Dear Reader,
My number one rule in life when it comes to shopping: NEVER PAY RETAIL.
And in this economy, it is probably the dumbest thing you can do. With the advent of eBay, wholesale retailers, outlet stores, or discount department stores (think Marshalls or Filene’s Basement), there really isn’t any reason to pay full price. In fact, I don’t remember the last time I bought anything that wasn’t on sale, or without a coupon/discount.
In this light, I thought I’d share my newfound appreciation for eBay. I joined the site earlier this week because there was something that I had to have – MJ memorabilia. I had browsed for items before, but had always been afriad of being scammed, getting my identity stolen, etc., so I never joined. Until Sunday.
Yes, I know I’m 15 years late but whatever, I had my reasons.
Anyway, I won my first bid on an item on Sunday – the February 1983 issue of Rolling Stone magazine with Michael Jackson on the cover. This is one of the few magazines that actually had an in-depth interview with the late great singer as his solo career began to take off. After that, he pretty much stopped doing print interviews; but magazines still put him on the cover.
For example, TIME Magazine apparently broke a long-standing policy to not put anyone on their cover if they did not have an interview with that person. In their March 1984 issue, TIME did just that when they put MJ on their cover; they were in fact unsuccessful in actually scoring an interview with him. However, this magazine is my next hunt, as the cover was designed by Andy Warhol. (FYI – I am an admirer of MJ, in case you couldn’t tell). Anyway, I digress.
Breaking rules for MJ.
The Exception
The only exception to this rule is if what you’re trying to buy is a newly released item that is sure to sell out fast (i.e. something with a limited quantity or is exclusive). Once it’s gone, the price will only balloon as folks try to resell the item for a profit (think concert tix, Chanel limited edition nail polish, etc).
Yes, it can be tedious and sometimes time-consuming to be a bargain hunter, but I think it’s well worth it. Do the research and have a few places that you can count on for discount shopping. Ask your friends for suggestions which will cut down your research time. This way, once you know what you’re looking for, you can just do a quick search at these places that you trust for pricing and quality.
For example, in my last entry, I mentioned a fragrance that I had bought for mother. What I didn’t mention was how inexpensive it was. I shopped around and ended up purchasing a bottle from a perfume wholeseller here for about half the retail price. A quick search on eBay this morning and I found it for half of what I paid (granted the auction hasn’t ended yet). But you catch my drift.
What are some of your shopping tidbits?
Happy Shopping.
