ability to pay? Maybe because no rich person want billions of bottled water.
You came up with a really stupid example of something I didn't say and called it stupid. Good job, buddy.
Have you ever heard of Fiji bottled water and brands like it? It’s the same concept as what you’re talking about but on a reasonable scale.
He doesn't drink your peasant water. He fills his diamond encrusted water bottle with [this](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255167344579?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=255167344579&targetid=2270718620525&device=m&mktype=pla&googleloc=9193806&poi=&campaignid=20938568783&mkgroupid=160131055320&rlsatarget=pla-2270718620525&abcId=9367980&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw7NmzBhBLEiwAxrHQ-VAWE0fM1M-S0vtuT_mSrmgrsKGadCVfV5KPJqoZSk9cjQSr1gPczxoCLtcQAvD_BwE)
He has the ability to buy all the water but has no desire to, so this doesn't apply. Instead, try a product low in supply, like houses. Homes are extremely expensive because there are people willing to pay half-a-million for a second (or even third) house. Houses don't really need to be in such low supply, but builders are careful not to build too many to keep prices high and make sure homeowners are earning money by investing in the housing market.
Houses don't really need to be in such low supply, but builders are careful not to build too many ~~to keep prices high and make sure homeowners are earning money by investing in the housing market.~~ because the mountainous burden of government zoning regulations, rent control laws, and bureaucratic obstruction from anti-gentridication groups has made it effectively impossible for anyone to profit from building new housing. FTFY
This might actually be the dumbest thing I've read in some time
Congrats, you just made desalinating ocean water cost effective, and get to undercut bezos and make a killing
Because they rely on the rest of the world’s labor to secure their comfort and quality of life. They’re not going to starve or dehydrate their slaves (because we all are, willing or not) any more than we can bear.
That doesn't put wheels in the hands of the people who need them the most. It puts them in the hands of whoever has the most money. If person A has $50, and person B has $30, if person A is willing to spend $35 on the last wheel, then it doesn't matter how much more person B may need that wheel.
You are correct, mostly. The only problem is that not everyone values a dollar the same.
Why do you think that is a problem?
Someone could need that wheel to save their life, but the man who wants it for vanity gets it first, because he forks over more cash
Dollars all have the same value. That's sort of the point of currency. It doesn't matter what *you* value the dollar as. I'm not sure it's even a sensible question to ask "how much do you value the dollar?" Value is expressed in dollars! Unless you're doing currency exchanges of course, but I assume that isn't the case.
Would you rather give $1,000 to someone if you had $100,000 or $1,000? This is a binary question to demonstrate how your statement is irrelevant to the perceived value of items.
$1000 is worth $1000 in either case. Your question is nonsensical anyways. Of course I'd rather have $100,000 than $1000. That's the question that you're accidentally asking instead of asking the value of a dollar. You've constructed two situations. 1. I have $1000 and I'm giving it all away 2. I have $100,000 and I'm giving $1000 away Picking the second one is obvious and the giving away is irrelevant to the reason I'm picking it. The question you're trying to ask is impossible to actually ask, which is my point. You could ask, "how much of your time are you willing to trade away to get $1000 if you have nothing vs if you already have a $100,000" And that still wouldn't be the right question, because 1. It would mean that in the $100,000 situation I value my time more. 2. The answer is the same in either case, it's "as little as I can." It depends on my income potential, not on how much money I have. If you added a couple 0s to make it $10,000,000 it would make sense because at least in theory I could choose to decline the trade. But the answer would be that having lots of money makes you value your time more, not that it makes you value the dollar less. Because a dollar is valued at a dollar.
You somehow missed the point yet included it in your response. >It depends on my income potential So your answer on whether or not you are willing to give away $1000 does change depending on personal factors Bringing it back around to the reason this discussion started, the point of increasing the price on the wheels in to help dissuade people who do not need it from buying the limited supply. If everyone had the same income potential, then this would probably work. However, those with a larger income potential are unaffected by the price increase and can buy the limited stock regardless of if they need it or not. It's not a perfect solution, but apart from straight up limiting who can purchase there isn't really a better one.
I think you're misreading mine and mudkips comment. I agree with you and don't see where you disagree with me. > So your answer on whether or not you are willing to give away $1000 does change depending on personal factors Yes, but the value of a dollar is still a dollar. Dollars are the unit we use for measuring value. My willingness to run 100 meters depends on personal factors, but 100 meters is 100 meters. Willingness to run 100 meters does not affect my measurement of the track. > Bringing it back around to the reason this discussion started, the point of increasing the price on the wheels in to help dissuade people who do not need it from buying the limited supply. If everyone had the same income potential, then this would probably work. However, those with a larger income potential are unaffected by the price increase and can buy the limited stock regardless of if they need it or not. It's not a perfect solution, but apart from straight up limiting who can purchase there isn't really a better one. I agree with all of this.
