$200 Thanksgiving turkey

[wordnerd]

Williams-Sonoma has uncooked turkeys for $109.95 – $229.95  plus shipping (which is 11% PLUS $15). It's brined in your money and tears! Mmm, salty.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/willie-bird-pre-brined-fresh-organic-turkey/?pkey=cfood-willie-bird&&cfood-willie-bird

[MgoSam]

Sad, if you must order a pre-brined turkey, there undoubtedly are many places that cost far less and that you can just pick up.

[MgoSam]

This is a smart business opportunity for Williams. They likely don't need to do anything in-house, but instead will charge you for it, get the money in advance, and likely have sourced the turkeys from someone, who likely will get paid 30 days after the day they ship. So in short, Williams-Sonoma likely gets the business and the profit without much risk. I'm guessing the farmer is getting more for his effort than he would by selling his turkeys to a distributor. WS likely has no money invested in this (other than marketing).

[TheGrimSqueaker]

If I were paying those prices, there'd be a turkey all right... just not on the table. I'd have to be a turkey to sign up for a "deal" like that.

[rockstache]

Semi related: Dh and I attended a charity fundraiser auction last week and one of the items for sale was a chef coming into your house to cook you a full turkey dinner for 4. This item sold for $2000, TWICE. When the auctioneer realized he had two good bidders pitted against each other he offered them both to win for $2k each. This was for a very good cause but STILL. $2000 for a turkey dinner??!

[wordnerd]

This is a smart business opportunity for Williams. They likely don't need to do anything in-house, but instead will charge you for it, get the money in advance, and likely have sourced the turkeys from someone, who likely will get paid 30 days after the day they ship. So in short, Williams-Sonoma likely gets the business and the profit without much risk. I'm guessing the farmer is getting more for his effort than he would by selling his turkeys to a distributor. WS likely has no money invested in this (other than marketing).

Interesting. I hadn't thought of this, but it makes perfect sense.

[Pigeon]

And here I thought Honey Baked Hams were ridiculous.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Semi related: Dh and I attended a charity fundraiser auction last week and one of the items for sale was a chef coming into your house to cook you a full turkey dinner for 4. This item sold for $2000, TWICE. When the auctioneer realized he had two good bidders pitted against each other he offered them both to win for $2k each. This was for a very good cause but STILL. $2000 for a turkey dinner??!

Silent auctions are a funny thing. The goal is to bid high enough to pay more than the item is worth so as to benefit the charity.

[mtn]

Semi related: Dh and I attended a charity fundraiser auction last week and one of the items for sale was a chef coming into your house to cook you a full turkey dinner for 4. This item sold for $2000, TWICE. When the auctioneer realized he had two good bidders pitted against each other he offered them both to win for $2k each. This was for a very good cause but STILL. $2000 for a turkey dinner??!

Meh. I know/knew a guy that would have done this. He was extremely wealthy--came from wealth, then got wealthier on his own because he is incredibly smart and talented. If he was at that auction, he'd probably bid it up to a ridiculous price and then donate the dinner itself to someone else. The kind of money that guy had was mind boggling, and actually kind of depressing even for him. I bet he and his family spent over 1 million a year on everything not including income tax, and still were probably at a mustachian level savings rate.

[Money Mouse]

I paid $80 for a ham a few years ago. It's a locally owned butcher shop, they cure their own hams in house. Easily the best ham I've ever had in my life. I served it for Christmas dinner, the rest of the sides were so cheap that the whole meal for 10 people was still under $100, so I didn't mind spending the money on it.  In fact I may order one again for this year.

But $200 for a turkey? Even the ranch I order my meats from "only" charges around $100 for theirs, and all of their animals are free-range-pasture-raised (so really super tasty, although I've never ordered one of their turkeys, I just can't pay for something that still tastes like chicken...).

[JetBlast]

That's insane!  I can't believe there are people that would pay that much for a turkey. I guess some people really need to show off their wealth. Maybe Gucci can sell branded turkeys in $1,000 leather carrying cases next year.

