Saturday, November 27, 2010

It's Black...Weekend!

The tradition of Black Friday seems like it's slowly being tossed out the window these days! In the spirit of money saving, I suppose, many sales have been extended through the weekend, and some even started on Thanksgiving day (yeesh!). I was really into Black Friday at one point. About 2 years ago, I dragged my mom to Woodbury Commons with me for their "Midnight Madness". Surprisingly, it was not too crowded, and what better way to digest your humongo turkey day feast than to burn some calories shopping, right? Also, I'm not a morning person, so to be home and in bed by 1AM without fear of the 5AM wake-up call was bliss!

However, a warning about many of these Black Friday deals. Some of them are great for holiday shopping, and who doesn't want to save money when your gift list is on the long side? But if you're picking up some gifts for yourself along the way, my advice is to wait a little if you can. Case in point: on the above-mentioned shopping trip, I purchased a pair of Kenneth Cole knee high, low heeled black boots from the outlet. They were/are (still wearing them with pride!) beautiful, and I thought, what a bargain, when the final price tag was about $120 (original price was close to $200). Well, my mom bought a similar pair, and ended up returning them about a month later, and to my chagrin, she reported that the boots I purchased were now an extra 50% off the sale price, bringing the cost down to about $75 or $80. Booo. You might imagine the sheer frustration I felt. Since they were so perfect, I had been wearing them with glee nearly every day since I bought them and tossed the receipt, so sadly I couldn't pull the ole swap-a-roo (buy a new pair, and then return them with the old receipt) or request a price adjustment to get some of my money back.

This year, I was much wiser. I spent Black Friday trolling the interwebs for deals in my pjs. In general, my new favoritest thing is etsy. Wow, the abundance of things available is endless! I first discovered etsy through various and sundry wedding blogs I've been following, and have scored numerous deals on a few key wedding items (hair goodies and my veil!). But via Twitter, I've also see a TON of mega discount codes for various shops (20-30% off!). But besides the variety of things you can get, what's so great about etsy you say? One word: HANDMADE! Ok, two words: VINTAGE! What can be cooler than being the recipient of a near one-of-a-kind item? Or one-of-a-kind, top quality vintage item? These are independent sellers who use their skills to craft beautiful things or collect really cool stuff. And because you're buying virtually, no overhead costs to the sellers = bigger savings for you! Home decor, stationary, patterns & raw materials, handmade/sewn clothes, wedding favors, you name it - it's on etsy! Locavore? You can even find sellers by zip code so you can buy from your neighbor(s), literally! Get on the etsy train folks! You'll thank me, I promise :)

Some of my favorites:
Funky vintage things:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MilkasTreasures

Gorgeous vintage style accessories:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadflorajewels

Salted Caramels, my obsession!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCaramelJar

Clever wine glass/beer bottle tags - essential for any entertainer!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/clinks

No comments:

Post a Comment