Finding a good bargain is always nice. I'm not sure if I'd call it a habit but I like to browse around for the lowest price on an item before I buy anything. Most often I end up on eBay for the lowest price. I like shopping there for all my tech needs and beyond. While many people may still feel it's not safe or reliable to shop there, I really don't think so. It is one of the most reliable places to shop and if you like saving a few bucks it is the right place to go to. Here's some of the things I've bought on eBay over the last 60 days for a bargain.
I checked my eBay account today and noticed I've spent close to $650 over the last 60 days. Wow! You may think that's a lot and could've bought me another iPad or a state-of-the-art laptop but I've found some great things instead.
Movies: Collecting blu-ray movies is one of my hobbies. With my PlayStation 3 and the 46-inch Toshiba LCD TV with 120Hz refresh rates, blu-rays are the best way to watch a movie. Throw in a surround sound speaker system and it gets even better. I've found movies like The Karate Kid, Hot Tub Time Machine, Sherlock Holmes and Hurt Locker for a steal. Some of them have cost me 50% less than buying from a store.
Video Games: For the PlayStation 3 I've bought Mafia 2, FIFA 11, Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Madden NFL 11. A couple of movies for the PlayStation Portable complete this list. Again, all for a steal!
Gadgets: This is my favorite category to shop in. This list is pretty sweet too. I bought an universal dock for the iPhone 4 with a remote, a second generation Apple TV for $50 (yes, only half the price!), Apple Bluetooth Keyboard, Apple Magic Mouse, Apple iPad Keyboard dock, USB Webcam for the Mac, a 250GB laptop hard drive, Sony Vaio Laptop Docking Station, Nyrius Audio-Video Switcher, Canon Pixma MX340 printer, a logitech wireless keyboard for the Wii and NFL DJ Style Headphones.
Gadget Accessories: There is a lot of debate about the type of HDMI cables to use to get the best performance out of your HD devices. I have tried all types of cables ranging from a couple of bucks to $50 for a gold-plated 6 footer. Personally, I haven't see any difference in performance or quality. For me a $2 HDMI cable has worked well enough. Over the last couple of months I've bought about 10 HDMI cables for less than $20 total. That's including delivery charges (most often Free). Additionally, I've acquired a Batman Unboxing Knife, a Mini Microphone, a replacement keyboard for my Sony Vaio Laptop (saved 70% by buying on eBay), an aluminum desktop holder stand for my iPad, countless screen protectors for the iPad and iPhone just in case of emergencies, a wall mount for the iPad, a wireless remote control AC power outlet switch, bluetooth USB dongles, a case for my old iPhone 3G and a sleek iPad case for traveling. There are a few other things on the list too which range from $1 to $5 like vinyl covers for my iDevices and car accessories that are worth a mention.
Others: Although eBooks are now the norm there are still a few older publications that are not available in electronic format. And when you can get a hardcover copy for just two or three dollars, why not? I have bought three different books. Seinlanguage by Jerry Seinfeld is one such book. Also, software is cheap on eBay too. It's 100% authentic and is sold by US sellers. I've bought Norton Internet Security 4.1 Mac Edition for my new MacBook Air here. Also found a heated ice-scraper for the car which I intend to gift to someone who lives in snow country. Then there is a halloween T-shirt I used this year and a USB flash drive that also works as a pen which will be great on my travels.
Phew! That's it. All this for $650. I think I've saved quite a lot by buying on eBay. A couple of things I make sure is to buy from sellers within the US exclusively and seller ratings for reliability. This is because delivery times are faster and it is always good to support US businesses. Having said that, I have nothing against overseas sellers but when it comes to my tech I usually don't have a lot of patience to get it in my hands. Most US sellers usually deliver in 3 to 4 business days which works just fine for me. And having eBay's buyer protection policy gives you that peace of mind when purchasing something.
So if you're looking for the right price to pay, look to eBay.
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