eBay bargains: Looking for an old copy of Photoshop, so I could register and upgrade it to the latest version.
Got version 4 on eBay for $91. Would have gone higher, but someone else backed out at the last minute, and the bidding never did recover. The ad says I get the manuals and other stuff, and charges me a high price for shipping.
I get the Photoshop 4 CD. No manuals. Shipping cost only $1 and was shipped in a slim envelope which offered little protection to the CD. I felt ripped off. Until I see the registration card, which was for the latest version of Photoshop. I called Adobe, and tell them my entire story. They told me to register the new Photoshop number, and for a $25 fee they’ll send out a “replacement” CD. I go for it. Ordinarily I’d have told the eBay seller that he’d made a mistake about the registration card, but since so many details of the transaction weren’t right, I didn’t trust him. And with Adobe knowing the whole story and advising me to register it…well, I didn’t look back! So—I got a $600 version of Photoshop I got for about $120! Cool!
I also got a good deal on other software. I do really well by buying older versions and then upgrading them. I always try to get software that can be registered (it’s all fair and square that way).
I found my favourite coat (I looooove coats) at a closing down sale. It’s grey and feels like teddy bear fur. Knee length, lined, with a hood, for $AU15, which would be about $US8. I thought the attendant said $50 and I was going to buy it for that. I love it.
Memo came down at wifes work"there are 2 old company cars in the lot that we would like to sell; we will accept bids untill thursday".
Turns out one was an '85 chevy wagon(this was in 89) “damned thing keeps eating batteries”, we were told.
Since my old truck was about to quit We decided to bid a hundred bucks, Turns out we were the only bid!!
I bought a new battery, went and the car started IMMEDIATELY!! Even had a full tank of gas!!
On the way home I kept hearing a “CLICK” every time I turned a corner! To make a LONG story short It was simply a stuck horn relay and I fixed it in about twenty minutes.
We drove that car for nine more years! Sure could use a deal like that today!!
I got a used, slightly chewn, (yes chewn on by a dog) atari 2600 with several games, and working joysticks, power adapter and video switch for $1.00 at a storage-place auction.
I live by deals. If I didn’t, I’d actually have to ::::;shudder::::work in the real world.
I bought my sons entire wardrobe ( minus socks and underwear) for preschool at a garage sale for $13. The stuff was better than consignment shop shape. One of the mom’s at his preschool commented on how nice my son’s clothing is and I told her where I bought it, on what road…turns out it was a mom who’s son attended school there last year. Best dressed boy in class. New outfit every week.
I once scored about 10 things of Dove Deoderant for a $1 each. All brand new. (this guy buys stuff off of major stores that close out certain lines of stuff due to label changes.) I didn’t have to buy the stuff for a good long while.
The most recent that gave me a high was finally finding a used copy of **Sinbad and Me ** which is a) out of print and b) usually $75 and up where ever you find it on line. Hubby was visiting his best friend out of town and I really didn’t feel like making the drive that time as all I wanted to do was go into one book store to see if they had any books that are on my list. So he does this. Owner is very familiar with Sinbad and Me and is sure it is storage. I call him a few days later and get the copy for a whopping **$3.00 ** which included S&H. ( He knew he had a real prize, but would rather give it to someone who really wanted it and would read it and come back to his place than try to make a quick buck. Integrity and someone who *grasps the bigger picture * in this day an age, who’da thunk it. I was at his store about three weeks after that and bought $75 worth of books.)
Oh, and for years I’ve wanted to take a cool looking vintage woman’s bicycle and spray paint it all one color and turn it into a lawn decoration ( putting flowers in the baskets) but a) these bikes are now collectors items b) or in really shit shape to begin with or C) not found anywhere. So, I opt for plan D) Wait for the Goddesses of Trash Picking to Guide Me. I waited nearly 9 years.
Found a bike (and other assorted garage floatsom) on the curb with a sign marked **Free ** and I took this absolutely perfect bike in perfect condition ( except the rubber on tires was kaput) and spray painted it *London Gray * (which looks like a puky mushroom color and is getting repainted in spring.)
I got this hat at a garage sale when I was in high school, a kind of Indiana Jones-type hat. Looked brand new, high quality, probably cost $50-$75 originally, if not more. I had gone out with some classmates to distribute flyers for a fundraising event, and we passed some people having a garage sale. They took a flyer, so I felt like I should buy something. I asked how much for the hat. They were asking a quarter for it. TWENTY-FIVE CENTS, baby! I bought it with my change from lunch. Still have that hat, too. I don’t wear it real often, but it was a heck of a deal.
Perfect condition, hot-pink and yellow Land’s End raincoat, for $5 at Goodwill. I don’t know what they retail for, but I know Land’s End is pretty proud of their stuff, so I think it was a steal.
My current 15-inch ViewSonic Professional Series computer monitor, with brilliant color and astounding clarity, for $9.99 at Goodwill. (The guy in that department said he didn’t have the time or equipment to test 'em, so that’s why they were all so cheap. Works perfectly. LOVE IT.) Plus their logo is three adorable little finches, so The Girl in me also digs it.
