Gasoline prices Skyrocketing!

8991XJ

Chief Journeyman
Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
1,226
Finally, the price in this area is dropping. with the recent slide in cost of crude I expected significant reductions in the price of a gallon but as we all know when crude goes up, the pump price goes up that day, when crude goes down the pump price doesn't drop until the crude purchased for less actually reaches the pump.

Costco dropped the price about 35¢ a gallon in the last day or so. Finally below 2 bucks. Kinda expect more if crude stays this low.
 

orange

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
17,704
Tagline
Broken beyond repair but highly affable
It doesn't work going down like it does up. For many dealers their commission per gallon is rather small and this is part of why the traditonal service station is a dying breed. My dad made about SIX CENTS A GALLON on gasoline and had to rely heavily on his skills as a mechanic because he simply would not close the bays and sell beer and food. That was his dream since he was a young man and he did it until his wrists and later cancer took that away from him. Still he worked in the parts department of a car dealership until he retired, and then his lung cancer was found.

Working at his stations in the summer and listening to him I learned a lot about his chosen career, but for FIXING the cars. And you can't convince people of these things, they predate political crap as controversy for anyone that doesn't remember Nixon.

And these days you have to get some of your lost margins out of the product before the price collapses, you would go under if you couldn't. In 1983 a vapor locked tank of premium took priming to get it flowing again and $15.000 eant into that hole before it did, then few bought it other than RV owners, a man with a 4-door Thunderbird 427 and occasional people like late Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus, who was my father's dream customer as he idolized him, it was the biggest moment of his career.

My dad loved his work and it was not an easy thing to do, after three different stations in a row he had to declare bankruptcy and return to Idaho to work for another station with a large amount of repair jobs. By that time I had decided that Oregon would be my final home, I love this state.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 28, 2013
Messages
285
Location
Clinton, Ia
Tagline
Retired
We're seeing a little up-tick in pricing over the weekend. Prices are between 1.64 and 1.68. Seeing a price increase on the weekends is common since people are out shopping on the weekend and filling up a head of the upcoming work week. Late Friday afternoon prices at some stations were at $1.61.
 

orange

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
17,704
Tagline
Broken beyond repair but highly affable
People are still zooming down the nearby interstate in both directions, or at least they were yesterday, I haven't looked...yeah, no difference in traffic, the campers and trailers are gone now.

I'm hoping the power doesn't go off before my ramen is done, I had to bow to the porcelain throne this morning and am trying to recover, there were strong winds forecast for today and I'm also next to a river.
 

laatsch55

Administrator,
Staff member
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
74,873
Location
Gillette, Wyo.
Tagline
Halfbiass...Electron Herder and Backass Woof
There is a refinery in Coffetville Kansas that is only offering to buy Wyoming sweet crude for 1.75 per barrel....
 

orange

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
17,704
Tagline
Broken beyond repair but highly affable
Sell Coffeyville coffee beans and tell them to PERCOLATE.
 

orange

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
17,704
Tagline
Broken beyond repair but highly affable
I haven't been anywhere for two weeks nor checked the Gas Buddy site (if it's still alive), do I have no idea. None of the local media/papers have really said anything much about it either.
 
Joined
Apr 28, 2013
Messages
285
Location
Clinton, Ia
Tagline
Retired
Uh...yeah...they sure aren't.[/QUOTe)

The May, June futures did show a slight movement up this morning but the day is still young. Gas is down to $1.31 in parts of town, yet BP is trying to hang in there at $1.48. Even at that price, I imagine they are doing a good business since they are located at the foot of our north bridge coming in from Illinois.
 

BlazeES

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Messages
6,950
Tagline
---
Looks like oil is finding a footing. Maybe the bottom has been hit ?

Local, low water marks on gasoline hit $1.29 for a gallon of unleaded this morning. Adjusted for inflation, that's like paying 25 cents a gallon in 1971... that's pretty damned cheap ! Minimum wage way back in 1971 was $1.60/hour...
 
Top