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How did Clarence know how much the drugs were worth?

posted 8 years ago by joetigersfan
4 replies | jump to latest

Clarence (unwittingly) steals a suitcase full of coke. Later in the movie, he shows it to his friend Dick and asks Dick if he can line up buyers. With assured confidence, Clarence declares he is selling "a half million dollars of white for 200 grand."

It begs the question, how did Clarence know the coke was "worth" 500K? As far as we know, Clarence is not a drug dealer. So how does he arrive at the 500K figure when declaring the drugs' value? Was this lazy writing? Did I miss something?

[–] dllmb 8 years ago

He didn't and he admitted as much. He was just making a large estimate to what the value was.

[–] joetigersfan 8 years ago

Are you sure? He seemed pretty specific when he quoted that "half a million" dollar amount.

[–] NutMustardx 7 years ago

How much coke could fit in that case really?? 10 kilos MAYBE . 5k a kilo, let's say it's pure coke then what . 20k at the best...he's still nowhere near 500 worth. Maybe if he gram'd it out he'd get 500k. He had a nice score but not 200k unless it was pure. Been years since I saw the movie but I dont recall the case being all that big. If it was a big suitcase then he could fit 35 to 50lbs in it, then he's up there w a box car or 2 of cash value wholesale deal.

[–] mobocracy (845) 7 years ago

It seems like a classic negotiating gimmick -- declare an item worth far more than it really is, and then highball the actual asking price.

It puts potential buyers at a disadvantage because they are now have to negotiate against the declared value *and* the asking price. With an item like wholesale quantities of cocaine, the price is ambiguous to begin with, making this tactic more effective.