Where do you shop online?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 12 Jul 2004, 16:22

Amazon and eBay are obvious: I recently sold some old CDs on eBay, and immediately recycled the money by spending it on DVDs. But my favourite online stores are 7dayshop and Abebooks.co.uk.

7dayshop is where I buy a lot of my photographic accessories - film, batteries, negative storage etc. They’re fast, reliable, and their prices are a fraction of high street prices. (I still use Klick though - you have to support local traders.)

Abebooks.co.uk is a searchable database of thousands of independent book dealers across the world, and a great source of hard-to-find titles. I’ve bought paperbacks from Abebooks costing 42p, and I’ve bought first editions costing… well… we won’t go into that. Most memorable find (remembering to support your local-ish stores) was when I was looking for a particular PG Wodehouse title, and found it being listed by a shop in Penicuik. Of course, as a good Aberdonian, I avoided the P+P by going to the shop to buy the book direct. Wasted a whole morning doing it, though.

Where do you shop online?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 12 Jul 2004, 17:12

We buy a lot of books, CDs, DVDs etc so it's mainly Amazon, Play.com, EzyDVD etc. Dabs has a huge range of computer parts and peripherals and great prices but (in my experience) lousy after-sales service. Mostly I use the internet to do comparison pricing and to search for reviews and user forums for stuff I'm considering buying. This sort of thing for example.

I sold a first edition Harry Potter book through abebooks and it's great for out of print books.

I enjoy shopping locally but I generally can't be bothered with anything that involves taking the car, unless it's a specialist food shop!

ifstar · Post by **ifstar** » 13 Jul 2004, 00:11

www.dvdpricecheck.co.uk - will get you the best bargin for dvd's
if you are buying single dvd's then www.dvdsoon.com - canadian site but offering free shipping just now and its quite cheap - watch not to spend more than Ã‚Â£18 though as you may get him by customs (i've got alias season 2 coming with fingers crossed they won't spot i got it for Ã‚Â£22 - cheapest i have seen it else where is about Ã‚Â£30)

you could also look at www.thedvdforums.co.uk - as there is a bargins thread where people post up any sort of bargins (not just dvds)

ifstar · Post by **ifstar** » 13 Jul 2004, 18:11

Can't see why people would prefer to buy cd's/dvd's in the shop.
1) They cost more
2) Hit or miss as to whether it is there

Would expect to save at least Ã‚Â£2/3 from shop prices on a standard DVD but often more. Got Alias season one from amazon - Ã‚Â£20 - in the shops you would be paying Ã‚Â£30+

For clothes, furniture etc i would tend to agree its good to see - but for things like cd's and dvd's then why pay more?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 13 Jul 2004, 19:08

It depends where the High Street is. I can undercut Klick's prices for photographic accessories by 50% or more by buying online -- but then where does that leave me when I need some camera batteries NOW?

So I support Klick - it's a good shop, and its loss would make my life harder. But if it closed down tomorrow, I wouldn't support another branch that wasn't local. I would just buy stuff online in bulk, and hope my planning was good enough that I never ran out.

Similarly, I support Fopp, for it's great range of jazz and reggae, and Avalanche for its commitment to Goth/Industrial. But I wouldn't miss Virgin or HMV - both of which are less than 5 minutes walk from work.

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 13 Jul 2004, 20:42

Have to admit that E-Bay recently got it's claws into me, and now I'm well and truly hooked.

Suppose it was only a matter of time as I've enjoyed the few boot sales that I've done to date.

Maybe it's true that we're all just a nation of shopkeepers

Post by **wangi** » 13 Jul 2004, 20:44

Went thru a phase of buying on-line, but these days can be bothered with the chore of it! I like going to Fopp & Avalanche for CDs, and Waterstons & Borders of books. Fopp and co are as good price wise as on-line if take into acount postage, and some cheaper full stop - Virgin and HMV get on my tits big time.

bearcub · Post by **bearcub** » 13 Jul 2004, 20:59

Couldn't agree more - why anyone would want to buy CD's from them is beyond me. Fopp is an excellent shop, even when I'm in 'just for a look' always end up coming out with a full bag - and they're cheaper than 'those 2' anyway

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 14 Jul 2004, 16:20

Thanks for that link Marya - I love the blog!

I know what you mean about wanting to see/touch your products in the flesh. The memsahib and I are looking for a fridge freezer just now and have seen one that is drop-dead gorgeous, reasonably priced, and a great match for the rest of our kitchen

- problem is, we can't find anywhere that stocks it, and don't want to buy it online sight-unseen.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 20 Jul 2004, 22:30

Bob wrote: I sold a first edition Harry Potter book through abebooks and it's great for out of print books.

Other half had first edition, signed and dedicated personally to her, edition of HP 2. Chrisites said it was worth at the very least Ã‚Â£2000 four years ago, before the films. Other half kindly lent it to a child who promptly moved away...taking the book with her.
That's life.