How much would you pay for a hass avocado?

I was scanning through my emails and found a digest email from one of the discussion groups I belong to - this one about food and cooking. Here is the text of the opening salvo, with a question from Andy:


My favorite produce market laid an egg! They priced Hass avocados at $1.30/ea. where only two weeks ago they were their usual $0.80/ea.

Oh well. I have grapes!

How much would YOU pay for a Hass avocado?

Thus started a barrage of response from the discussion group members. Here are a few:

From Tammy:


I think I've paid as much as $1.50. I had a hankering, what can I tell ya?



From Omelet


No more than $.50 each, max. They are often on sale 2 to 3 for $1.00.

Any higher than that, I simply don't buy them.

I can live without avocados out of season.


Notbob responds:


Where the heck you at? Chile? Are you sure they are Hass 'cados? If so, you should be wholesaling them to the rest of the country! ;)


Carol writes:

I only buy them when they're under a dollar each, which isn't very > often. The current price here is $1.49 each. Too rich for my blood.



Peter writes:

If I saw Hass avocados for $1.30 I would jump all over them. $2 is a good price here (North Carolina).



Boron says:


Trader Joe's was selling guacamole "kits," that had two guacs, an onion, a tomato, some garlic and a jalapeno. $2.49 for the lot.

Great value. We were getting them 3-4 times a week when they had them.

Andy responds again:

The supermarket across the street from the produce market sells small Hass for $2.00/ea. They've been priced that high forever. After pitted there's probably only two or three tablespoons of edible avo. The BUMS!!!

TK: Interesting exchange about avocados, and how different consumers perceive the value sweet spot (in addition to other issues such as pit size, fresh guac vs. process, Calif. v. Mexican supply, etc.. For example, Andy said the more expensive ripened avocados were "priced to rot" - "not bad if you need guacamole tonight, but..." An interesting exchange about consumer perceptions of value and more proof about the need for produce marketers and retailers to engage and educate consumers.