Tips and Tricks of the Holiday Shopping Pros
Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo, Furby, these sound like harmless children’s toys. But ask any parent who has heard those words in the weeks before Christmas, and they will tell you just how terrifying those words can be. Every year there are a few hot toys that are hard to find. Industry experts try to predict what they might be, but there is no way of really knowing what this year’s hot toys might be until the day after Thanksgiving. That is the day the gloves come off and parents will stop at nothing, not even violence to ensure the hot toy is under the tree.
Fist fights and trickery are not uncommon. I have witnessed people coming to blows over the last Tickle Me Elmo, and heard about people that had toys taken right out of their shopping cart. Desperation can be seen in the eyes of the parents that line up as early as 1:00am the day after Thanksgiving to try to be the first person in the store. And of course, like vultures there are those waiting to swoop down and take advantage of your desperation. EBay sellers hoard these items, hoping to profit from your need to fulfill your child’s dreams. Others wait in line outside stores and sell their place to the highest bidder. On the day after Thanksgiving in 2001, the first three places in line at a Best Buy in Milwaukee were sold for $500 each, shoppers paid this price just to have first shot at buying a $250 item- an Xbox or GameCube.
But there are ways to not only make sure you get the hot toy, but also get it at a savings. By doing your own market research, taking advantage of layaway and planning ahead, you don’t have to be one of the people that pay $200 for a $30 toy on eBay. It may take a little work, but you will save yourself hours of running from store to store and possibly hundreds of dollars.
Do Your Research
Start planning in September or October, ask your children what they want for Christmas and ask their friends what they want. The toy industry publishes a prediction for the hottest toys of the season in October, you can use that as a guide, but they can often be wrong. No one expected the Furreal Friend craze of 2002. The toy retailers were blindsided by the demand and the toy manufacturer could not keep up. There were however, hundreds of Chicken Dance Elmo dolls available, that year’s prediction for the number one toy. Shoppers flew past 6-foot high displays of Elmo in search of the battery- operated cat. These sooth-sayers of the toy industry as wrong just about as often as they are right.
When you do identify the potential hot toy, check your local retailers. If they have the item in stock, watch the stock and see how quickly they disappear off the shelves. You don’t have to stalk the toy department manager, but if you are already in Target buying nail polish remover, take a gander at the shelves in the toy department every time you visit. If you do notice that the toys appear to be flying off the shelf- first off don’t panic, they will get more before the holidays. Secondly, make note of this and be prepared to buy the next time you see the item.
You can also use eBay sellers to your advantage, check for listings on this toy. But don’t be tempted to bid unless you think you can get it below retail. Many times resellers create a false shortage. In 2005 the Amazing Amanda doll is a difficult toy to find, not because they stores are not stocking it, but because resellers are buying up the stock. Wal-Mart and Toys R Us are sold out, but every day dozens of these dolls are listed on eBay, only to go unsold. In the days after Christmas, retailers may find themselves deluged with returns of these items. Not because shoppers were dissatisfied, but because eBay sellers could not unload them at a profit. If you notice that your toy of choice is listed often on eBay, this could be a good indicator that you will not be able to find it later.
Layaway is your friend
Retailers such as Wal-Mart and K-Mart offer layaway, take advantage of it. Starting in October they offer holiday layaway programs in which your purchases do not need to be picked up until mid to late December. The cost, if any, is only a couple of dollars and it is definitely worth the investment. When you identify the potential hot item, put it on layaway, if your child changes their mind, you can always cancel it or return the item. Wal-Mart allows you to add to your existing account, so even if you add items at different times, they can be on the same account. Price matching is available at most stores even on layaway items, so you don’t have to wait for the item to go on sale.
Layaway has other advantages as well, you won’t have to worry about hidden toys being found by holiday snoops and you won’t be tempted to give the toy early. You can also make payments to pay off the items in advance. One way to pay off your layaways is to round up at the register. Most stores allow payments to be made on layaways along with your regular purchases. So if your total is $23.75, make it an even $30- ask the cashier to add a $6.25 payment to your layaway. These little payments are fairly painless and can add up in a big way and you won’t have a huge bill when you pick up your items.
A word of warning regarding layaway, be sure to find out if minimum payments are required and stick to the schedule. Kmart requires a payment to be made every 2 weeks. Wal-Mart is more flexible about payments, but can take a very tough stance on the date an item is to be picked up. They do not offer a grace period on holiday layaways and pickup dates are assigned according to last name. Make sure you know when your layaway is due and don’t miss it, or you may find that just 24 hours later, your items are back on the shelf. Also, do not send someone else to pick up your layaway unless you have specified this in advance. Retailers are now requiring a photo ID and will not release the items to anyone else, not even your spouse unless they are listed on the account.
What is price matching anyways?
Many stores offer a price guarantee. If you find your purchase at a lower price, they will meet or beat that price. Each store is different and you must know their policies before you can take advantage of the programs. Toys R Us offers one of the most flexible guarantees. If an item purchased goes on sale within 30 days, they will refund you the difference. Even if that sale is at another store. You need to bring your receipt and a copy of the sales flyer in with you. At Toys R Us and most other retailers, the sales flyer must state the sale price and they will not honor percentage off or buy one get one promotions. Most stores require that you ask for the adjustment during the promotion. If the sale runs from December 5-12, don’t expect a price match on December 13. The store generally has to be local and can not be an online retailer. For example Wal-Mart will not honor the sale price of Amazon.com.
