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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!dnc
From: dnc@clyde.UUCP (Don Corey)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Eyeglasses why so expensive
Message-ID: <797@clyde.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 9-Feb-85 14:22:05 EST
Article-I.D.: clyde.797
Posted: Sat Feb  9 14:22:05 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Feb-85 05:36:49 EST
References: <777@u1100a.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany NJ
Lines: 18

> While the unit cost for a pair of frames are low, there is a
> fair amount of overhead (rent/lights, the kilobucks for the lens
> grinder and other opthalmic equipment).
> ...  the optician must be licensed by the state (at least
> in NJ), so this makes the optician "skilled labor".

You missed the start of this discussion. The complaint was not over
the price of lenses, which require the equipment and skilled labor you
describe, but over the price of frames which do not. We also recognize that
the retailer has to have a mark up ( I have found that 100% mark up is not
uncommon), but this does not alter fact that eyeglass frames seemed to be
priced out of proportion to their complexity. The poster of the original
article stated that one could by an electric drill for less than the price
of many frames.
-- 
Don Corey
AT&T Bell Laboratories
WH 2A-140 (201) 386-2349 ihnp4!clyde!dnc