If you have read my previous post this photo will make more sense. The photo was taken on our last trip to Europe in Bruge Belgium. I was reminded of this photo last summer while helping a family from France with their travel photos of western Canada. They also had a photo of a display of treats taken in one of our North American super stores. Most likely they were on sale. I asked her why and told her of the above photo. She struggled to find the right English words for me but in the end I understood. Her description,"play dough" made me smile. The treats and I cup of coffee that morning in Bruge, I can't remember what they cost but I can sure remember the taste.

In an earlier post I mentioned that I had been thinking of pricing. These thoughts have more to do with my 25 years of retail experience than photography. I don't want this to sound like a rant, but here goes. There is that old saying you get what you pay for. I think it applies more today than ever before. I think the trend in retailing for the lowest price being the most important part of buying something has had its effect. I don't think it is by accident that most things purchased today are from an underpaid sales clerk with no product knowledge and training. The product you buy may not be the right one for what you need, and it may not last very long. It's more important to come back and buy again and again. How many coffee pots does a person buy in a life time? I think most consumers today are under sold. For a sales person this may mean the person could have been sold something that cost more with more profit. It also means they were not sold what they really needed, will be unhappy with the purchase, and did not get value for their money. Do you think the box store or that on-line store that gives you a less than satisfying sales experience, with the lowest price cares? I don't think so, they only care if you come back soon for more of the same, good deals for things you may not need. And the money we save, another old saying, there is no free lunch. Because we have been convinced that we have to pay the lowest price, we drive for hours, we pay to ship things around the world, we put our neighbour out of work and we fill our landfills with waste. As a sales person I see my job as helping people make good buying decisions. To do this I need product knowledge, I need to understand my customers needs, I need to find ways to make the buying experience pleasant. I also need the support from my suppliers and I need quality products. As a consumer I am willing to pay more than the lowest price to get the best value. As a sales person providing good value can be challenging. I address this challenge with my passion for photography and sales. My reward is the feeling one gets when a job is well done and the smiles I receive from happy customers.
With that I am going to hop down off my soap box and hope this is something you may think about when someone tells you they just paid the lowest price. Bill Wilby

Nikon D300, today Nikon announced they are increasing production of this camera to 70,000 per month. I also noticed most stores are taking orders. We have them in stock and will ship anywhere, maybe even deliver if it is somewhere warm. Bill P.S. with that in mind we will be in Italy the last two weeks in Feb. field testing ? camera