[Request] US - what's good to buy at the moment?

Vok

Hey,

I'm heading to the States on Saturday for a few days and, naturally, with the Thanksgiving Day Sales and all this talk of the weak dollar etc. I'd be foolish not to take advantage of some of the bargains available.

Unfortunately, I don't actually really need anything and have only the vaguest notions of what I should buy (MP3 player / PC stuff etc)

I know I should not be getting sucked into this pointless consumer behaviour but if anyone has any suggestions on what actually is good value over there that would be worth pouncing on, let me know.

Apologies for the vagueness...

oq4v3ht0u76kf2

You could buy me a 40Gb iPod photo, costs €549 here or €380 there when you take the exchange into account. What say you?

segadreamcast

Always advisable to buy an American ipod. And if you aren't go to - bring one back for me :P?

bk

When brining stuff back, take it out of its box and dump the box. Make it look like it is a device you brought with you to use instead of having just bought it (like put the iPod/iRiver in your pocket).

Otherwise you will get nabbed by customes for import duty, in particular on that weekend.

Digital cameras are excellent value over there, as are Laptops and MP3 players.

Nukem

bk wrote:

When brining stuff back, take it out of its box and dump the box. Make it look like it is a device you brought with you to use instead of having just bought it (like put the iPod/iRiver in your pocket).

Otherwise you will get nabbed by customes for import duty, in particular on that weekend.

Digital cameras are excellent value over there, as are Laptops and MP3 players.

Just about the give the same advice.Customs are getting really strict.

Id bring two sets of clothes because its so cheap over there buy all new clothes. Eh can i gave ya a list

As said already Cameras,ipods,mp3's DVDs if ya a have a multi region player.
All the cool clothes they have.A laptop- baby Apple would be class.So smaall and looks brill.Or any othe laptop.
Eh portable dvd player.Check phones if they work here.Comp games.
Playstation blah ........blah................Music

If i think of anymore il let ya know

Vok

Nukem wrote:

Id bring two sets of clothes because its so cheap over there buy all new clothes. Eh can i gave ya a list

As said already Cameras,ipods,mp3's DVDs if ya a have a multi region player.
All the cool clothes they have.A laptop- baby Apple would be class.So smaall and looks brill.Or any othe laptop.
Eh portable dvd player.Check phones if they work here.Comp games.
Playstation blah ........blah................Music

If i think of anymore il let ya know

[Visions of self pushing trolley through customs laden down with clothes, unboxed Baby Apples and portable DVD players for Nukem, iPods for Noel Rock and and an iPhoto for OrangeRhino teetering on the top. "Er, I had all this when I left, officer"]

Cheers, folks. Seems like a lot of people here would make way better use of this opportunity than me.

I appreciate the encouragement, though. Now I feel like I have to buy vicariously, through myself, for you

Having done a bit of research last night, I'm thinking, yeah, the MP3 player might happen - Creative Muvo or a Rio Carbon maybe. I looked at the iPhoto and it's just not my scene. Damn my lack of latest-and-greatest gadget hunger.

That said, I guess I could just pick one up on the off-chance that I changed my mind or that someone would be willing to buy it over here.

The other thing that occurred to me is contact lenses. Anyone know if getting a test and some daily disposals over there would be worth it?

And I really should look into buying a few components for the PC - anyone know the best online store in the US for this? Equivalent to Komplett or Jes? May just skip over to Computers board on this one.

Oh, last query. I'm staying in hotels while I'm over there so I'm thinking the smart thing to do is to get the shopping done online and shipped to my hotel room. Only wrinkle is that I'm going to be working during the day so I'm wondering if there will be any problems if they arrive and I'm not there to sign.

Thanks again for the help folks. Off to look at the Amazon.com Thanksgiving Sale to see if I can get any more inspiration.

Nukem

No silly

I mean that you can buy all the clothes just take all the tags off and just bring2 sets yourself and youll have the normal amount comin home.iPod and camera as long as there's no box and the laptop they cant say squat if you have it in your hand and say you brought it and you were on a biz trip.

Then as your outside the door give em the finger and start laughing!!!!!
(not advisable, but do it in your mind)

hansov

Vok wrote:

[Oh, last query. I'm staying in hotels while I'm over there so I'm thinking the smart thing to do is to get the shopping done online and shipped to my hotel room. Only wrinkle is that I'm going to be working during the day so I'm wondering if there will be any problems if they arrive and I'm not there to sign.

Some months ago I tried to do this to be told that I couldn't as the vendor was afraid of fraudent use of Credit cards! Have you a U.S. based work-colleague that might order for you and pass to you while you are there.
BTW I got a Creative Muvo 256 TX FM mp3 player/radio in Walmart while I was there. 90 dollars or so, costs 139 euros in PowerCity here and something similar in Peats. (It was also more expensive (than 90 bucks) in high-street stores in the U.S.) Even if you are not into MP3 players this one is a beaut! Small, light runs off an AAA battery. Watch out tho' some of the Craetive Muvos, (the square shaped ones) have an internal rechargable battery (from a USB port on a laptop or PC) Not very useful if the battery goes when you are away from the PC. Enjoy the retail therapy!

