No. I have to go skiing.
(I am loving Amazon Prime
for 2-day shipping! Instead of trying to collect everything into an order big enough to qualify for free shipping and ordering early enough to get things in time, I can order one little thing — seriously, I just bought a wooden spoon — and get it shipped in 2 days, free.)(And when you use the search box here — and also, always in the sidebar — you will be making a contribution to me — something like 8% of your purchase price — without paying any extra for your item. It is much appreciated. I thank all my readers who think of me and make a contribution to my writing this way when they have some shopping they need to do.)
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28 comments:
I've done 80% of my Christmas shopping on Amazon, largely because of Amazon Prime - and for the very reason you state. I can order whatever I want, whenever I want, get it in two days, and not have to pay shipping (or sales tax).
OK, OK, I know I pay the Prime annual fee, but that paid for itself LONG ago. Prime has changed the way I shop - and not just for Christmas. It's a great resource year round.
I was able to sign up for a free 1-month trial for Prime, which is convenient this time of year, but I think I'm going to keep it, because I like being able to order one little thing at a time.
I think there are some special Prime services available for students too.
Obviously, they want to hook you on this kind of shopping, but why not?
You got the bulk of my Xmas purchases. Today, a bracelet for my wife (Shhhh).
Thanks for all your writing throughout the year.
"I have to go Christmas shopping.
Wait a minute.
No. I have to go skiing."
Hello, Drama Queen.
I know, go shoplifting on skis!
Tried living in the real world
Instead of a shell
But before I began ...
I was bored before I even began
Shoplifters Of The World Unite.
Learn to love me
Assemble the ways
Now, today, tomorrow and always
My only weakness is a listed crime
My only weakness is ... well, never mind, never mind
Oh, shoplifters of the world
Unite and take over
Shoplifters of the world
Hand it over
Hand it over
Hand it over
Learn to love me
And assemble the ways
Now, today, tomorrow, and always
My only weakness is a listed crime
But last night the plans of a future war
Was all I saw on Channel Four
A heartless hand on my shoulder
A push - and it's over
Alabaster crashes down
(Six months is a long time)
Tried living in the real world
Instead of a shell
But before I began ...
I was bored before I even began
"You got the bulk of my Xmas purchases.... Thanks for all your writing throughout the year."
Thank you. I really do appreciate it. I do put a tremendous amount of time into this project and -- not that I don't truly love doing it -- it is wonderful that there is a way for readers to pay for the writing they like to consume without it costing them any money.
What I like about it is that I can set up 1-click settings to have things sent to friends and family instead of being shipped to me. As of December 23 I'll be going into my 5th year. They hooked me by giving me 60 days free back in 2006, which gave me enough time to see the value. For instance, I'd see an inexpensive paperback book that I knew one of my sisters would love, but I would never want to pay the $3.99 shipping that came along with it. With the Prime I'd use the drop down menu for her, then click, and 2 days later she'd have the book. Same with many other family members and friends. I can even have a gift message included and they omit the price. Or I can splurge and have it gift wrapped for a fee. A few weeks ago for myself I ordered a Guide to the Liturgy of Hours for 2011 for $1.80 and 2 days later UPS is at my door with it. If I only bought books the annual fee would be cleared in under 20 orders. I do much of my shopping on Amazon now as I avoid the 9.6 sales tax in my area. I am also grateful that they have not raised the fee in 5 years. I highly recommend it.
@ Maggie45 Yes, this is especially good once you have the addresses in there for the people you send gifts to.
For example, one might consider sending a small gift every month to an older relative (or a college student) -- like a favorite food. I have someone that I've been wanting to send a little cake to every month. That seems so expensive compared to the way a person going to the store could just pick up a cake. But if there's no shipping charge, it becomes a really workable idea.
I purchased a few items through your Amazon link but now when I look for it in the side bar, and when you talk about it in your posts and say "click here" there is nothing to click on, just am empty space where the icon should be. Not sure if this is a Firefox issue or what but I wish I could figure out what is going on.
I wonder.....can you see what people are buying? I don't mean with names or anything, but the general goods.
I haven't bought anything yet, but plan to do so this afternoon using your sitelet.
It would be fun to look at the orders and try to guess just which commentors are buying what.
Can I come skiing?
Althouse: Just FYI, your Amazon search box has disappeared from view. I used it once to buy something, and it's been gone since.
Re: the Amazon bar.... I use Chrome, Firefox, and Safari and I can see it on all three. It's between the Donate button and the archives on the right.
I bought a bike rack earlier this year, and signed up for the thirty day Prime trial for free to get free shipping on that. Of course, I forgot to cancel, and was quite ticked about it. Having done quite a bit of shopping through Alt-azon, I guess I'm glad I kept it. If nothing else, it's convenient.
Plus, after a couple rough years, I did well enough this year to get a 32 gig ipod touch. Hope you enjoy whatever you get from that, Prof. Thanks for your writing.
@2yellowdogs
Me too, I use Amazon for about 50% of our household shopping, all our entertainment/media, electronics and office supplies.
Two weeks ago I went to Costco to get a couple of door wreaths and discovered that my membership had expired last year. I passed and got nicer ones from Amazon for the same price.
Our five year old multi-function printer died Tuesday and a new one, cheaper than local store prices, was delivered Thursday.
