# It's incredible how cheap a brand name watch batteries are on Amazon vs retail store prices **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320 "2011-03-11T19:23:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320/1 "2011-03-11T19:23:18Z")
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](http://www.batterybob.com/) 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. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320/2 "2011-03-11T19:27:54Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Don\_t\_Call\_Me\_Shirley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Call_Me_Shirley)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320/3 "2011-03-11T19:29:54Z")
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. ---
**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, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320/4 "2011-03-11T19:31:29Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320/5 "2011-03-11T21:44:14Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320/6 "2011-03-11T21:51:07Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320/7 "2011-03-11T21:53:57Z")
> [@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.](http://www.monoprice.com/home/index.asp) ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-incredible-how-cheap-a-brand-name-watch-batteries-are-on-amazon-vs-retail-store-prices/574320/9 "2011-03-21T23:54:57Z")
> [@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.