Managing the Umbra battlefield
I talked about the Umbra Factory Sale in The Shop Crawl. I have heard many good things about this sale, but I have never attended. This Sunday, I decided to give the sale a shot as curiosity got the best of me. I was on the lookout for a curtain rod and the famous Umbra picture frames. I arrived at the sale around 4pm; it's during the last dying hours of the sale that the final discounts happen.
I arrived at the Automotive Building and made my way on to the floor. It was a complete disaster area. There were groups of people watching their hauls. It was like little Umbra tent cities popping up in the corners. Worn out Dads and kids with dejected looks on their faces wondering when Mom is going to be finished. What could one family possibly do with 20 curtain rods? I stood in shock and contemplated leaving. I love a good sale and all but this is little too post apocalyptic for me right now. I decided to stay and give it the old college try. I joined the rest of the people dragging my big box behind me.
It was buy one get one free for items of the same kind. That was on top of the $5, $3 and $2 prices. I didn't pay more than $5 for anything I bought. I really wanted to find a room divider, but they were long gone, anything left was broken and useless. It wasn't easy finding anything, you really had to dig. In the end, I got some presentation boxes, frames, curtain rods and clips. The cashier line was long, but it did go faster than I anticipated. I have to think of a new strategy if I attend next year. I definitely would bring a friend with me. I would go earlier in the day, find my things and just camp out until they announce the final discounts. This sale is a battle and it definitely needs a war plan.
Comments (6)
Wow. I'm actually kind of glad I didn't end up going there yesterday. That is insane and I would totally NOT have been prepared for it. At least next time I'll bring my shin guards.
Being new to this sale I went saturday morning and froze my arse off for an hour and a half waiting in the line that circled the building. The cart with the warm nuts was making a killing.. we were thinking of barganing with him to cook our canned soup we brought for the food bank to keep up warm and give us sustinance. My sister wanted to go back on sunday but I'm glad we didn't. Next year.. plan of action (if we return) is to go saturday.. hide the things we want in the afternoon, then return on sunday and camp out with some books or something. Mind you we still did get some good deals and my wedding presents are all set for 2007 now!
It was insane. I didn't have to line up Thank God. I just walked it, but there is a price for waiting that late.
Isn't your time worth anything? Go and hide stuff? Wait all day with a book? To save what - $100? Don't forget to add the price of parking or transit to that of your seemingly worthless time. Ugh.
I tried to attend the Umbra sale on Saturday however a few hundred other bargain hunters were already in line. Upon arriving at 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning, all items had been marked down already (so I was told by another shopper who purchased items at a higher price on Saturday). The caos was worth the savings but don't put anything down because someone else will pick it up before you have made up your mind.
I'm not sure if I could deal with this again. I did have some goals for the sale so I can't say it wasn't worth it. I do think that everyone should experience it though. I would never line up for this though. I would have left if there was a line.
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