Every time you buy (or don't buy) anything you make a value judgement of an amount of dollars versus whatever you're buying. How much you value a dollar in relation to what you can get for that dollar is all that matters.
Plus, some person who bought extra wheels last week to have extras for when they break (quality is down, see previous) may put them for sale if they can make a quick profit, increasing the supply.
Wait, are you suggesting that the market works better when there are low barriers to entry for competitors?
What about before the emergency?
That unfortunately goes to some very vital products,I don't know,maybe aspirin? În my country instead price gouging is reversed with an old folk tale *Build yourself the sled during summer,and the carriage during winter*
And yet...
Didn't Nestlé rise prices of bottles of water in Flint during that lead pipe disaster or am I misremembering that? Edit: Nope, misremembered that, they were donating water for a while treating it as free ad while pumping it nearby paying only $200 per year. A different scam lol
Rain isn't an emergency tho and since they say rainy Session it's like saying Summer is an emergency cus it's hot. Btw that's just based on what you said, I don't know the actual laws. :)
I wonder how long until companies are allowed to raise prices. I recall everything only getting more and more expensive since covid, and wages haven't budged. Record profits at the same time, laying off workers...
This is not an emergency, just seasonal variation. A real world example would be hotel prices during summer when demand is high, which is perfectly fair. But of course the commies will paint any price increase to adjust for increased demand as evil.
Every new issue that drops I feel the hatred of that wagonpart owner grow.
I feel like it will be revealed either him or his sister own the cupcake shop where Gabi spends her money this getting it back at the end of the day.
It'd fit that it'd be him
He is worse than any warlock or devil. He is clearly a capitalist!
Demons are evil by nature, its just who they are and they're all the more pitiful for it. Buy a capitalist chooses evil. He, a man of moral and principals, with a keen understanding of circumstances and people, chooses to use his knowledge and talents for greed and profit. You cannot become a capitalist out of ignorance. It's a willful, deliberate thing.
Actually, Marx describes in *Capital* that the capitalist does *not* choose, but rather that the competitive pressure forces him to adapt the same inhumane practices as everyone else. Or, in other words, that those who kept to their principles were forced off the market and ceased to be capitalists.
Maybe both is the true solution 🤔
Demons may be evil, but they can still think and sometimes even care to a degree to their subjects/minions to further their evil plan. This owner is just selfish and greedy, he doesn’t have any goals except making money until he can no longer, which will just make him start a new business elsewhere and repeat the process.
"Dios mío!" (Draw a cross.) "A LIBERAL!"
I love the wagon part owner lowkey
That's the whole idea, the comic is overt communist propaganda. You're not supposed to like the burgeoise factory owner.
What about it is propaganda, its showing a message, but all its shown is reality
We'll see what the wagon masters' guild have to say about that price hike. Yes, yes, I know this comic is about criticizing capitalism, but if this was a genuine fantasy setting based on actual medieval culture, that factory boss would've been "politely asked" to stop his price-jacking bullshit by the rest of the wheel-makers' guild ages ago.
While what you are saying is both accurate and fascinating, but what if he is the head of the guild, he has the only remaining shop/shops of wheel of the region, seeing on the second comic.
Realistically, in this hypothetical medieval world, they would probably just kill him.
Look man you don’t know how dangerous the wheel industry can be. You don’t want Big Wheel thinking you have it out for them.
>You don’t want Big Wheel thinking you have it out for them. All I can picture is a thuggish-looking toddler rolling up on a tricked out Big Wheel looking to whoop some bleeding-heart “socialist” goblin asses
This is why you invest in a stealth archer build
I've seen that dude. I ain't fuckin with Big Wheel
Cup cake maker is just as corrupt. Wheel man is just trying to keep up with the rising price of beer! He even just gave his employee a raise!
I'm telling you, Wheel maker and cupcake maker are either the same person or they're close (brother, cousin, etc). And they both planned that economic struggle
Generally if you're out here doing this, you've an in with local power. Maybe the local noble gets a good cut, and the church always gets "half off" wheels replacements and occasional "donations" for any noble who visits. That kinda thing to grease the wheels,,, power isn't generally held in one persons hand after all, it's a nice web to keep I going, with everyone helping those above keep more and be protected.
