Bargain Hunting 101 - Where To Find Great Bargains

Have you ever bought an item of great quality at an unbelievable low price? Yes, I have! If you're like me, you probably can't resist buying at a bargain. Let's face it, if feels good to get everything you need or want at great, unbelievable prices.

Recently, in one of my hubs, Bargain Hunting 101- How To Be A Good Bargain Hunter, I mentioned some of the rules of bargain hunting. One of those rules is that a good bargain hunter must 'always shop during sale period'. The reason for that is you are bound to pay less than those who buy early.

Shopping during sale period may sometimes mean that you shop out of season. This is usually when most store merchandise find there way to the clearance isle, and clearance items are usually sold at a bargain. So let's consider a few places where you can find great bargains.

Closeouts sales are one of the best places to find great bargains. A closeout sale is the final sale of an item or items by a business/retailer in other to get rid of an item, or product's inventory. Closeout sales items are usually applied a ridiculously high discount bringing the final cost of an item/product way below its initial cost. Discounts applied can be as high as 75%, or even higher.

While some businesses do use the 'Closeout Sale' sign as a way to lure in unsuspecting buyers, when they're actually selling at a price that's been hiked, most business businesses that advertises closeout sales usually do it for the following reasons:

1. Business/retailer is relocating and therefore needs to get rid of some of its inventory.
2. Business/retailer has experience low sales quality of some of its products/items, and need to get rid of the inventory for such product or item(s).
3. A business/retailer has experience a fire, flooding that has cause damaged to some of its items or product and therefore need to get rid of those items through discounting.
4. Sometimes it could be due to a business/retailer going out of business or going bankrupt.

When you go to a closeout sale, prepare to bargain for the prices of merchandise. Generally, store or business owners or managers are always willing to work with you on the price. Don't settle for less in terms of quantity and quality. The goal is to get more for less.

Stores all over the US and the world over give their customers opportunity to save on merchandise by offering clearance sale of their merchandise both before and after popular holidays, such as, Christmas. Most clearance items are off-season items that are put on clearance for the sole purpose of making way for newer items, or to get rid of seasonal merchandise, such as, winter clothing, jackets,boots, and gloves.

These merchandise are tagged with discounts that can range from 50% - 90%, especially when the main intent is to get rid of the merchandise in question. So, with that in mind you know that closeout sales will be cheaper. You get more for your money's worth. But remember, closeout sales are considered final sales, what that sometimes mean is, items sold are usually non-refundable or/and non-returnable. So be sure you can always return the merchandise, or if at all possible, exchange it for something else or for store credit.

My favorite places to shop clearance are Macy's and JC Penny. Here, you can be sure you'll get some quality inexpensive goods for your money!

Thrift stores are usually the last place people look for bargains, but there are lots of treasures hidden behind those bricks. It is true that you can be put off by some of the stale and mouldy smell of some thrift store, but don't let that deter you from possible bargains you can get from shopping in these arenas.

When I lived in Michigan, I frequented a thrift store where I shopped for clothing items. You wouldn't believe how many times I walked out of that store with bags of clothes and shoes that cost less than it cost to have two value meals at Wendy's. Those were my true bargaining days. I'm talking shoes (made in Spain), blazers, skirts with the original Macy's and Dillard's store tags still intact. I go home, laundered some, take some to the dry cleaner, and you wouldn't believe the compliments I got on some of the clothes.

I don't visit thrift store that much anymore, only because I've found better bargains directly from those same department stores that donate to the thrift stores. I do still go there to get books. You can always find great bargains for those classic books.

As the saying goes, 'One man's junk is another man's treasure'. Great finds have been discovered at garage sales. On the popular running PBS Roadshow, many of the participants that want there items appraised have claimed to have bought such and such at a garage sale, only to find out that the items is worth more than they could ever have imagined. As I mentioned in the first part of this hub, I have observed some of my neighbors selling items they've never used at their garage sales.

You've been warned!, there may just be some great find in your backyard. Don't dismiss those garage sales, you just might find your next bargain lurking in one.

Oftentimes, I have found great bargains on some online marketplaces, such as, etsy and eBay. Though it may require some patience and bidding skill, in the end, it is all worth the savings.

Another habit that I have especially when I shop on some online stores is that I always go first to the clearance tab. Clearance tabs usually have those items that are left-over, last-of-the-batch on sale, usually for way less than expected. I never miss those great bargains. So whether you shop closeout, clearance, thrift store, or garage sales, always have one thing in mind, you're there to save you money. Shop sensibly, shop smart!

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Author: Comfort Babatola - © 2013