Shopping Shootout, Part 2

With one cleaning-related errand out of the way, Angela next took on the Mrs. Meyer's cleaner--and found a curious price discrepancy that pointed out the importance of checking those price-comparison sites. The can of scrub that sold at Amazon.com (and at Mrs. Meyer's) for $5 went for $3 more at Drugstore.com--and for a shocking $10 elsewhere! (Ironically, Angela purchased none of these, having realized later that day that she really was, in fact, in need of cleaning supplies. Advantage: local shopping center.)

When it came to the phone, Angela breezed by Cingular's site and headed directly for an old favorite, Phone Scoop, which she's relied on for years for good information about the latest in mobile gadgetry. Phone Scoop is funded by folks clicking through the site to make purchases at online phone stores such as Wirefly, which had the Motorola Razr with, again, enough rebates to make it free. However, she paused to read those Phone Scoop reviews--and changed her mind about the phone. No sale. The shoes also posed a problem, since Angela had somehow located a style that wasn't yet on sale to the general public--explaining why Amazon.com didn't carry them. The Hush Puppies site had the details and let her get a good look at them.

And then there was the book. An experienced book buyer, Angela turned to BookFinder.com, which scans independent sellers' listings and returns with a range of editions and prices. However, depending on how she constructed the search, she got back results with prices ranging between $60 (about the Amazon cost, post-discount) and $245--the latter being for a special U.K. edition. However, as Steve says, with prices like that, Frodo better deliver the book himself. (And the look Angela gave him for that could have shriveled the Ring itself.)

The end result? A draw. Angela didn't recognize any major savings for her credit card during her spree, but she acknowledges that the time she saved at Amazon was significant, especially once she started browsing the wide array of Tolkieniana available from booksellers around the world.