Sales and Discounts  

If you are like me you have someone in your family who always asks for something that is obscure, out of print, made overseas, or just nearly impossible to find.  The individual in my family has asked for out of print movies, CD or record titles that were decades old, limited editions, and off the normal beaten path by about a hundred miles obscure toys.  I’m not sure where he finds these things to want, but I’m usually stuck trying to hunt it down with only weeks before the date of gift exchange.  Used to be I’d go frantic hitting yard sales and church sales and classifieds trying to locate it locally, with limited success. If this sounds familiar to you, then chances are you’ve already come across several Internet sources that make the task less impossible, if not cheap on occasion.  Although I do admit having success at auctions and getting a few of those rare items at rock bottom prices.

The first stop on any quest of this nature will likely be the search engine.  You will want to look up as much information about the item as you can find before you start hunting for it.  If you don’t you may end up getting ripped off.  So check the information sites first about the item you are looking for and learn everything you can.  Next you will want to determine how delicate it is.  If you will need edge protector pieces, cardboard edge protectors or even custom packaging solutions then you will want to include this extra cost in your budget. Believe me, buying a hundred buck toy to have it arrive busted when it is a limited edition is not fun.  Sometimes the vendor will replace it, but if they don’t have a replacement then you are stuck.  With items like this do not count on getting a second one if the first is busted.

Once you have determined how to tell if you have a real version of the item and how you need it packed for shipping, go hunting for the requested gift.  You’ll want to compare prices and likely bids on auctions between vendors to determine if it is practical to bid on.  Sometimes Amazon vendors will have out of print or collector’s editions, but expect to pay through the nose for most of these.  If you cannot afford double the price then E-Bay might offer an alternative.  Another option are those “my trash is your treasure” type exchange sites that are out there.  In any case the Internet dramatically raises success rates on these types of quests and most of the time I can find the item being asked for, much to the surprise of the asker.

Just remember that packaging is everything.  You will want edge protector pieces inside the box, cardboard edge protectors outside the box, or custom packaging solutions to ensure your time is not wasted and that you get a product that is in the best condition possible.