Archive for December, 2010

A Unique Shopping Experience

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

Unclaimed Baggage Center was founded in 1970 by Doyle and Sue Owens as a part-time business. Shortly thereafter it became a full-time venture. In 1978, the Owens incorporated the company and watched it prosper as one of the great ‘hidden’ bargain centers for savvy shoppers. With such a huge variety of items, shoppers can be sure to find something they are looking for. There are lots of great bargains in the store’s huge selection of inventory.

In 1995 Bryan Owens, son of the founder, acquired Unclaimed Baggage and managed the expansion which includes the current contemporary retail space that spans more than a city block. The store has many features including a Concierge Desk to help guests and Cups Espresso Café which serves Starbucks Coffee and Dippin Dots ice cream.

Unclaimed Baggage Center is located in Scottsboro Alabama. This center sells articles of unclaimed and undeliverable airline luggage. This unique shopping experience allows visitors to purchase lost treasures from around the world.

Found in Jackson County in Northeast Alabama, Scottsboro is situated on the Tennessee River’s largest lake, Lake Guntersville. Local highways and Interstates serving the Scottsboro area are Interstate 65 and U.S. Hwy. 72, making it easily accessible to many local attractions and fun things to do. The one-of-a-kind store is nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and bordered by the 70,000 acre Lake Guntersville.

What to Expect When You Visit Unclaimed Baggage Center:

This is the perfect destination for anyone who enjoys hunting for bargains. Be on the lookout for one of a kind treasures and other interesting new and pre-owned items from a selection of over 7,000 things in stock such as, designer clothing, jewelry, electronics, cameras, and sporting goods.

Some interesting items that have been discovered in unclaimed luggage include:

· Huge 40.95-carat natural emerald

· 5.8-carat diamond set in platinum

· Authentic replica of 19th century full suit of armor

· Egyptian artifacts dating back to 1500 B.C.

· Special camera designed for NASA’s Space Shuttle

· A Barbie doll with a roll of $500 in bills hidden side

Approximately 60% of the stores merchandise is clothing. During your next trip to the area be sure to check out Unclaimed Baggage Center. You never know what you might find.

Online Shopping For School Supplies

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

This season, when it comes time to back-to-school shopping, many parents have decided to switch to online shopping for the supplies and even Dell computers their children need. One could find anything and everything on a child’s list for school through various online stores and Internet sites that are connected to real brick and mortar stores. Besides being convenient, getting supplies for school through online vendors, there is also a money saving incentive. Most of the online stores are considerably cheaper than the real world stores, even those connected to a real world store.

Canada online shopping is a big deal because they save even more money and taxes when they shop through the Internet rather than in the brick and mortar stores. Many of the online stores will offer free or very low cost shipping if a person’s order total goes over a certain amount and with school supplies, this is easy to do. From notebooks to crayons and staples and pens, most of the online stores carry everything a student will need to outfit them for the new semester ahead.

Now is the time to begin hunting for bargains with all the back-to-school sales, even if one doesn’t have a child going to school. These discounts are for everyone and anyone; they do not have to be a student in order to save money on things like laptop computers, folders, rulers and high tech calculators. Canadian online shopping consists of many different electronics, school supplies such as notebooks, pens, papers and books as well as discounts on clothing and shoes, everything a student would need to go back to school.

For students who are going off to college or universities that will be staying in a dorm or apartment, they need more items then the typical school supplies. These students will need home furnishing type supplies and most of the time; these types of items are also on sale at this time of year. These items consist of bed spread sets, desk and chairs, organizers for a desk, organizers for bathroom necessities for those who share a bathroom with others, small kitchen appliances and area rugs as well as beanbag chairs or other soft style floor seating.

There are many smaller office supplies or desk equipment that one may need during the course of a semester that they should purchase now to save themselves from running out and getting it later. Things such as a three hole puncher, ruler, protractor, paperclips, brads, rubber bands, masking and scotch tape, sticky notes, erasers, scissors, colored pencils, markers, glue and white-out. These things may not be used everyday but could be used at some point in the semester for a special project and it would be nice to have them on hand.

A lot of online shops will ship faster service for a small fee if someone needs a certain supply right away for a project. For example a poster board in a certain color or a type of scissors with a wavy edge. These are items that would cost less to purchase online then at the local supply store or book store and saving money is what college students need to do everywhere they can.

There are a couple of things to beware of when shopping online. One is the shipping and handling fees. Most companies are reducing their shipping fees in order to bring in more customers. However, they are raising their handling fees to make up for this lack of income. An individual would be wise to shop around for an online shop before filing their shopping cart they will no doubt save even more money.

There are also some stores online that will charge taxes and other that do not. There is no law that says an online store needs to collect taxes from a state where they are selling to. For example if a person lives in Missouri and they are online shopping at a place in Texas, they may have to pay a Texas state tax online but they do not have to pay Missouri state taxes. This is something to watch out for.

Traditional Vs Online Shopping

Monday, December 20th, 2010

Shopping is shopping, right? Well, not necessarily. At one time, the only way to shop was to leave your home and visit a store. Nowadays, the Internet has revolutionized the way in which we spend money. But how does it add up compared to traditional shopping?

Well, we need to weigh them both to see how they compare to one another.

Traditional shopping

In traditional shopping, you simply take a ride in your car to your favorite shopping center or store and you buy what you want or need. You can pay with cash or credit card. In some instances you can pay with a check. You do get the opportunity to see the product before you purchase it and you can keep an eye on your credit card if you decide to pay with that method.

All of this seems rather great, doesn’t it? However, there are always cons to the pros when it comes to anything and everything.

The cons that you may run into when it comes to traditional shopping is that the store you are shopping at may not accept your payment method. There is also the fact that they may not have what you want. You may even find that the item they have is more expensive than what you want to pay. You may know that another store carries it, but they are out of it because they sell it at a cheaper price.

Yes, there are instances in which you must shop the traditional way. For example, you may need an item right now, which is true of grocery shopping. When you need milk or you need formula for the baby, you have to be able to go to the store and get those things immediately.

Online shopping

When it comes to online shopping, you don’t have to leave your home at all. You simply sit down at your computer, browse around the various online stores, and find what it is you need. However, there is usually only one way to pay. You can only pay via credit card. There are some websites that allow you to use your PayPal account or they will permit you to send them a check before they send you the item. The check method doesn’t work so well when you need the item right now.

As for the cons, you are not able to keep an eye on your credit card number like you can with an in-person transaction. You can, however, ensure that you are doing business with a secure site by looking in the address bar and seeing if there is an https:// present. You can also read website reviews to make sure a site is secure. You also do not get the opportunity to see the item right in front of you before you buy.

However, the advantages continue because, if you can’t find an item at one store, you can always find it at another. There really isn’t much that you can’t find on the Internet. You may not want to grocery shop online, but gifts, clothes, and many other items can be purchased and shipped right to your door. If you don’t like them when you get them, you can always ensure you’re doing business with a company with a good return policy.

So which seems better to you? Do you prefer the traditional way or the online way? It is a personal preference when it comes down to it. Really, all you need to do is shop the way you feel comfortable, but know that you are going to find some great deals online that you may not be able to offline.