Buying acrylic frames – and my love of eBates
Absolute Acrylic frames
A client asked me for some advice on where to buy acrylic frames for silent auction displays in their fundraiser.
She was looking in all of the usual places and the costs she quoted me seemed a little high.
In our local Washington, D.C. area, the cheapest I’ve seen has been at the Super Dollar store where 8.5″ x 11″ frames were selling for $1.25. But I also did a quick search online and was pretty pleased when I could refer her to Absolute Acrylic, which priced the frames under $3.50 each. That purchase resulted in a savings to her school of well over $100.
Another tip: If you are shopping for auction items online (maybe themed decor, utensils, etc.), consider joining eBates.
It’s FREE, and I love the “Big Fat Checks” they send me once a quarter. The checks are the cash I’ve saved from using their free service. It’s “found” money.
My advice is to comparison shop online … find the best deal you can … and then log onto eBates and see if that store is represented in the company’s line-up. If so, log into eBates with your account, and enter the retailer to buy your merchandise via the eBates system. This will generate a discount for you. I’ve had additional discounts ranging from 1% – 15% in savings.
What I also love is that this discount is an additional savings beyond whatever you might have already secured.
For instance, you might have found a great price for centerpieces at Retailer XYZ. Then you did a search and found an online promotional code for $20 off your centerpieces. You’ll use that coupon in your shopping cart. Then because you entered Retailer XYZ through eBates, you will automatically receive still another discount.
To be clear, the eBates discount won’t reduce your shopping cart total at the point of purchase. Instead, your savings will show up in the form of a check in your mailbox the following quarter. I love it!
I’m constantly surprised at how many of the online retailers (and brick-and-mortar companies) I use are affiliated with eBates. It’s a great way to save money. Check it out.
(c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC
P.S. Here’s a dirty little secret. This topic is old news.
I shared these ideas (and others) months ago with subscribers of my FREE “Benefit Auction Ideas” e-zine. I publish my e-zine twice a month, and send you a free gift (100 item ideas) when you sign up. Click here to sign up.
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