NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Why local businesses fail. I have been selling online for over 10 years now.
EBay, Amazon, a few other sites. In my 10-plus years, the only “theft” I have encountered is when an item is not delivered by the Postal Service, and the delivery tracking even says so.
With two new flea markets opened in Rogers, I thought I would try my goods there - video games, PC software and movies. My first month I sold $22 worth of product.
(My online profit for the same month was over $300.)
As I was preparing to take more product in to sell, I discovered that I was missing eight Gameboy games.
An additional box was open, and on my shelf - without the game.
Instead of putting more product on the shelf, I took what was left and went home.
Perhaps if we would take theft seriously in this country, it wouldnot be so rampant as to steal a $6 game at a flea market. Cutting off a finger or hand comes to mind as a good deterrent. However, we shall continue with the slap on the wrist - and the thieves will continue to prosper, as the price of goods goes up for all of us, to pay for the theft.
As for me, I’ll just keep selling my goods in cyberspace, and leave the local businesses to deal with the thieves.
JOSEPH ELSTER / Rogers
MISSOURI SHOWS HOW IT’S DONE
Just a few random thoughts: Have you ever noticed how clean and well-maintained bank parking lots are? I am thinking that the Jane, Mo., Walmart needs to give Arvest a call and see if they can get the same people to clear and maintain their parking lot.
On the same note, I wonder if the city of Bella Vista could perhaps enroll in snow-removal classes from the state of Missouri? It is amazing that the moment you cross the state line on 71, it is night and day as far as the road conditions.
Today (Feb. 10), 24 hours after the record snowfall in the area, I headed north for a few things, and it was like the scene from “The Wizard of Oz.” The house had landed and it went from black and white to color.
Missouri seems able to build and maintain their roads far better than Arkansas is able to and maybe we could send the street department north. After all, they are known as the “Show Me” state.
I really think that Bella Vista’s road crew could use a little “show me” because right now, we are the “snow me” state - and that is just not natural.
BRIAN GROSNICKLE / Bella Vista
Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/21/2011