I use a moisturizing face cream that most stores have stopped carrying, Amazon has it in a three pack that they auto-refill every 90 days.
I've never had an issue with a return either.
In a retail world where service is slipshod and often delivered with a snarl or complete indifference, you can't beat Amazon.
Land's End is another online retailer that really delivers on customer service.
I went television shopping the other day, bought through your search link. $400 32" TV, glad to support one of my favorite blogs :)
Ok, I just bought some stuff from Amazon via Althouse. The Instapundit points out Amazon bargains which helps those of us who don't like to shop.
Oh yeah, I need to buy some AMZN stock on a pullback.
Insta got us started with Althouse and Prime!
He linked to a special $59 Prime deal three years ago, and signing up for it changed the way we shop. From less than 10 purchases a year to an average of 72 per year with Prime, which makes the cost to us about dollar per package at the current $79 fee. Considering the weight and size of some of the things ordered, it's been a good deal, with consistent 2 day delivery.
I am a HUGE Amazon Prime fan. IT is the first place I check when buying something on-line. I actually did about 90% of my Christmas shopping on-line this year, it is lovely. I usually pay for my prime account by April. One year I bought a flat screen TV for my dad, 2 day free shipping. It almost paid for my prime account with that one transaction.
Vicki from Pasadena
Nothing beats shopping in my pj's at 2AM. Sweet. Now that I have an IPAD i am using my KINDLE account too.
Vicki
Um, not to be too rude, but why do you need contributions to your writing? This blog costs you nothing to have online - blogger is paying for that - and as far as I know you have no costs at all related to it. You're earning a law professor's salary with no one to support but yourself. You can afford cute little sports cars. Could you explain why the rest of us should care about sending free money your way?
"I wonder.....can you see what people are buying? I don't mean with names or anything, but the general goods."
Yes.
"Um, not to be too rude, but why do you need contributions to your writing? This blog costs you nothing to have online - blogger is paying for that - and as far as I know you have no costs at all related to it. You're earning a law professor's salary with no one to support but yourself. You can afford cute little sports cars. Could you explain why the rest of us should care about sending free money your way?"
Why does the author of a book "need" royalties if that author also has a salaried job? People read this blog, as much as they would a book... or 2 books a year... so why wouldn't you be enthusiastic about a way to "pay" for the writing ... to encourage the author... when it doesn't cost you anything at all? I believe a lot of people do care, and I'm thanking those that do. If you don't, why are you here reading in the first place?
And you know it's rude, speaking of rude, to begin a comment with "um." They'd kick you off Television Without Pity for that.
I don't object to you trying to get some free money. I had no objection to your frequent shilling for people to use the Amazon thing to send you free money. Sounds like a sweet deal.
I reacted to what felt like the phoniness of your plea for people to "support your writing" as if you were some aspiring novelist working away in a grotto somewhere living on Ramen noodles, instead of being an affluent law professor with apparently a lot of time on her hands each day to surf the net and toss off mostly one-or-two line comments on the links she posts. Occasionally you write a law-related post that adds something new to the discussion but mainly you are a link aggregator, which is not exactly comparable to the heavy lifting that a novelist or author of nonfiction does.
So what I was reacting to was your thanks for "making a contribution to my writing". We're not making a contribution to your writing. You were doing it anyway, for the fun of it. It's not like if you got no donations you'd change what you do one bit. We're not supporting you like we would someone who actually needed the money to live or who had to put out some expense to pay for servers or something. We're just putting a little extra jingle in your already nicely fat pocketbook so you can splurge on a few more yuppie toys.
And I don't think there's anything rude about starting a comment with "um". I don't understand you on that one.
BTW I come to your blog because you regularly link to interesting articles on sources I don't otherwise see. I find what you do useful in that way. I don't object to you trying to get a little money out of it. I just objected to the pretension.
I agree with MnMark. This blog links readers to articles written by others -- at times mocking those who make a living by their writing. I don't see it as writing that involves finding ideas, researching, interviewing and then writing full-length articles or taking the cricism that goes with it. I have often thought that a full-time law professor would have a great deal to do preparing lectures, working with law students, grading student work, and so forth. Law professors must do much less work than I imagine, given the amount of time it takes to troll the internet for articles. Seems like a work of vanity more than anything else. Amusing, but vanity all the same.
OK, Skippy, it is probably fair to say that Prof. Althouse "mocks" a fair amount of the writing to which she links. You have to admit, however, the mocking is usually to the poor writing, or the muddled thinking the writing reflects. And, if you've read long enough, she does engage in a fair amount of back and forth with commenters, other bloggers and some writers.
At least four levels of readers here: 1. Just reading.
2. Commenting.
3. Amazon users
4. those who donate.
If I had to guess, if Althouse had to choose only one to keep, she'd keep the commenters. there are a few she really seems to engage with (and, of course, one in particular she really ENGAGED with).
I suggest that there is some discussion warranted about the "it costs you nothing" to buy through the blog. yes it does. it costs you 8% which is the referral "take" (your commission)through the link.
That money isn't just a gift from profits. It is part of the cost of the goods sold and factored into the price.
Would the seller charge 8% less if not ordered through you? Probably not but someone paid that extra 8 cents on the dollar.
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