Why is everything so expensive?
Oh, that's a very valid question. You're looking right at the root. But I warn you right away, there will be no discussion. Westerners, Slavophiles, Leftists, Rightists, centrists, and stationers can all go through the woods. I am not interested in the mystery of the Russian soul or the possibility of European reforms taking root in Russia. I want to know why there are so many dealers in our country who, instead of cultivating their garden honestly, prefer to buy apples for a nickel and resell them for a thousand? Okay, I'm ready to accept that it's lazy to work in the garden — especially since the Chinese are pushing everyone anyway. I even understand that buying in one place and reselling in another is the basic principle of trading. But why the hell is it for a thousand?! Yes, I know how much our rent costs, yes, our officials are fiends and undead, yes, firefighters, precinct officers, licensed — everyone wants to eat and everyone has not three, but thirty-three throats. I know everything, I live in the same glorious country as you. And I also feel sorry for the poor, half-strangled merchants. But all these hardships still do not explain the tendency of a Russian merchant to increase any price tag an incredible number of times. Do you want an example? You are welcome. Not so long ago, I decided to order moccasins in the States — not for the sake of showing off, just the old ones got through. The original price of the sneakers was $ 80, but I politely waited for the sale, during which the price of what I was looking for dropped to 35 bucks. Everything was fine with me, except the size. I hadn't bought this brand before, so I was in doubt whether to take size 11 or 11 and a half. Let me check, I think, maybe we have exactly the same ones for sale? At least I'll try it on before ordering. I go into the search engine, type in the name of the brand and model and see — yes! For sale! Only 8000 rubles each pair. That is, almost $300 each. It's okay, right? It's a fair, honest trade. Just don't tell me about duties and customs. It was a seedy online store registered to an individual who had never paid rent or duties, but simply stupidly bought sneakers in America for half a penny, but decided to cash in on them so that the grandchildren would have enough. Is that what it is? Extreme greed? The endless certainty that everyone is a sucker? A complete lack of shame? Or some other subtle shade of the mysterious Russian soul? Decide for yourself. But personally, I found for myself an almost perfect definition of business in Russian, expressed by the blogger Toy_marker: ”Klyuchevsky has this definition: ”to do business in German.” This refers to a small and law-abiding Protestant percentage of the margin. Children go to a good school, moderate beer on weekends. A restrained and orderly way of life. In Russian, business means living ”according to the concepts”, taking prices from the ceiling, chasing pets and weekly binge drinking. Sit with a cabbage in your beard, put a ”mullen” price tag on last year's snow and wait for a fool (or a miracle). In between scolding foreigners and envying them. And if you need to go outside, there are icons hanging in the house.” It's sad, isn't it? And it's a shame. That's it. To get the best registration bonus, using a 1xbet promo code is essential. It is entered during sign-up and unlocks a generous welcome offer. Unlike a standard registration, the welcome bonus can reach up to 130€ on your first deposit. The process is simple: copy the code into the dedicated field when creating your account. Do not miss this free money that boosts your starting bankroll. Sports betting becomes more accessible, allowing you to test different strategies without immediate risk. This offer is available for new customers only.