bagged...

[pilvikki]

...boxed, wrapped, bowed, tagged, taped. etc.

not only does one spend eons deciding if junior prefers a car or a sport motif T shirt and if so, what colour. how much has he grown since we bought him school clothes a couple of months ago?

does squeaki want a book or a movie? does anyone remember what she already has?

and so on ad nauseam.

then you wrap all that crap. when they're asleep. and I just got done. at one 1 A. M.

ran out of tags, so the last lot has lingerie tags for Saxon's skylanders figurines and connor's bike safety lights set.

oh well....

[yogi]

Oh yes ... this would look tres kool on a boy's Christmas present.

[pilvikki]

well now, that depends...

luckily these have to pictures. I think. I wasn't wearing my glasses.

[yogi]

The value of tagging gifts is grossly exaggerated. It would be awesome to give gifts without tags and let the recipients re-gift them should they choose to do so.

[pilvikki]

that's understood, bugger if I know what these guys like. they also have enough stuff, so with a couple of exceptions each, we went for the, well... useful.

[yogi]

Of all else fails, gift vouchers are given over here.

[pilvikki]

easy to wrap!

that's our go to for kiddie b-day presents. there are so many b-day parties for the kids to attend, we just gave up guessing, so here's your gift card from the book/craft store...

[yogi]

At first I thought gift cards were rude in that they forced me to do my own shopping for a gift. I would never be disappointed in what I bought, but the fact that I HAD to go out and buy it was a pain. Now that I freely hand them out to family and friends, I'm thinking they are a great idea.

[pilvikki]

I know what you mean!

but since i'm such a fusspot, I don't mind getting them either, rather than standing there with this painful smile on my facing saying "erm... that's lovely..."

[yogi]

One of the things I really appreciate is shopping in virtual stores. More often than not I can get a better deal online (even with shipping costs added) than I could get in a brick and mortar store. The best part is no hassle from the crowds and I can shop any time of the day I feel inclined to do so. I can also get reviews for most items, which is much much better than the store clerk assuring me of the quality of my purchase.

[pilvikki]

yes indeed. I did all my major items by Groupon... delivery in a few days, no hassle with trying not to look like an idiot in the store...

[yogi]

My wife uses Groupon frequently but it's rare that they are offering exactly what I want. They are great for new dining experiences, however. My understanding is that the merchants are not always happy because the crowds brought in by Groupon offer do not always return to the scene of the crime.

[pilvikki]

I wonder why that is?

i'm generally happy with my groupons, but I got a wee projector for viewing space stuff for squeaki - and it turned out to be utter rubbish. i'll be talking to them about it....

[yogi]

I think the idea behind Groupon is advertising. Many advertisers in the mail and newspapers would run giant sales merely to get people to come into the store. They would often buy more than what was advertised. Groupon sells its service to merchants who want to increase their customer base. There is a reason why the merchant is not pulling in the crowds in the first place, but people can be bribed if the price is right. So, I'll go to the Groupon store and get what they offered, but there was a reason I didn't go there before Groupon came along. That reason has not changed. Thus, merchants are happy to see the Groupon crowd, but they don't make a profit on them. They are hoping for profits from return visits to pay for the Groupon campaign. Well, those return visits do not always happen as advertised. It's fine for you and me who get the Groupon discount, but the merchants may not benefit as much.

[pilvikki]

but on the other hand, they'll get rid of some surplus merchandise.

[yogi]

Clearing out old stock is one reason a merchant might advertise with Groupon, but that scheme would quickly be detected. I think the main idea is to get people into the shop more so than to get rid of excessive inventory. It must work out well enough because Groupon is still around. As a shopper I often want something different than what is being offered, but I can be a fussy guy at times.

[pilvikki]

but in my case I've no idea where/what said shop might be... I don't even what part of country it's coming from...

[yogi]

Will you go back to that same source and purchase something from them that is not on sale with a Groupon???

[pilvikki]

erm... like I said I've no idea where they came from... so maybe yes, maybe no.