[MgoSam]

I wonder how long before you can order a fully cooked turkey that's delivered to your door by a drone, just in time for carving. If you want it discretely delivered (so that you can pretend you cooked it), it can be arranged for a surcharge.

[Pigeon]

I could get a reasonably tasty turkey, fully cooked, delivered to my door by my local grocery store, for around $60.  And that includes a bunch of side dishes.  Not as good or cheap as cooking my own, but not bad either.  I don't think they use drones, though.

[StacheInAFlash]

I was almost going to defend this, until I clicked the link and realized that is just a regular ol', free range organic bird and not a fancy "heritage" breed. Some places sell heritage birds (think the kind of birds that were around during the time of the first Thanksgiving) for around that money, and while that is still not Mustachian, I respect the heirloom/heritage movement and the costs associated with it. But no, $200 for a "regular" bird is just crazy.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

I was almost going to defend this, until I clicked the link and realized that is just a regular ol', free range organic bird and not a fancy "heritage" breed. Some places sell heritage birds (think the kind of birds that were around during the time of the first Thanksgiving) for around that money, and while that is still not Mustachian, I respect the heirloom/heritage movement and the costs associated with it. But no, $200 for a "regular" bird is just crazy.

Hopefully it will work out as well as the heirloom/heritage plant initiative.

With heirloom plants, because of high demand the cost eventually dropped to the point where there's no longer an incentive to go with a hybrid, unless you're looking for a specific plant feature. The best part about heirloom plants is that they breed true, and if you save your own seed you don't have to purchase more every year.

[MandalayVA]

You must be new to Planet Williams-Sonoma--it's offered that turkey for over a decade now at holidays.  If you want a true WTF moment, check out the $25 cake mixes and the $18 "simmer sauces."

/former PWS dweller

[Jack]

Just for perspective, I'll mention that the latest Costco ad has an offer for an entire turducken for something like $80. (And even that's ridiculous, since it couldn't possibly cost more than $30 or so to DIY.)

[YoungGranny]

I'm just going to assume it's the worlds largest turkey because surely nobody would pay that kind of money for a regular turkey right, RIGHT?!?!

[mtn]

Just for perspective, I'll mention that the latest Costco ad has an offer for an entire turducken for something like $80. (And even that's ridiculous, since it couldn't possibly cost more than $30 or so to DIY.)

Eh... That actually sounds like a decent deal. The turkey alone is likely $45 or $50.

[Jack]

Just for perspective, I'll mention that the latest Costco ad has an offer for an entire turducken for something like $80. (And even that's ridiculous, since it couldn't possibly cost more than $30 or so to DIY.)

Eh... That actually sounds like a decent deal. The turkey alone is likely $45 or $50.

$2/lb for a turkey?! I could have sworn the regular grocery store had them for something like fifty cents or so last year...

[mtn]

Just for perspective, I'll mention that the latest Costco ad has an offer for an entire turducken for something like $80. (And even that's ridiculous, since it couldn't possibly cost more than $30 or so to DIY.)

Eh... That actually sounds like a decent deal. The turkey alone is likely $45 or $50.

$2/lb for a turkey?! I could have sworn the regular grocery store had them for something like fifty cents or so last year...

Remember, that is going to be a big turkey for a turducken. I paid $30 for a butterball last year for a family of 5.

[Jack]

Just for perspective, I'll mention that the latest Costco ad has an offer for an entire turducken for something like $80. (And even that's ridiculous, since it couldn't possibly cost more than $30 or so to DIY.)

Eh... That actually sounds like a decent deal. The turkey alone is likely $45 or $50.

$2/lb for a turkey?! I could have sworn the regular grocery store had them for something like fifty cents or so last year...

Remember, that is going to be a big turkey for a turducken. I paid $30 for a butterball last year for a family of 5.

Well, that depends on the size of the duck and the chicken...

Anyway, a 30-lb bird ($1/lb for name-brand) is still pretty gigantic. I'm pretty sure you don't need a turkey that big to fit the other bits into, especially if it's de-boned except for the drumsticks (as it would be).