Watch Out for Convention “Deals”

I just wanted to keep this short and sweet to tell you about a little discovery I’ve made.  You see, I’ve learned that you can’t always trust the pricing at conventions.  I know…I know…we all go there expecting to lots of swag for very less than we would pay in a store or online.  But I’m here to tell you, that’s not always the case.  Take for instance these Craft Décor brand Chalk Writer pens. 

I first discovered these pens at Scrapbook Expo in February.  They were included in a Make-n-take kit from Scrap That!  They were so popular after everyone used them in the make-n-take that they sold out of several colors.  I had planned to stock up on them, but kept talking myself out of it until it was too late.  So this year, I resolved to go buy at least a few.

Fast forward to Great American Scrapbook Convention this past weekend here in Arlington…. Scrap That! had the markers again, so I talked myself into buying a few. The only thing stopping me was that I didn’t know what color marker I had in my Scrapbook Expo kit, so I decided to wait until I could check for sure.  In the mean time, Jennifer wanted to stop at the Daiso store here in Carrollton to have a look around.  Lo and behold, what did I see?

Yep, you guessed it, a whole rack of the VERY SAME pens!  Only these were marked $1.50 instead of $3 each!  I bought up every color they had, spending $15 instead of twice that at the convention.  I saw several other items priced higher at the convention than online or in local stores, so it wasn’t just a one-time thing.  Now, I will grant you, not every item you find at convention is priced that way; you can get some really good deals.  Just be sure to check the pricing elsewhere before you commit or you might be spending more than you intended!