Slacker Method for Getting ALMOST the best price using the STEM rule.

Posted by Jacques - November 29, 2008

Now, this may almost certainly change over time, but for right now, one of the biggest and most diverse marketplaces is Ebay. Also, I’m talking about new products, not used, so you don’t have to worry about getting someone elses headache. Not everything is cheaper there, and it isn’t always the best deal, but if you can get close to the best deal for minimal effort, why not? That is why I created the STEM rule.

If something is Small, Typical (or common), Electronic (or related), and More than $20, then you should buy it off of eBay. For products that follow the STEM rule, eBay will beat 95% of the prices out there. Keep in mind that I’m willing to accept refurbished for this formula but to me it is considered new because it also comes with manufacturer warranty.

Let’s take a portable GPS like the Garmin Nuvi 200W. List price with a current map is $249.99. At all retail stores the price is a little over $200. At discount retailers like Tiger Direct, it sells for $140 plus shipping. On Black Friday Walmart was selling this product for $100. What did I get it for on Ebay? $120 including shipping. It wasn’t the best price, but it was very easy to get. Another $20 cable at Office Depot, I found for $5 including shipping on ebay.

To buy a product on ebay, my recommended method is this:

Search by model #

Sort by Buy It Now so you don’t have to deal with auctions.
Sort by Best Price including shipping.
Review everything it comes with to make sure nothing is missing (some Nuvi’s had old maps, and some of them came with no box or power cables).
Review seller rating (don’t buy from anyone less than 98% satisfaction with at least 100 ratings).
Buy and pay using paypal.

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November 29, 2008 | In All Slacker Methods |

3 Comments »

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the cost of shipping for big items makes it impossible to find a good deal on ebay, however, that wouldn’t follow your stem rule anyway. Also, you didn’t mention craigslist!

Comment by izzy — November 29, 2008 #
As izzy mentioned Craigslist is great. I find that it beats Ebay about 90% of the time on STEM rule items. Sometimes, I have to go more generic by choosing to just look at any GPS, but right now I can find some Brand New Tom-Toms for $80 and some Magellans for around $75.

The get the job done at a good savings.

Comment by Lazy Man and Money — November 30, 2008 #
Lazy Man,

You ARE right about the better deals, but it isn’t always easy to get the great deals on craigslist either.

There are many factors, like the old postings, someone responding before you, trying to find the exact model you’re looking for, poor descriptions, lack of return policies and shady sellers.

Most of those issues are mitigated within the rules that ebay has set, and the typical power seller on ebay.

Thanks for the comment!

Comment by admin — November 30, 2008 #

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