Subject:
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Re: The Complexity of Buying Technic Parts (Gears, and Offbeat Parts)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Tue, 27 Aug 2002 03:08:47 GMT
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Viewed:
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872 times
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In lugnet.robotics, John Barnes writes:
> ..............
> We (AFOLs) are left to our own ingenuity to obtain the parts we need by
> whatever means at our disposal. Opportunistic buying is a good way to solve
> the problem. Grab bargains when you see them - on ebay, at S@H, in Lego
> stores, at online vendors like Walmart, TRU (Amazon) etc etc. It takes a
> while to build up the reserves necessary to be able to create at will, but
> once you get over the critical mass problem of having acquired a few of
> everything, you are then more or less free to create and replace what you've
> used. (Assuming you don't immediately assimilate your creations parts back
> into the collective.) By snapping up bargains, you avoid the high cost of
> only buying for your immediate need when the need arises. I, personally,
> stalk ebay very carefully - never bidding on items with large hidden profit
> in bogus shpping costs and never bidding more than 1/3 list price. The
> accumulation of parts is slow, but it happens and its cost effective. And
> with occasional boosts from 50% sales from retailers, online sales and S@H,
> you can accumulate lots of goodies.
>
> JB
>
>
I have to confirm John's advice with my own experience..... with the caveat
that it does take time to check on some places regularly in anticipation of
markdowns (post holidays TRU and others), exploring unexpected sources and
such. I scored a ton of ZNAP sets at a Liquidation place a while back -
providing REALLY cheap motors and some other parts. eBay can be useful but
there ARE best and worst times to buy/sell. It seems that summer is slow
(with collegiate buyers otherwise occupied) and I've seen some very cheap
parts. On the other hand, if something starts showing up on eBay in
quantity, it means somewhere/somehow, someplace is selling them
cheaper.....Vision Command has had its price cut substantially at different
times - with many showing on eBay. eToys did some major price slashing
before dying. Run web searches, bookmark major sellers and check back
regularly. TRU online sells expansion sets for far less than in stores. (and
I've noticed that TRU is less than smart in the way they stock stores -
you'll find lots of big expensive sets clearanced in stores in less affluent
areas - they don't sell as well and eventually get dumped). In contrast,
they DO sell in more affluent areas. Best Buys and CompUSA also had major
reductions when clearing out sets. And of course keep checking SAH. PITSCO
DACTA IS useful for specifics, though as noted they are not cheap. Still,
when you want specific parts, check them out...... I've also noticed that
some DACTA sell for reasonable prices on eBay - especially if not quite
complete (hey, inventory is inventory).
It IS possible to accumulate substantial quantities of parts over time
without going totally broke. It just takes time. Persistence and patience
pay off.
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