Vok

hansov wrote:

Some months ago I tried to do this to be told that I couldn't as the vendor was afraid of fraudent use of Credit cards! Have you a U.S. based work-colleague that might order for you and pass to you while you are there.
BTW I got a Creative Muvo 256 TX FM mp3 player/radio in Walmart while I was there. 90 dollars or so, costs 139 euros in PowerCity here and something similar in Peats. (It was also more expensive (than 90 bucks) in high-street stores in the U.S.) Even if you are not into MP3 players this one is a beaut! Small, light runs off an AAA battery. Watch out tho' some of the Craetive Muvos, (the square shaped ones) have an internal rechargable battery (from a USB port on a laptop or PC) Not very useful if the battery goes when you are away from the PC. Enjoy the retail therapy!

Cheers Hansov. That's really good to know. It's actually a client so it would be a bit unprofessional to ask them to help out. Looks like it's meatspace shopping for me then.

But, bizarrely enough, the Muvo TX FM is exactly what I was thinking of getting - except the 512 version which is about $124 on Amazon. Thanks for the heads up on Walmart though - hadn't really considered them for electronics.

Will stock up on otherwise outrageously expensive Gillette blades while I'm there.

bk

Vok wrote:

The other thing that occurred to me is contact lenses. Anyone know if getting a test and some daily disposals over there would be worth it?

Don't bother, you can buy them from www.visiondirect.com a very good US site (owned by DrugStore.com so very reputable) and they deliver to Ireland. Cheaper then stores in the US. They carry all the major brands (BTW Specsavers daily disposables are Bausch and Laumb Soflens one days) and don't require a perscription.

Vok wrote:

And I really should look into buying a few components for the PC - anyone know the best online store in the US for this? Equivalent to Komplett or Jes? May just skip over to Computers board on this one.

www.outpost.com
www.bestbuy.com
www.compusa.com
www.circuitcity.com

I don't think any of them deliver to Ireland

Vok wrote:

Oh, last query. I'm staying in hotels while I'm over there so I'm thinking the smart thing to do is to get the shopping done online and shipped to my hotel room. Only wrinkle is that I'm going to be working during the day so I'm wondering if there will be any problems if they arrive and I'm not there to sign.

Thanks again for the help folks. Off to look at the Amazon.com Thanksgiving Sale to see if I can get any more inspiration.

Hotels should take and hold it for you no problem. However some stores won't deliver to hotels. Also I ordered stuff off amazon.com, however because my credit card was Irish, they had to verify it with my bank, which took a few days, delayed the order, which arrived the last day my sister was there!!!

RonanC

How did you get on with customs?

Heading over myself on Friday and was wondering how strict they are checking people off US flights.

brophy

Yeah also wondering how the customs thing went, am ordering a new car stereo off the net and sending it to my aunt's for my sister to collect for me when she goes over for christmas. There is a good saving to be had on this also nearly €300 euro

any help would be great

Vok

brophy wrote:

Yeah also wondering how the customs thing went, am ordering a new car stereo off the net and sending it to my aunt's for my sister to collect for me when she goes over for christmas. There is a good saving to be had on this also nearly €300 euro

any help would be great

Arrived back yesterday morning with my laptop on my back and suitholder in hand. Then went to collect the wheelable tote bag I'd brought with me and the big-ass version I'd bought while I was over there that was stuffed with a Digital Camera, iPod, Polaroid, and all manner of new duds.

As I walked, sweaty-palmed to the customs channel, I was thinking, "Two rollers?! Could I be any more conspicuous?" I waited for the inevitable "Would you mind stepping to one side, please?".

But, of course, there was nobody there. Breezed right through to freedom.

I don't know why but it may have been related to the fact that I flew in from London rather than direct from the U.S. Whatever the reason, I wouldn't count on them not being there when you come back. Though, from other posts, it appears that they're at their most assiduous around the times of US flight arrivals.

I expect it's going to get even worse coming up to Christmas - there was a story about this on News 2 last night and there's a guy from customs going to be on tonight. It's also on US Media - I saw a clip of an Irish shopper on the Daily Show - presumably, they got the clip from a more mainstream source.

I imagine there will be a certain element of profiling going on - you're probably less likely to be pulled over if you are male, in a suit, and don't have a lot of luggage.

As opposed to a gaggle of giddy, well-dressed, mature ladies pushing massive suitcases with barely supressed glee and a post-spending high still flush on their faces.

Bri

This is a great thread. Problem is I'm not going over myself so I'll have a hard time convincing the girlfriend + her family to either

a) sit it out in the luggage area for an hour so they don't look like they came from the US
b) Go through seperatley
c) Make a run for it!

Lets just hope customs get tired.

What time is News2 on at tonight? 11?