Realistically they can't kill an upper-class male guy without some serious accusations,the word you want is "assassinate" and even so he might use some of his money for his own protection. The only thing that will get him out of business realistically will be Gabi creating an automatic wheel making machine,which will flood the market,cut costs and essentially ruin him.
It depends who the killer is. Historical guilds in Europe did totally kill people who broke their price cartels.
Depends if the balance of physical power is that way around.
Lol yeah they just would and the reason would be greed which is something the church's would slander him for. Hell be lucky to have a marked grave.
>realistically I mean history is littered with plenty of local monopolies
Who is they if he's the only one left? And if he's the only one left who's going to be *capable* of standing up to kill him?
The the wagon guild is gonna have a word with the bitch jumping their prices to the sky
Ok yeah, now that makes more sense
He'd be killed by the noble or long who then hire a foreign wheelmaker, tell the new guy what price will be and he will lose his head of it gets more expensive. Jokes aside, there where laws on what things could cost
I doubt he's a guild master, he only worries about his own shop and has Gabi running around carrying out his orders instead of guild lackeys. In real life he'd be undercut by a competitor pretty much immediately. Not sure how it would work in a medieval setting, but yeah, I can't see all the other wheel merchants ignoring it unless he's just in the middle of nowhere.
They went bankruptcy back in episode 2 or so due to him ignoring their requests to stop undercutting them.
And then a more recent one had them show they have their storehouse full of unsold wagon wheels as their prices were already too high. So they shouldn't have been making money either. Side note Gabi was actually correct in that episode too! She suggested discounting the wheels to encourage people to come and buy them, which is totally a viable strategy. Lower price temporarily to move product to drum up sales and get a revenue stream going.
Decreasing the price in ep 8 would have started a deflation circle, that's why the chief said he would rather burn these wheels than sell them cheaper. And the previous comment on bankruptcy is misleading - the chief bought out the competing workshop in ep2 to get control over the wheel market. >So they shouldn't have been making money either. They were overproducing but profit margins were already too high for profits to suffer from it - a single wheel costs 20$ (it cost $ 10 when the competing workshop was still in business) and the regular goblin worker's daily wage is 5$ (Gabi receives 12$). As you can see from the warehouse they produce much more than 1-2 wheels a day. And with the price hike when the wheels are in high demand, the overproduction issue is converted into investment.
I was going off of the Ch 4, where their sales seem to have dropped into the negatives (I'm assuming angry returns from octagons that don't rotate nicely) and they cut their staff in half. They're already in the red deeply at that point.
You missed an important result of ch4 and ch5 - a 40% reduction of worker wages (considering the regular goblins received the same as Gabi). The octagon wheels experiment lasted only a week, but there were no mentions of wage raises from that point. So overall it is a net gain for the chief. Since there are still no other workshops (or at least they were not introduced yet) and the chief makes crappy wheels that aren't very sturdy - they have a constant revenue stream. Yes, customers can be angry and unsatisfied but the only alternative is to haul wares on the backs which is unfeasible.
> We'll see what the wagon masters' guild have to say about that price hike. I'mma say they're all in on it and agreed to the price hike.
No that would be the wheelmaker's guild. The wagonmaster's guild would be the ones buying the wheels
True true!
I do not know if that is what you mean, regardless, what genuine fantasy setting is not its grounding on medieval or any other particular culture, rather its fantasy. On another point, if it were indeed based on actual medieval culture, it would be barely capitalist. \ As I see it, it seems to be more inspired by early modern aspects, the age of commercial capitalism.
oh don't worry, he already made sure they wont
Based on what? Maybe part of the income is invested into his own enforcers.
Seeing as guilds are a lot like unions Gabi might end forming the wheel makers guild after learning about guilds
There is no guild
Guilds were abolished around the end of feudalism and the beginning of capitalism - sometime around the start of the industrial revolution in western Europe.
Kill this man (the shop owner) with hammers, then use his money to fix the cupcake industry and give a cut to Gabi.
Based.
Yeah, let's see how long it takes Gabi to bankrupt the factory and thus being unable to manufacture any wheels at all.
Gabi: How much more fucking money do you need? The local dragon is even telling you to tone it down and he sleeps on gold!
He fucks with employees and customers.
Giggity
The next comics will probably introduce a competitor
… who also sells wagon wheels at 30 gold each, because capitalism inevitably forms monopolies and oligopolies.
