thrifting

It's been awhile since my last post because June has been a very busy month since it's Summer Sale!  The shopping frenzy has tapered off for now as everyone is sitting on their hands waiting for the Fourth of July Sale.  Which is also the time department stores run "second cuts" or "further reduced" sales.

A pair of vintage pumps

Apart from busy fulfilling your orders, I have also taken up a new "shopping hobby" recently.  I've been somewhat inspired by some of the stuff I read online and started to explore "thrifting".  There are many online communities by avid thrifters sharing their haul everytime they go thrifting.  Some of the gems they uncover are quite remarkable.

I have made a few "field trips" to Goodwill stores and Salvation Army Thrift store.  I must say buying pre-owned items may not be everyone's cup of tea.  It also takes a lot of patience to go through racks or piles of stuff (clothes, bags, shoes, furniture, etc.) and they usually don't smell the nicest but if you think about it, items get recycled so that is less harsh to the environment.  Items usually sell for a few dollars and if you donate items, you get a tax refund receipt.  There are also those who will go to garage/yard/estate sales to pick up "treasures" which the owners have regarded as "trash".

White patent loafers

Thankfully for me, there are websites that enable thrifting in the comfort of my couch.  I usually look for items that are never worn even though they are "pre-owned".  We all have that purchase that we stashed at the back of our closet, never see the light of day since we brought it home from the store.  So far I've scored quite a few neat items and "flipped" them on eBay because I believe one person's mistake can be another person's treasure. ;-)

buying gadgets

I have been getting quite a lot of queries about buying electronic gadgets and shipping 'em.  I thought I'll write a post about it to address some of the FAQs.

Besides amazon.com, there are the big box stores like Best Buy, Fry's and telco shops where locals go check out the latest gadgets or smartphones. Prices are the same or better online than in-store.  Like many countries, cheap handsets are tied to contracts/plans and some are further customized to be only functional with a specific carrier.  In the US, some lawmakers are trying to make it illegal to UNlock your smartphone.  Do an Internet search on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for more details.

Fans of Apple products and accessories will know that there are hardly any price difference globally for arbitrage opportunities given their pricing strategies.  For those who love to shop on amazon, AmazonGlobal has made international shipping easy.

Having said that, I have shipped a couple of Google phones, and this and that. So for all other electronic gadgets, there's life's lil' indulgence. ;-)