I'm trying to figure out if there is the broader phenomenon of a retailer experimenting with stupid high motor oil prices, or if there really is an overall market spike in motor oils.
I buy motor oil somewhat regularly, both "synthetic" (don't get me started on what is really a "synthetic") and the regular petroleum-based stuff.
For awhile, I've paid between $2/qt for conventional to $6/qt or so for Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum or some other mass market "synthetic."
By the gallon, I was paying $21/gal for Rotella T6 (a great oil, btw) or $25/gal for Mobil 1, with petreum Rotella T3 about $13/gal.
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I went to the Autozone near me recently and about died when I saw their oil prices. $9.91 for synthetics by the quart? $50 for the five-quart jugs?
They now have the *petroleum* oils about the prices the synthetics used to be-- $5+ per quart. For the "cheap" stuff.
I had to do a double-take to make sure I was in the auto parts store and not a movie theater or sports arena.
OK, so I get to Wal-Mart (begruding the extra trip) and even mightly WMT is in on the gag, with the synthetics $7.74 or something like that. Holy crap. What gives? Petro oils over $3/qt at WAL MART?
Potential causes?
1) EPA shenanigans forcing us now to pay for all used oil expenses with every quart of new
2) EPA shenanigans forcing producers to spend a lot more money to make the oil
3) Fed pumping finally producing inflation, but only for one particular product?
I'm thinking we're finally seeing an effect of some Obama-powered EPA.
I buy motor oil somewhat regularly, both "synthetic" (don't get me started on what is really a "synthetic") and the regular petroleum-based stuff.
For awhile, I've paid between $2/qt for conventional to $6/qt or so for Mobil 1, Pennzoil Platinum or some other mass market "synthetic."
By the gallon, I was paying $21/gal for Rotella T6 (a great oil, btw) or $25/gal for Mobil 1, with petreum Rotella T3 about $13/gal.
~~~
I went to the Autozone near me recently and about died when I saw their oil prices. $9.91 for synthetics by the quart? $50 for the five-quart jugs?
They now have the *petroleum* oils about the prices the synthetics used to be-- $5+ per quart. For the "cheap" stuff.
I had to do a double-take to make sure I was in the auto parts store and not a movie theater or sports arena.
OK, so I get to Wal-Mart (begruding the extra trip) and even mightly WMT is in on the gag, with the synthetics $7.74 or something like that. Holy crap. What gives? Petro oils over $3/qt at WAL MART?
Potential causes?
1) EPA shenanigans forcing us now to pay for all used oil expenses with every quart of new
2) EPA shenanigans forcing producers to spend a lot more money to make the oil
3) Fed pumping finally producing inflation, but only for one particular product?
I'm thinking we're finally seeing an effect of some Obama-powered EPA.