The Deodorant Thieves
 

I just ran to the pharmacy for beer (like you do) and thought I'd better pick up some deodorant for beest while I was there, and every damn stick had at least one and mostly two labels saying "CVS only" "call this number if you are not buying this from the Carpenter Road CVS". And when I checked out, she had to deactivate a security tag. It was a $9 two pack of deodorant! No security tag on the beer.....

So I asked her only half seriously, "so, is there a lot of deodorant theft that goes one?" Oh yes, she says, almost every night by the shelfload Then she goes on to produce a photo album of suspects taken by the security camera. Apparently it's easily resellable and highly desirable. Who'd a thunk it? You learn something new every day.

psssst.... wanna buy some deodorant? I got gel, solid or are you after some roll-on?

I've seen a few people selling things like deodorant from baskets around town. And I've noticed that the ones SELLING it are never the ones USING it.

That was one of my first thoughts too. But I've never seen it being sold from a basket around town. Although, mostly the hippies round here grow their pit hair and go au naturel, so I'm guessing they're selling it in the next town.....

Its an organised gang, I tells ya.

sol.

Not so much resellable as small and returnable. Steal it, return it for cash at the next store down the block.

That how you're makin ends meet nowadays, huh?

That's small time stuff... to really be a hustler takes computers and internets and shit

Actually, I've had a small business idea that I might as well throw at you...

Down Under, there are 3 or 4 companies offering wireless/mobile internet. They all make roughly the same claim about performance ("UP TO" 7.2 Mbps, actual performance may vary depending on blah blah blah.) One may be technically faster, but have so many subscribers in my area that it is overloaded. How can I tell?
So I just had to take a guess at which would would work best where I actually live (and any other places I frequent with my computer, which are few).

I would have given a goodly sum to have some techie bring one (or maybe four identical) computers to my house and simultaneously test all four rival networks and give me the data, so I can make an educated choice.

Just throwing the idea up, AFAIK you might not even have rival wireles internet providers or something. The business costs would be a few standardised computers, and subscriptions to the rival providers.
Hell, to be really smart, you work as an agent for all the rival providers and sign people up then and there. Install it for them. watch 'em surf.

Ok, you may now think of all the reasons it won't work.

not here. No cash returns without receipt. Also, these stickers will render the label unreturnable when removed. But maybe store credit? To swap it for something really useable? the police told the store they were good resale items though. And the store down the street is not going to accept a shelf-full of returns

[nelson] "Smell ya later!" [/nelson]

Yes, small-time theft and item return is a staple of drug addicts. Another popular target: the hanging plants displayed out in front of a store.

How does one go about that? You steal the hanging plant and then go to...? Is there a black market for hanging plants?

You steal it from one Wal Mart/Home Depot etc. and then you go a few miles down the road to the next identical store of the same namebrand.

And return it?

"I, uh, I decided that this plant didn't go with my drapes..." WTF?


No wonder my local Wal-mart (which I refuse to go to) treats their customers more like criminals. They want to do a colonoscopy on you before you leave the store.