SuperMatt Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 What is your strategy going to be to shop for your 2015 lights? This is my first year decorating, but I was really disappointed by last year's after-Christmas sales. Most of the LEDs were gone and those that remained weren't marked down very far. I hesitate to pay full price in early December. However, I get the impression that to get what you want in the colors, light styles, and ESPECIALLY certain props (snowflakes, candy canes, tube icicles, blow-ups, etc.), you take the gamble that the price MIGHT go down. Your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaeolien Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 My strategy is buy whatever is cheap after Christmas in LED and make it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KStatefan Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Determine what I want to add or replace for 2015. Order what is needed when the presales start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 My strategy is shopping for the lights I need from online vendors during their pre-season sales after Christmas and not having to scurry or worry about whatever might be available and cheap (in every sense of the word) in stores after Christmas. Making do with what's available might work well for some, but not for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaeolien Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 I think in another year or 2 George when I have expanded to a few more channels I will probably head down your strategy of goods procurement. at that point I am pretty sure I will be looking for specific things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezimnow Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 (edited) This year will be to convert to smart pixels and sell off most of my LED's ....then I don't need to add 4 strands to everything or make super strings... Edited December 2, 2014 by ezimnow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainyoregonchristmas Posted December 2, 2014 Share Posted December 2, 2014 Shop when it's 75-90% off. 50% isn't cheap enough. Buy what you can reasonably afford. Buy a lot of each kind not one and twos. You will need multiples of each kind or replace items that die. For the most part what style and type box stores carry varies from year to year. Something you like one year most likely won't be sold the next. If you find a good deal BUY THEM OUT then go to all the other stores in that chain and do the same. Talk to store management. It's not uncommon for decorators to buy pallets of lights at a discount. It may be appealing to a manager to let a full pallet go after Christmas rather then to piece it out over a week. I nearly got a pallet last year but an underling threw a fit so the manager changed his mind. What does a gal from the makeup counter care about the garden section anyway. It never hurts to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeERWNC Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Big Lots is 50% off for four weeks. The fifth week they go 90% off.Be sure to hit stores on that Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEWTOUR Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 I agree with George, I hit the Pre-sales. I also look at the department stores too, but I usually use that stuff for one year and it is faded or has lights going out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayne_does_lights Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Some of the Big Lots stuff doesn't last long so watch what you get. I got 50 LED strands from Home Depot last year for .99. I bought them out and cleared the shelves at 2 other locations as well. I think I ended up with 40 strands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperMatt Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share Posted December 3, 2014 Online pre-sales? I take it we're not talking your standard Wal-mart, Target, Home Depot, or Lowes sites. If that's the case, where can I go to learn more about these vendors? (If not specific posts, at least what would be good keywords to search the forum, or to find reliable ones on Google.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Polenchar Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Check the vendor section on the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperMatt Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share Posted December 3, 2014 And it sounds like our vendors offer a different/better product that can be found in retail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 And it sounds like our vendors offer a different/better product that can be found in retail? Decidedly so. Like comparing apples to rotten apples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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