Maybe you are looking to finish up your holiday shopping, or maybe you haven’t even started.
Good luck to you!
But there is still time. You might even want to shop some of Atlanta’s great secondhand, lightly used or refurbished retail stores leading up to the holidays. Many of these stores are manned and owned by hardworking small business owners and others give back to various causes.
For those looking for the offbeat, trendy or unique, Psycho Sisters, on Moreland, has been serving the community for decades. “Sisters” has fun casual wear, costumes and accessories. Shop here for the person that likes the unique and has everything. Psycho Sisters does a great job on social media, so “like” their Facebook page to get coupons and keep up with the deals.
Consumer Reports says buying refurbished or lightly used, when it comes to consumer electronics can be a great thing, especially if you have looked at the price of Apple products lately.
Apple presents refurb fans with an unusual opportunity. Because the company’s products are rarely discounted anywhere, savvy shoppers scan the company’s certified refurbished section hoping to take advantage of discounts of 10 to 25 percent.
Experimac in Sandy Springs has everything Apple at well below retail prices. Prices starting at $109 on iPads and Macbooks for $400 are the norm at Experimac and popular with those shopping for Apple quality and affordable prices.
Neil Kent, the owner of Experimac Sandy Springs says he doesn’t usually use the term refurbished because his products are “like new.”
“Often times people refer to our inventory as “refurbished”. We don’t use that term. “Pre-owned” or “Gently-Loved” better describes our products. The term refurbished is usually associated with products that have been returned because their was something wrong with them, at which point a factory has had to repair them to get them back to working order. In our store, the vast majority of the products we sell have been thoroughly inspected, of course, and in general have had no more done to them than a replaced hard drive or battery, as those items tend to wear out over time. Anything requiring much more than that will be parted out and the good components are used for repairs. For example, a computer that has been liquid damaged may still have a perfectly good display that we can use to perform a more cost effective repair for a customer that has cracked their display, rather than ordering a brand new display for them at a much higher cost.”
If you’ve priced new bicycles lately, you know that a good bike is going to make a dent in your wallet. Thankfully there are a few reputable bicycle chops in the metro area that sell quality used bikes. Try the Atlanta Bicycle Barn on Sampson St. to check out their inventory.
The Atlanta Bicycle Barn has over 70 five-star reviews and a great selection of used bikes to choose from this holiday season. Bike make great gifts- especially for a child.
If you are into treasure hunts, shopping any of Atlanta’s dozens of thrift stores can be fun and rewarding. Goodwill stores are scattered all over Atlanta and house thousands of items. As a non-profit organization, Goodwill Industries provides job-search resources and skills training to help put Georgians back to work. The Salvation Army also has thrift stores that are staffed by helpful associates and again there is a cause that benefits. The Salvation Army is known for its Red Kettle Christmas campaign and the non-profit religious-affiliated organization offers rehabilitation, prison ministry and veterans affairs services.
There are only a few shopping days left. Get a great deal and see another side of retail by shopping pre-owned this festive season.