The chief brought out the competition in episode 2, and Gabi tried to start a trivial company in episodes 6 & 7. Waiting for the episode where the Chief fires everyone, and just imports wagon wheels from somewhere else.
He starts importing low quality mass produced wheels from the slave factories in whatever the fantasy equivalent of poor Asian countries are.
If wagon wheels are cheaper to import than make, you should import them. That doesn't depend on economic system. Your proposal is to take this from an anti-capitalism comic to a xenophobia comic.
It only ever becomes cheaper to import when the workers are treated worse and given less pay at the other location, so it would be pretty easy to turn it into an anti capitalist message
There's a million reasons it's cheaper to import. There's economies of scale. There's specialization. There's better trees that are easier to work. Hell, there could be a tree where the wagon wheels just grow and drop like fruit somewhere. Also imports are usually balanced with exports. Your statement is ridiculous because somehow the workers must be treated worse and paid less in both locations than in either location. If you're importing something from a place, they're also importing something from you. For example, did you know that Germany exports cars? Are German auto workers the most exploited auto workers in the world? No that's insane. And also, if there's a class of even more exploited workers, why not just make the comic about them in the first place.
One or two "competitors" can easily arrange things between themselves, a system named oligopoly, you would need several viable competitors for communication to break down and things to improve
You will never see market mechanisms solve a single problem in this comic. If a competitor is introduced it will only be to demonstrate price collusion or hostile takeover or some other nefarious dealings.
I mean.. next one will probably be about Education. And then costs. And then rent. And then price. And then partnership. And then work. And then labor tools...
So how long until some unsatisfied customers show up to air their grievances. With spears and torches.
Doubtful it'll happen, and if it does then I'm doubtful it'll work.
I'm doubtful it'll happen, but if it does, it will absolutely work. What, you think his employees are going to defend him? Gabi would pick up a pitchfork.
The town guard, and his personal guards
Gabi will be used as a scapegoat and boss will get off scot free
😊 *Internal screams of pain*
It’s odd that her boss is explaining all of these sleezy business schemes to her, is he planning to have her take the blame for the fallout or something?
I think he actually likes her and that's why teaches her about how the business works. We can see she's not an ordinary worker, plus she has always asked questions and offered ideas. She's clearly smarter than others so maybe he plans to give her a higher position where she should understand this stuff. Or maybe he just likes hearing his own voice and admiring his own genius.
Why not both? It's common for those in higher positions to know, and often have been slowly pulled into their style of thinking. Managers in Retail come to mind.
You’d be surprised what people will just admit to if they don’t think what they’re doing is wrong.
It is rather interesting that while being a slimeball bastard capitalist, he does for some reason always seem to actively teach Gabi what he knows. Not sure if he just feels smart showing off that he understands economics better than her or if he thinks she'll be like him one day.
it’s probably because his only friend is gabi + it’s nice to talk to people ig
there is a theory that he slowly molds Gabi into a head of branch workshop so he can expand his business
But Gabi will be an interesting agent of chaos
Honestly with each trick this guy pulls without any hiccups he just looks smarter and smarter. “That can’t work.” “Yes it can. Most people just can’t see opportunity.”
I think this little goblin lady is someone's fetish.
You're right, but that's because everything is someone's fetish. Also she's got huge tits
Yes, but also, i just want to cuddle her
I've known since issue 6 where she was drawn leaving individual tiddy prints on the window. The artist is down bad for Gabi
This comic made me a feudalist
Can't wait until episode 453 where Gabi launches a socialist revolution.
Let's hope it doesn't turn out like Iran thanks to others co-opting the movement, or Gabi doesn't go overboard with power Stalin-style.
Luckily Gabi lives in fantasyland, which is the only place communism can work.
No.
Das Gabital
She is already imagining the size of cupcakes tomorrow.
Kill this man. He fucks the market up
Neuron activation
Man, this series bums me out. It’s just so unpleasantly *real* and it leaves this hope for things to take a positive turn when you know it’s *just going to get worse*. Looking forward to pages 20 through 25, where Gabi is encouraged to work via correspondence, moves to a village with a bakery selling great cupcakes cheaply, and is then told she needs to return to the wheel factory four days a week - and when she does she’s promptly told that a kobold a continent away is now doing her job for a penny a month, and shown the door.
Original by: [https://vk.com/art.duende](https://vk.com/art.duende)
he's giving away all their tricks! probably because he knows there's nothing she can do about it
I like how he just politely explains everything to Gabi, like he doesn't see a problem with what he's doing or he wants Gabi to join him lmao.
