Deal Snitch

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It’s amazing that a toy that has been on the market for just over 24 hours has accomplished so much. TMX Elmo is revolutionary, to be sure (See the TMX Elmo Video if you haven’t already). But it seems that, in such a short time, a toy has made people forget the American way. The free market system and the buy-low, sell-high attitude is what this country’s economy has been based upon since the industrial revolution, if not before.

And so, it’s rather amazing that consumers have already started an uproar at Amazon.com.

Sure, there are some disappointed parents. But rather than having taken the initiative to pre-order the toy, they spend their time writing negative reviews - 56 at the time of this writing - about Amazon’s policy as far as third-party sellers.

The Story So Far…

In a nutshell, the toy came out. People realized it was revolutionary. Some enterprising people saw a demand that will outweigh supply (prematurely, in this writer’s opinion). The toy sold out, and immediately, Amazon’s private sellers had the toy listed at anywhere from $160 to $300. And the less-enterprising people, still months away from Christmas, began to cry foul.

No Foul!

Folks… hate to play referee here, but… NO FOUL. These people must never have heard of such principles as “supply and demand” or “buy low, sell high.” Because the fact of the matter is, hours after its release, TMX Elmo has become a commodity. And when it comes to the buying and selling of goods, nothing is sacred - not food, not shelter, heck, not even a toy. It’s called the American way, and it’s the reason why so many of us, given the opportunity, could afford to spend the $40 retail price of a toy.

So before you point the finger at Amazon, or the people who recognized the opportunity to buy low or sell high, take a good look at the people who write your paychecks. Are they in business to make money? Do they sell goods and/or services above what they paid for them? If so, you need to think long and hard about the principles you’re fighting against. Because without them, you just might not have a job.

The Coming Epilogue

However this controversy ends, the people laughing after it’s all said and done will be Fisher-Price, the makers of TMX Elmo. Let’s not kid ourselves, they saw all of this coming. The product line has a history of being a hot item around Christmas. They know they’ve got something revolutionary on their hands. So, as any smart marketer would do, they released a limited number of them. The ensuing frenzy was easily predicted, and guarantees that when 200 truckloads of TMX Elmos magically show up at our local Wal-Marts just before Christmas, millions of Americans will jump at the opportunity to own what will be considered such a “hot commodity.” Well played, Fisher-Price.

More on TMX Elmo:

TMX Elmo eBay prices

Current prices for TMX Elmo at Amazon.com

TMX Elmo Blog

TMX Elmo Info

OK so maybe this isn’t so much of a “Deal” per se, but for any parent with a kid in the range of this toy needs to RUN to the store and grab one of these. After you see it in action, you’ll know that TMX Elmo will be this holiday season’s hot seller!

Read more about TMX Elmo Here. Or at TMX Elmo Info

See the latest price they’re going for at Amazon

TMX Elmo at eBay

Sunrocket VOIP has become the new low-price leader in VOIP phone service, with plans starting at just $9.99 per month. They also offer a free phone with sign-up through the banner below:

Yes, we know the banner ad says “under $17″ but they now start at $9.99 as mentioned above. Maybe the folks at SunRocket haven’t had time to update their specials yet?

Anyway, the question of course would be, “Is Sunrocket any good?” The answer, according to our research, is that you can expect similar features and levels of service as Vonage but much less expensive. (Probably because you don’t have to help pay for that humongous Vonage ad campaign!)

1-800-contacts is offering $40-$80 rebates on selected products through This Link.

Expiration dates vary.

Just a note for our readers that we’ve added a new feature. Below each posted deal, you can rate that deal from one to five stars. It’s a great way to help others know what the best deals are, and it’s also a great way to help us bring you the types of deals you’re looking for.

There is absolutely no registration required to use this feature - we want all of our guests to have a say!

You can find the deal rating at the bottom of every posted deal.

Thanks for visiting us!

The Deal: Memberrewardcenter.com steps up to the plate and offers this $500 BestBuy gift card for participating in their program.

The Catch: You’ll have to participate in partner offers. A total of 6. Considering this is right along the lines of free iPod offers, this is a great deal - you’ll get a $500 credit to play with, which could easily equate to a free iPod, plus a bunch of accessories. Or even put it toward a free XBox 360!

Right for you If: You were looking for the right free iPod, free computer or free XBox 360 offer - this one should be the one for you!

The Link: Click here to sign up for your free $500 Best Buy gift card.

Is MemberRewardCenter for real?

Yup, everything we could dig up on these guys says it’s a legit operation, worthy of participating with them if you know what to expect. If you don’t, we’ll tell you everything you need to know in this Free Stuff Guide.

In case you’re campaigning for an early XMas gift, look no further - and don’t expect a better price. At $1900 this is a new low.

This is the Samsung HL-S5087W 50\” 1080p DLP HDTV. And yes, it rocks. And yes, it’s worth every penny. If you haven’t seen DLP, you haven’t seen the best.

Here are some of the specs:

• 50-inch Digital Light Projection (DLP) HDTV with 1080p conversion through all input connections
• Latest Texas Instruments DLP chip faster than any other HDTV technology
• 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution; 10000:1 contrast ratio; 3-line digital comb filter; Cinema Smooth 3:2 pull-down film mode
• Connections: 3 composite A/V (1 front), 2 S-Video (1 front), 2 component (Y/Pb/Pr), 2 HDMI, 1 RF, 1 USB
• Two stereo speakers, 10 watts apiece (20 watts total); SRS TruSurround XT virtual surround; Dual Acoustic Chamber System

Get it from Amazon: Click Here

Well folks, it’s official. The printer ink now, without even a doubt, costs more than the printer itself. That’s the bad news. The good news is, that means if you order some ink you can get a free printer!

The Deal: Get free shipping (yay!), a free Lexmark inkjet printer (yay!) and free imaging software (meh.) with any order over $200 from InkGrabber.com

The Catch: Aside from the $200 minimum, only that you have to use this code: PRINTER200

Right for you if: You’re ready to accept the fact that the printer manufacturers have us by the cojones and ink costs more than printers. And rather than being pissed about it, you want to at least get the printer for free.

Expires: September 30, 2006

The Link: Click here and enter code “Printer200″ at checkout

Designer Linens Outlet September Clearance Sale! Save an extra 20% off your order with this code: SEPTCLR