Wednesday, December 31, 2008, 10:45 AM: I don’t have a good sense of what is in store the next week or so. Monday’s price hike was at first blush a bit surprising, but then you look at the numbers and the retail price was about the same as the 0-cent margin price, so that’s why they hiked it.
I want to go back to a posting I made a year ago on GrandRapidsGasPrices.com, to start the "The Gas Game 2008 — Predictions" thread:
"This begins another year of trying to outwit the retailers and buy gas the day before a price hike. If past history holds, prices should climb into mid-January, then sell off for a few weeks, followed by some relentless hikes through the end of March. Next, relatively steady prices until the end of June. July through September … anything can happen, and then gentle drops through the last three months of the year. Some say we’ll hit $4 a gallon in 2008. Others say we’ll get a recession, and prices will fall significantly."
Other than the fact that hikes were relentless from March until June, all of this happened! We got to $4.25, we got a recession, we got prices falling significantly.
I have to say that I found this year pretty stunning. Consequently, for the moment at least, trying to get gas for $1.55 versus $1.65 seems kind of silly after gas was over $4 this summer.
Nevertheless, we will be back again in 2009 to play … The Gas Game!
Patrick and Ed,
Although I am in Traverse City (Although soon moving home to Eastmanville) I have religiously kept up with your posts, insights and predictions…
I just want to say thanks to each of you (and there are a couple more on the GRGasbuddy site as well) for all the work, time, and effort each of you put into this site and the contributions on GB, and WOODTV and elsewhere!
Bill
Bill:
Thanks a lot. We appreciate your support!
Ed