# Central Liquidators Merchandise Sale **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/central-liquidators-merchandise-sale/574252 "2011-03-11T02:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BuzzSaw101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@BuzzSaw101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuzzSaw101)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/central-liquidators-merchandise-sale/574252/1 "2011-03-11T02:22:03Z")
The local convention center is hosting a Central Liquidators merchandise sale this weekend. They have been advertising a lot of electronics for very low prices and it costs $8 per person to attend. Are these liquidator sales legit? I haven’t been able to find much online about it. My wife is looking for a cheap laptop and she is intrigued by the ads. Will it be a waste of time? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/central-liquidators-merchandise-sale/574252/2 "2011-03-11T02:29:20Z")
> [@BuzzSaw101](#): > > The local convention center is hosting a Central Liquidators merchandise sale this weekend. They have been advertising a lot of electronics for very low prices and it costs $8 per person to attend. > > Are these liquidator sales legit? I haven’t been able to find much online about it. My wife is looking for a cheap laptop and she is intrigued by the ads. Will it be a waste of time? I went to one once. Wasn’t worth the $8 (or whatever). At least for me. It was like a big rummage sale. OTOH, if you have an old Honda Civic and want a cheap head unit and need to pick up a replica samuri sword, some tie dye shirts, a bong and an $12 Lexmark Printer while you’re at it, go nuts, but I wouldn’t bother. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/central-liquidators-merchandise-sale/574252/3 "2011-03-11T02:46:20Z")
Yes they are, but don’t be looking for top quality. It’s all returns and exchanges from retail stores, or other types of shrink, like shipping pallets damaged in freight. Most of it’s bought just above salvage from distribution centers then resold in places like this. So it’s legit, but finding a durable quality item for cheap is slim. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/central-liquidators-merchandise-sale/574252/4 "2011-03-11T03:00:27Z")
I would expect to see a bunch of knock-offs and discontinued models there. Buying a computer at one of those shows seems kind of risky to me. But you never know, you could find just what you’re looking for. If nothing else, you could go with an eye to report back here with a first-person account. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/central-liquidators-merchandise-sale/574252/5 "2011-03-11T03:10:07Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I went to one once. Wasn’t worth the $8 (or whatever). At least for me. It was like a big rummage sale. OTOH, if you have an old Honda Civic and want a cheap head unit and need to pick up a replica samuri sword, some tie dye shirts, a bong and an $12 Lexmark Printer while you’re at it, go nuts, but I wouldn’t bother. This matches my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/central-liquidators-merchandise-sale/574252/6 "2011-03-11T19:42:33Z")
I went to one around Christmas. **Joey P** and **blondbear’s** descriptions seem just about right. They did seem to be doing big business on R/C cars and 'Copters and gaudy watches. The laptops and computers were an obvious bait and switch to get you to give up the $8. Rather than pay a fee to get in, just wait in the parking lot, just about everyone who leaves gets free tickets to come back, my guess is at least 70% of those people have no intention returning. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/central-liquidators-merchandise-sale/574252/7 "2011-03-11T20:09:40Z")
I went to one of these a few years ago, paid about 8-10 bucks also, and will echo what other people have said in that it’s basically just a bunch of discounted junk. If you’re in the market for some car speakers, then you can probably get a decent deal, but probably no better than you could get from some guy selling them at a flea market. Also as **Joey P** , mentioned above, the one I went to did in fact have an overabundance of faux-Samurai swords, as well as nunchuks, throwing stars and bowie knives.