If the holiday season is sneaking up on you, and you haven’t
even bought your first gift yet, consider turning to a relatively
new tradition
– shopping via the Internet!
If the holiday season is sneaking up on you, and you haven’t even bought your first gift yet, consider turning to a relatively new tradition – shopping via the Internet!
The advantages of shopping on-line are many. Companies that have their catalog on-line often offer specials for Internet customers only. The Internet also is paradise for cheapskates! That’s because you can shop around all you want, comparing prices and getting the very best price.
The biggest fear of shopping via the Internet is the use of credit cards on-line. Make sure the companies use secure servers. You risk only as much as you do phoning in a mail order or handing your credit card to a store clerk. The risk is that low.
Since this is a garden column, I will mention some sites specific for the home and garden. However, you can find bargain prices on all sorts of quality merchandise on so-called regular sites. The granddaddy of them all is San Jose’s own Ebay (ebay.com). It’s hard to think of something you can’t find there. Just type in the name of an item and – voila – you’ll be amazed. A recent visit to Ebay’s gardening listings came up with more than 20,000 items – from miniature garden tools for doll houses (starting at bids of $2) to a Nicole Miller garden tools silk tie (starting at a bid of $15.95). The fun of Ebay is getting true bargains by bidding against other buyers. There’s nothing more fun that swooping in with less than five minutes to go in an auction and getting the winning bid!
Two other regular sites are Overstock.com and Half.com. Overstock features a flat shipping rate of $2.95, no matter if you’re buying a pair of garden gloves or a chipper/shredder. This is a definite plus. If you’re like me, one of the biggest detriments to on-line shopping is having to pay exorbitant shipping and handling costs. This $2.95 fee eliminates this hazard. On a recent visit there, I found a set of 10 solar lights for $129.99 (list price of $219.95) and a hand-painted dragonfly rain gauge for $17.99 (list of $29.95).
Half.com got its start offering only books and records at half price or less. They now have a separate area strictly for garden items. Some are used, some are new and you can even sell your own items with no start-up or listing fees. Half.com simply takes a commission of usually between 10 and 15 percent depending on how much the item sells for. What a way to get rid of your household junk! Anyone want to buy my old gas-powered string trimmer?
Some specific garden sites include Burpee Seeds, Jackson and Perkins and Smith and Hawken. And, yes, Smith and Hawken always is on the pricey side, but they do have a clearance center. Burpee had a great seed-starting pot maker for just $15.95 (it makes seed-starting containers out of newspapers). Dutch Gardens sells great bulbs and gives free shipping for orders of $35 and more. Gardener’s Supply Company has everything from indoor and outdoor garden items to stocking stuffers and greenhouses and garden sheds.
If you haven’t tried shopping on-line, go ahead and try it. You may be pleasantly surprised.
