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Holiday Shoppers: Find Unique Gifts Online while Saving Time and Money
 CITE
from
Natick, MA, October 1, 2003
Smart shoppers can find the perfect gift while saving time and
money by shopping online, according to David Steiner, president
of AuctionBytes.com.
"Traditionally, this is the time of year that merchants are
stocking their stores for the holidays - and online merchants are
no different,” said Steiner. “You can do all of your
holiday shopping from the comfort of your home, and avoid the crowds
and long lines at the mall."
Large marketplaces like eBay and Amazon have proven to be popular
stops for holiday shoppers. But smaller niche sites can also give
you the variety and quality you are looking for in a gift. This
year online shoppers have a couple of extra tools available to help
them find unique gifts on the Web.
In addition to including large retail sites, the services include
many smaller “Mom and Pop” sites offering a great selection
of items, from hand-made jewelry, antiques, to collectibles and
crafts. “You’ll be amazed at some of the things you
can find on smaller sites and the prices in many cases are excellent,"
said Steiner.
For holiday gift-givers, Steiner offers the following online shopping
tips:
- If there is a collector in your life, online shopping is ideal
for finding that one piece that will complete their collection.
And don't worry about whether they already have an item. Collectors
like duplicates so they can play with one and save the other, or
trade for items missing from their collection.
- An extra set of a hard-to-find place setting or a replacement
for a broken saucer or cup in a special pattern is a great gift.
- Satisfy hard-to-please family members and friends by buying memorabilia.
Consider a vintage movie poster or a celebrity autograph for the
people who already have everything. Something that might remind
a person of their childhood or a happy time in their lives is a
great gift.
- Check out some of the smaller auction sites… These sites
may have hidden gems that are great deals because they’re
not as heavily trafficked as eBay or Amazon.
- A wide range of books exists to satisfy collectors.
- You can find free-shipping deals online, or consider buying multiple
items at once to save on shipping costs. Use comparison shopping
sites… to look for the best deals.
When buying online, it is important to be a savvy shopper, warns
Steiner, especially when buying on marketplaces like eBay. Use a
credit card and be skeptical. If someone is offering a deal on eBay
or another auction site, and it looks too good to be true, it usually
is. "If someone is selling a plasma screen TV for $200, it’s
likely that the item doesn’t exist. Don’t try and rationalize
why it’s such a good deal just walk away from it," said
Steiner. Never, ever wire-transfer money to a seller, Steiner warned.
And consider using an escrow service for high-price items, but be
aware that there are hoax escrow sites as well be sure to use a
legitimate service.
There's no reason to be a last-minute shopper, get online now.
And don't worry if you get something you hate under the tree in
December. You can turn around and sell it online! "January
is a hot month for online 're-gifting,'" said Steiner. "People
are online selling the gifts they don’t want or that don't
fit, and they're looking for the items they really did want but
did not receive."
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