It's incredible how cheap a brand name watch batteries are on Amazon vs retail store prices

[astro]

I mostly change my own watch batteries, but it’s done infrequently enough that I’ve never had the need to have a cache of batteries so I go to the Radio Shack, Walmart or a drug store and pay 4 to 5 a battery. Lately a bunch of quartz watches in my family have exhausted their batteries so I checked online with Amazon and Battery Bob to get multiples. The prices at Battery Bob are good but on Amazon they are amazing. I can get 5 to 10 brand new brand name (Maxell, Energizer etc.) watch batteries shipped and delivered to my door for the price of 1 at Radio Shack.

I knew watch batteries had good gross profit, but I never imagined it was that much.

[iamthewalrus_3]

It’s mostly because it’s not worth stocking something that’s replaced as infrequently as a watch battery and selling it so cheaply.

I recently replaced the battery in my car key fob. On Amazon, I could choose between buying 1 for $1.99, 5 for $2.38, or 25 for $2.51.

Different sellers. But, seriously, I can get an additional 20 for an extra $0.13? I ended up buying 5, because I couldn’t imagine a case in which I would ever need more than 5 key fob batteries, and the others would just go to waste. Odds are I’ll lose the other 4 or sell the car before I need them too, but oh well.

[Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley]

I just went through this with HDMI cables. I needed a mini-HDMI for my camcorder. $25 at Walmart, $6 at Amazon.

HDMI cables are the biggest scam ever. But I guess when you’re spending a thousand bucks on a TV, a $50 cable doesn’t seem like that much.

[Joey_P]

@iamthewalrus_3

Different sellers. But, seriously, I can get an additional 20 for an extra $0.13? I ended up buying 5, because I couldn’t imagine a case in which I would ever need more than 5 key fob batteries, and the others would just go to waste. Odds are I’ll lose the other 4 or sell the car before I need them too, but oh well.

Just for the sake of not throwing them out, I’d probably mention to family (and coworkers) that I have them. There’s a good chance my next car would have the same battery, but like you, I’d probably lose them as well. Besides, for 13¢, I’d rather give them to a family/coworker then have them spend $4.00 at Walgreens.

[Lightnin]

@Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley

I just went through this with HDMI cables. I needed a mini-HDMI for my camcorder. $25 at Walmart, $6 at Amazon.

The best deal I ever got on HDMI cables was through Amazon: twenty-five cents each. I bought six.

[Hampshire]

I got a new smart phone that charges through a usb port. The phone came with one cable (USB to microUSB) but I wanted an extra. Couldn’t find one for less than $20 at BestBuy or Verizon. Found em on Amazon for $1.50 ea. so I bought two.

[Musicat]

@Lightnin

The best deal I ever got on HDMI cables was through Amazon: twenty-five cents each. I bought six.

That might have been a special case. For all-around best deals in cables and adapters, I recommend monoprice.com.

[iamthewalrus_3]

@Joey_P

Just for the sake of not throwing them out, I’d probably mention to family (and coworkers) that I have them. There’s a good chance my next car would have the same battery, but like you, I’d probably lose them as well. Besides, for 13¢, I’d rather give them to a family/coworker then have them spend $4.00 at Walgreens.

My friends and coworkers already jibe me for being cheap. The last thing I need is to go around crowing about this great deal I got on something that only costs a few bucks to begin with. Oh, and do you want some? I have too many.

If there were like 1 size of watch battery, I might do this. But with all the different sizes, the odds that someone else needs this one (and needs it when I ask. Otherwise, I’ll just give them the battery and they’ll lose it before they need it) are low enough that it’s not really worth wasting the time of everyone involved.