by Open mind 21 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I'm not talking about the incalculable cost of wasted lives, etc.
I'm mainly thinking about actual out-of-pocket accounting cost to the WTB&TS.
Raw materials, labor (yes labor, it's not quite free even though some seem to think so), utilities, shipping, etc.
My gut says about $.30 US.
But I have crunched no numbers nor done any research.
Anyone else?
om
They never seemed to have a huge problem with $.50 for the two of them. So I believe it's still under a quarter apiece.
Once it gets to the KH, the actual delivery to the door is 100% free to them.
Edited to add: I think it now gets delivered to the Assembly Hall with other literature, so that eliminates much cost and it's free to them from that point to deliver it to the KH. Help me if I got that wrong.
That's right OTWO. The vast majority of US (and we're the center of the universe right) congregations have some poor local schmuck take at least half of a Saturday or Sunday with his own gas-guzzling pickup and go to the nearest Assembly Hall to pick up the literature for all the congos that share the same K Hall.
So, no cost to the WTBTS there. Unless, of course, the schmuck gives a little less green to the Worldwide Work to offset his gas money.
As for the old $.50 figure, I wonder how realistic that was?
om
I believe Randy Watters from the Freeminds site did an assessment once. He had the benefit of having worked in the printing department of the Watchtower in a supervisory capacity.
His reckoning was that it cost the Watchtower 11 cents to actually manufacture an individual magazine, at a time when a cost of 50 cents on each was being placed onto the consumer.
What's that? A 220% profit?
Nice little earner.
I'm looking forward to the day when the publishing is done by E Mail blasts.
The whole thing could happen while never leaving your bed with very little cost.
Plus think of the trees they'd save while going green.
Wouldn't you be tempted to open this email?
"You can earn everlasting life while sitting at your computer!"
The cheapest grade of toilet paper costs about $.10/roll to make. Just saying...
I would be surprised if the raw cost was .11 cents. Unless they are including a factor for depreciating the cost of the high speed presses and other automation. I would have guessed a nickel or less.
The vast majority of US (and we're the center of the universe right) congregations have some poor local schmuck take at least half of a Saturday or Sunday with his own gas-guzzling pickup and go to the nearest Assembly Hall to pick up the literature for all the congos that share the same K Hall.
Let's be fair to the schmuck. Typically, he will take a "Bible Study" along and "count the time." Or will go directly from service and find a way to reconcile "counting the time." At the very least, it will be someone who blows off field circus to do something else and he would gladly pay for the gas to get out of that.
When I was at the Aust Bethel in 1994 I was told by the printing overseer that it cost $AUD 22 cents. I am not sure if that was just the COGS or included a component for cost of staff laundry, housing food etc.
These days I imagine total costs would not be much more, now they run faster printers that require less staff and are doing the public version in black and white.
Is the public version now in black-and white?
Wow. What a comedown.
When did this start?
