Tim P Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 2010 lighting season brings a big disturbance for most of us!Everyone will be affected for the 2010 lighting season. Well, there may be some lucky ones out there in the US that may not be affected. I’ll explain, this is the first year that many of us animated lighting enthusiasts will enter a season without one HUGE factor. LIGHTS! Since the beginning of computerized animated lighting time, (approx 5 years ago for most of us) we have always wanted bigger better and most importantly MORE LIGHTS. It appears that we all would hawk the retail stores (Target, Lowes, Wal-Mart etc) from December 26th on into January just waiting for the big mark down. Whether it is 50% off, 75% off or even 90% off, we waited and just bought cases and cases of lights and in some people’s case, it was pallets. Why, why did we buy that much? We bought because it was cheap and at the volume we all buy, a good discount was needed. Oh, did I forget to mention that we bought them because the lights were just there and still in stock. Indeed, for many years retailers had ample amount of inventory left over and while the rest of the world thought Christmas was over on December 26th, here we are banking on the sale. Well, that has all changed. THERE ARE NO LIGHTS LEFT over!!!! Retailer have lessoned there 2009 stock big time. I know one of the biggest reasons I was able to enhance my show every year, was because I simply could buy boat loads of lights at a cheap price. Since that is not the case this year for me and for everyone I have spoken with, I’m wondering what creative work around I/we have to come up with. I know I cannot afford to buy them at regular price. Buying TONS of Christmas lights after Christmas as we know it, is gone! I don’t mean to make this sound so negative, but unless someone is going to sell me TONS of Christmas lights at .25 a box, it is a fact and it is reality for me and most likely for many others. I’m not sure any of us realize the impact it will have for us come Oct next year. Let’s face it, we all want to get bigger or get more detailed. If you think you’ll be fine and just keep the same display as this year, remember, LED or not, you will lose a few sets over the year. They do not last forever and they do get damaged on the “take it all down and pack up til next year”.Anyway, I would like to see what everyone else is thinking about this topic and see what solutions you are thinking about to help overcome this challenge. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cenote Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Lay low, and watch for people selling there stuff in yard sales. Of coarse I will have to make up some excuse to drag out all my competition over here, and have them kid kid-napped for the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cenote Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Jeff Millard wrote: Drop all the middlemen who get paid for our need for mini lights...Need or Greed ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim P Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Grneed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddmoon Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Bulk purchases may be one option. If enough people go in together to purchase a large quantity of lights then you may be able to find a price that works for you.I have been working with my local hardware store to have them order lights when they have them on special and I trade some advertising space on my display and play a 10 second pitch on my radio broadcast for people to purchase their lights at the locale hardware store.We may all have to get more creative and the good old days of buying tons of lights on the cheap may be gone forever. Sad to see, but it may be a sign of the times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMeBobO Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I am all for a bulk direct purchase. But somehow I doubt it could be done for .25 a box. And it would take upfront money by someone willing to take the risk. Not really sounding like a good venture since no price is low enough and if the buyer doesn't go into the red some will get mad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim P Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 ItsMeBobO wrote: I am all for a bulk direct purchase. But somehow I doubt it could be done for .25 a box. And it would take upfront money by someone willing to take the risk. Not really sounding like a good venture since no price is low enough and if the buyer doesn't go into the red some will get mad.I agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I guess the bottom line for me is...if you can't afford to do it...don't... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanward Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Let us know how that works out! Sounds like a good idea, but not sure on the discounts the hardware store will give you.I plan on purchasing the professional light sets from either CDI or LED Holiday Lighting, since I barely bought lights after Xmas (due to the lack of inventory).toddmoon wrote: Bulk purchases may be one option. If enough people go in together to purchase a large quantity of lights then you may be able to find a price that works for you.I have been working with my local hardware store to have them order lights when they have them on special and I trade some advertising space on my display and play a 10 second pitch on my radio broadcast for people to purchase their lights at the locale hardware store.We may all have to get more creative and the good old days of buying tons of lights on the cheap may be gone forever. Sad to see, but it may be a sign of the times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Jeff Millard wrote: I wish I had been able to get that boat load Pete found in Spring Hill FL last week... we'd be set for a year at least.... I was really surprised at how few minis were available this year. Even at full price. The closest Lowes only put out what was left over from last year. I know because I remember when they were sitting on the shelf and they put them on a pallet and raised them to the ceiling. Wasn't anything I wanted so I didn't even try to get a deal on them. They were gone the first week they put them out this year. Was fortunate to get some blue at 1/2 from Wally Mart. I hope it's different next year but not going to bank on it.Andy suggested that we find someone shipping a container partly filled and top it off for them. He has some ideas, but we'd need to buy a lifetime's supply all at once. We'll talk about that more on the next trip. It might be worth trying. John W. travels often, so maybe we could get him to look for a source that's worthy. Drop all the middlemen who get paid for our need for mini lights...JeffJeff, it wasn't a boat load, maybe a canoe full. All together I got 20,200 lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LENNY RUEL Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Actually CDI is getting a $1200 order from me for that reason as well as the fact I need to head to LED IF I want to keep expanding at my current location. And buying a bigger house isn't an option right now. Luckily lasyt year I bought plenty of Red and green incans at Walamrt and still have plenty to use where I need to. But I'm adding fans under my arches and going LED's and going to two colors on the Mega and going LED there as well as the Icicles.Lenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iresq Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 The lack of sales this year was not big surprise given the overall state of the economy and outrageous overstock of lights over the past couple of years. When the stores first started stocking their shelves it would be obvious that incredible deals would be hard to come by. In fact, there were pretty much non-existent in my area. Most were sold out way before the sales started.Like Lenny, my only choice was LED (or an expensive electrical upgrade). Thankfully Paul's prices have dropped a bit. My order will probably be smaller than average but I do what I can to feed this stupid obsession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddmoon Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I used mostly LED lights this year in an effort to cut back on my power bill. I have my power bill for this month and instead of an extra $200 on my power bill my bill this year I had an extra $50. I went around looking for LED's on after Christmas sales but the few that there were really did not work with what I am doing.Each year I add a little bit more to my show and so the themes will still change and grow over time. We light addicts want more more more. For most who look at the show weather it is 10,000 lights or 20,000 lights most do not know the difference. They just like the show and enjoy it. It us addicts that always want more. I will keep adding on with LED's it just will not be a fast as I would like unless I win the lottery.We will just have to live with it and buy what we can and maybe we will just have to be a little more creative with what we have. Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddmoon Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Another shot of my display for 2009 Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanward Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Nice display toddmoon!Our electrical rates here are super expensive! We pay around 40+ cents/kwhr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LENNY RUEL Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I agree with Dave, other than it being a "stupid" obsession there buddy;o) Most of the places here in the Fox Valley (Green Bay- Appleton area) had next to nothing left on the shelves by Christmas. They had various sales during the season on sets here and there for the usual 10 or 20% off. I've made comments before on how a few years back the Menards chain had already started to cut back and put out signs that said "Seasonal items are limited to what is on hand and once stock is sold there are no refills. Waiting to purchase these items until a later time may in some cases mean you won't get what you are looking for"Since then the Menards have always had very slim picking by Christmas. I't a shame, but once the others step back and look at the better profit margin they had this year on trim the home because they didn't have to give it away or write it off and dumpster it, I feel this is going to be the normal practice. I think areas that may have some stock looking ahead are going to be in the places that see early winter that year. Other than the diehards, people are reluctant to decorate once it gets cold or there is snow on the ground. This year we had pretty mild weather right to mid December and then got about 15 inches of snow. By that time everything was gone and a bunch of people had lights up that might not have if we had got cold and snowy around Thanksgiving.Lenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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