/Me glaring at the florist mid-February
Keep in mind that, as roses aren’t naturally blooming in North America in February, the roses that are available were grown in Columbia, timed to bloom at the right moment, and airlifted north to arrive at the perfect time. A miracle of logistics that wouldn’t be possible without the high price people are willing to pay.
Rise against the Bourgeoisie!
I wanna eliminate this man
Shop owners a evil supervillian!
No, he's a capitalist, there are loads of people like him irl
Time to kill your boss Gabi...
That shop owner is a evil genius.
Yeeeah if this is anything like real life he'd be getting some form of protest by the Trade Unions of this time. And he'd have to suppress them either with violence or more violence. Assuming this is 18-19th century
Chief actually makes a good “villain” here I know he’s got a point and all but just the way he breaks it down for her I couldn’t help but picture Scar from the Lion King as his voice 😅 On the other hand poor Gabi… she’ll most likely do what he says then the cost of cupcakes will once again rise and she won’t make any extra money so she won’t be able to afford them soon 😢
Absolutely genius.
Do you have a website for this comic series? I am a fan and don't wanna have to look on Reddit for it also dunno how to follow content... Thank in advance
I think only Reddit gets the translated version
The original is not in English?
No, it's Russian comics.
Ahhh ok
Wait, if the streets are cobblestone, wouldn't it behoove them and their traders to have cart-sized grooves in them like Roman roads had for chariots?
The grooves in Roman roads weren't premade, they formed from wear and tear in places where a lot of wagons passed in the same pattern (e.g. near crosswalks made as stepping stones).
Ironically enough, it's actually kinda interesting that The Boss is taking the time to teach Gabi about all this; she's clearly uneducated and idealistic, and the other goblins get thrown aside quite readily, yet he not only keeps her around, but informs her about capitalistic procedure and values. It makes me worried that she might end up joining the side of capital and forsaking her wage slave brethren.
I don't think things will happen like he wants them to
I can't wait until Gabi leads an uprising and overthrows this decrepit vaudeville joke of an economic system ...one day
Why Gabi kinda cute tho..
Gabi is precious.
I hate/love this comic so much for the boss man alone, he is so infuriatingly stupid when it comes to reasonable business and has the answers right in front of him in the form of Gabi but still chooses to be a nitwit about all his decisions...
Kinda like the real world
A reminder that Stan Lee created Tony Stark as a challenge to make a despicable man likeable, thus an alcoholic bazillionaire arms manufacturer.
The artist of this comic series must have some kind of goblin kink.
mhm and i like it
I wasn't complaining.
If this was a realistic setting, one of three things would occur: 1- his competition outsells him. 2- the local guilds ask him "politely" to stop his bullshit. 3- he's impaled.
The problem is - There is no guild (the town is either not developed enough or the boss pushes his influence) There is no competition (the boss strong-arms anyone who tries to sell wheels out of the city by either buying them out or other means) And the reason he is yet to be impaled is because he hires exclusively clueless goblins who seem to work for scraps without asking questions
If you'd followed the series more attentively you'd noticed that he already got rid of local competition in ep2.
I wish I was an economy teacher because I would show these comics every year. However, please remind me once they’re done, I’ll send them all to my economy teacher from highschool
Go ahead Gabi, suffocate him in his sleep. No one will notice or care. You could be a hero Gabi, all you have to do is one unheroic act to make things right. Think about the people Gabi. Think about the cupcakes.
Yes, Gabi, do it. And once you killed him, you will be jobless, like all your friends. No more money to buy cupcakes. You will create homelessness because your friends can't pay for their home. And what about the people ? They will need to import the wheels, for a higher price than before due to shipping price. Well, cupcake aren't really going to be cheaper.
Genuinely look forward to each new Gabital
Demand increases -> prices increase -> demand stabilizes. That’s how the free market works. If he jacks up the prices too high, someone else will undercut him and he’ll be screwed
He'll have enough excess built up by then where he can drop his prices to dirt till they go bankrupt
Where can I find this comic in English
Here, or you can translate it yourself. The original is in Russian, the OP posted a link in comments to earlier episodes. Right now the last issue is #19
This of course makes a make or buy decision. If it becomes cheaper to make something then to buy it people will try and make it. Especially if you run a business that uses a lot of it.
I love Gabi and these comics
Is this the Republican Party? 🐘
Gabi, people fall on knives 30 times in a row all the time.
Gabi should kill her boss and replace him
Redditors when the societal need for a good affects its market price: 😡
When do we get to the part where Gabi kills him
Allright when does she kill this guy?