This one is always popular when it comes around—Groupon has $50 to Marbles:The Brain Store for just $25, and it’s a great excuse to buy some brain-benders for the entire family.
I’m not saying you have to love this one, I’m just saying that Marbles is pretty much Nerdvana. Just flash me one of those Vulcan “live long and prosper” hand signs if you feel me, peeps.
Sweet! Thanks, Mir! What a delightfully nerdish store.
Be careful, I used this offer the last time and realized that, even with the savings, I spent a lot more money on some items that I could have gotten on amazon for cheaper.
I agree with Kim on this. On the one hand, the fact that I needed to use the Groupon once I’d bought it led me to get creative. As a result, I ended up buying some nice Christmas gifts of things that might not otherwise have occurred to me (for instance, neat crossword and Sudoko books for my father, who likes to do both, spends a lot of time on planes, and is impossible to come up with gifts for).
On the other hand, I could have bought all those items from Amazon, at a lower total price. I LOVE Groupons, but I’m learning to be more careful and do my homework before committing.
ooh, eek. rats. I’ve already committed.
whew, I compared a few of the things I’d oogled before purchasing the groupon and it looks like I’m still getting a stellar deal. So I renew my thanks, and add thanks to Kim and Heidi for the warning to make sure I’m doing well with the deal.
I guess I should qualify my negativity. I’m also thinking about the fact that the Marbles–and many other–Groupons don’t include shipping, but when I buy from Amazon, I generally don’t have to factor that in as part of the total cost (Prime membership or Supersaver shipping).
And I’m also taking into account that Amazon prices change, while other online retailers like Marbles don’t tend to have the same fluctuation. If it’s not something I need right away, I usually do much better by employing “watchful waiting” and ultimately buying from Amazon. For instance, while the Qwirkle game I bought from Marbles WAS a decent savings at the time, it came up as a much better deal on Amazon two or three weeks later. Since I was only buying the game to put in the hallowed gift closet, it would have been cheaper to wait.
Wow, look at that dissertation. I frequently spend time at the computer between about 2 and 4 A.M. with my wakeful two-year-old on my lap. He watches Winnie the Pooh on half the screen, while I endure the agony with recreational online deal-seeking and shopping.