Pentax K1000 SLR camera, pristine condition, at a pawn shop for $20. Works like a charm.
Two that my wife managed to find. She’s the shopper in the family.
At a garage sale, we found a copy of <i>The Annotated Alice</i>. She carried it around all day while we browsed, then wound up stuffing it in a paper bag at the end of the day, when it got down to “Everything you can stuff in a bag for fifty cents a bag.” The book probably only cost us pennies by then.
She also found a plaid blazer at Macy’s, marked down from something like 75 dollars to twelve. A darn nice blazer, too.
I like the Mannheim Steamroller christmas cd’s, and even bought one as a gift once, but always balked at the $15.95 price for one, so never bought any for myself.
Then, at a local ‘closeout’ store, I found ALL FOUR christmas cd’s, and they were only $1.99 each…and on top of that, they were having a ‘50% off’ sale, so I got all four for $4.00
I lucked out at the thrift stores last week. I found a pair of Florsheim wing-tip golf shoes for my husband marked down to $15. If they’re not brand new they were only worn around the house becuase there’s no dirt or wear inside or out on them. Lord knows what someone paid for them originally.
Another thrift the same day: I found a pair of Lee Casuals in my size that was marked down to $2.50 (these are the only brand of pants that seem to fit me, and they usually run about $40 new.) They announce over the loud speaker that everything is half off today so I end up getting them for $1.25. I get them home and relise that unless the previous owner washed, pressed and starched them before giving them to the thrift store, they WERE new. Sweet deal.
Also at the same thrift store I grabbed a pair of Lee jeans that were a size too big and the wrong length (according to the tag) thinking “well, they’re fine for the price.” ($4.99 but half off, so $2.50.) I get them home and try them on and find that the previous owner was my exact size and had had the pants hemmed and altered so they fit me like a custom pair of jeans. Freaky!
tygre, my best friend’s uncle OWNS Aigner! :eek: So I’ve gotten quite a number of very expensive purses for free, which is certainly a good bargain. In the mall, I found a pair of $60 Candie’s heels marked down to $10 and a pair of Manolo Blahniks that were originally $1,000 (marked down to $98!) at a consignment shop. Both pairs were in VERY good condition. I’ll second the idea of going to outlet stores for designer brands.
I buy almost everything at the thrift store. Some of my bargains that people love: a pair of lavendar suede work shoes for $7; a white jacket with rainbow stripes for $7; and a beautiful jacket with huge block letters on it in all sorts of colors for $3.
I got the 1988 Japanese POTO CD (400 copies and everyone is looking for it) for $75. Even the store admits they made a mistake in the price.
A friend gave me a sweatshirt from the obscure musical Blondel. A total stranger at the mall offered to give me $50 and a new sweatshirt for it.
I’m getting a bargain buzz just reading this thread, I love great deals!
My favorite deal is a perfect DKNY leather jacket, retail $500, for $100 at the Nordstrom Rack.
Steve Madden ankle boots - $7 at Marshall’s
Last summer I picked up a pair of Cole Haan sandals ($150-$200) for $10 at Ross.
I also love the Marshall’s here for Max Studio clothing. $250 sweater coat - $40, $50 sweater - $20 etc.
A few years ago, I was in need of a nightstand, and found a funky one at the Salvation Army for for $10. It was surprisingly heavy. When I brought it home, I looked at it better, and decided to strip it and replace the nasty rusty drawer pulls. Judging from the layers of paint, it’s from the '20’s or so. It turned out to be a beautiful solid maple nightstand with dovetail joints and the whole bit. I spent an entire days stripping it, then restained it a light honey color. It’s now my nicest piece of furniture, and cost probably $30 with all the stain and new drawer pulls, etc.
I had looked at a Hilfiger coat at Marshall Fields. I loved it, but at $129, I knew I could never afford it. Several months later, out garage saling, I found it for 5 bucks. Perfect shape, right size and everything. Even the woman working the sale gave me a “lucky you” look when I paid for it.
I also got a new pair of Nike Airs still in the box for $3 at the same sale.
I was at Abbott’s Magic Get-Together this past August perusing the street vendors. One of them had a set of the Tarbell Series (vol 4-8) he was selling. He offered them to me for $100 and I turned it down. Then later that morning, he offered it to me for $60.00!!! I snapped that deal up straight away.
Each volume easily goes for $25.00 a piece. I got mine for half that easily.
If you’re into rebates and coupons and the like, this is incredible stuff.
The December bargains I got from this site:
Casual Khaki Pants, normally costs me $59.95 on sale at the big and tall shop, only $9.99 each (no rebates required) at the Gap online store.
A Lite-On CD-RW drive normally $79.95, after 2 rebates only $29.95.
I check it every day - there are some incredible bargains on there. Sure, the guy collects a click-through on each site you visit, but the research on coupons and rebates can save you hundreds of dollars.