You can check the sales quite easily on the internet. Most retailers now offer online viewing of the weekly circular. Many even offer an automatic reminder service; you can sign up to be notified by email when a new flyer is available for viewing. You may or may not be able to print these flyers to use for a price match; it is up to the individual store, although most managers will honor them if pushed gently.
Green Friday and Doorbusters
For many holiday shoppers the Friday after Thanksgiving is the time to shop. Retailers call this frenzy “Green Friday” or “Black Friday” and offer doorbusters, limited time special offers to entice shoppers to visit their store first. They will wait in line for hours to be one of the first in line. If you choose to join the madness, there are some things that you can do to be more successful:
1. Have a plan of action: Know what time the stores will open, and what sales they will be offering. This is not the time for browsing or window-shopping. There are hardcore Green Friday shoppers that will go so far as to scout the stores on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Many stores start stocking that evening in anticipation of the madness. Shoppers can find the location of the items they are seeking and make a beeline to them when the doors open.
2. Divide and conquer: Work with friends and family to maximize your savings. In our family, it is a holiday tradition to pour over the sales papers after Thanksgiving dinner. Each member of the family is assigned a different store and everyone provides a list. We each set out early that morning armed with the list and cellphone. Later that afternoon we all meet up to settle up with each other and have some leftovers. It is a great tradition and we have a lot of fun, but a word of caution, don’t count on someone else to get your number one item. Heaven forbid they forget, or worse- they oversleep.
3. Make friends with those in line: You may be standing in the cold for many hours before the doors open. You will pass the time much more pleasantly if you chat with those in line instead of eyeballing them and sizing up the competition. They can not only help you pass the time, you might find an ally. The may be willing to hold your place in line while you run find a bathroom and they can help you fend off line busters that will try to cut into the front of the line. I have even found people willing to grab an item for me if I need to be at two ends of the store. Last year, I needed a toy and a DVDs, which were located at opposite ends of the store; my new best friend in line behind me needed the same items. We agreed that she would fight the crowd and get 2 DVDs, one for each of us while I got us each a toy. We met up in the office supply aisle- the only empty aisle in the store and exchanged treasures. Another year I had the pleasure of standing in line with someone willing to hold my place while I warmed up in the car. After 20 minutes of blissful heat, I would hold our places while she defrosted.
4. Avoid the coffee, bring a book and dress warm and comfortably: Unless you have a bladder of steel, don’t load up on the coffee. While it will warm you and help with the sleepiness of your early morning the combination of the coffee and the cold might prove to be a mistake. Don’t count on a kind soul to hold your spot while you make a mad dash to a 24-hour restaurant or gas station. Also bring something to help you pass the time. You can’t count on others to entertain you; a book or headset can be a blessing as you fight frostbite. This is also not the time to dress to impress. Warm comfortable clothing is a must, dress in layers for maximum warmth. Don’t forget gloves, a scarf and double up on the socks.
Bring your sales papers with you, pricing errors can occur, and this will help to get the adjustment if the register does not ring up the sale price. Many stores will also honor competitors sales if you present their flyer, don’t be afraid to try many stores don’t advertise this practice but will honor it if you have a sales paper.
Online auctions as a last resort
If in spite of your best efforts you are still unable to get that special item, you may need to try the auction sites. Don’t neglect the lesser-known sites, Amazon, Overstock.com, and Yahoo are just a few of the countless auction sites available. These sites may not get as much traffic as eBay and you may have a better chance of winning an auction without taking out a second mortgage. Whichever site you choose, be sure to read the feedback rating of the seller and only buy from reputable ones. Check the shipping and handling charges and read the description carefully. If you have any questions, ask prior to bidding.
If you are going to bid on an auction, there are a few tips that can help you be more successful. First off, do not put all your eggs in one basket. Set a limit and stick to it. Chances are there will be another auction closing soon for the same item. Do not get into a bidding war, when you reach your maximum bid, stop bidding. To help win an auction, set your maximum bid at an odd amount. If your maximum bid is $28.00, add a few odd cents to the bid for example bid $28.13. You would be surprised at how many times I have won an auction by pennies because of this practice. Try to be present for the auction end and bid at the last minute. Many bid at the last minute in a practice called sniping. It is legal and acceptable to outbid someone at the last minute and you need to be prepared to do the same. This can actually be quite exciting, but be careful not to get caught up and overextend your bidding. There are also fixed price and buy it now auctions available. If you really want the item and are willing to pay the asking price, pay it. If you mess around in the bidding process in the attempt to save a dollar or two, you may loose the auction or pay more than the asking price.
When all else fails, get creative
If you were not able to buy that special toy, you may want to do what one creative mother did. She was not able to find an affordable Furby so she wrapped a photo of Furby, a gift certificate to the local toy store and a gift certificate to her daughter’s favorite fast food place. She included a note that said “Dear Chelsea- I did not know which color Furby you would like, so please take this gift card and pick out the one you want. Also take your mom to lunch at McDonalds as my treat. Love Santa.” Within a few days the store had several returned Furbies and her daughter was able to not only buy her Furby but also took advantage of the after Christmas sales.
Of course, Christmas about so much more than the toys under the tree, but sometimes a parent can’t help getting caught up in they hype. If you establish a plan and stick to it, you can minimize your gift buying stress so you can concentrate on the real meaning of the holidays.
