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Looked like most cleared out in 17 minutes

1K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  CaptainKlutz 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I hope nobody got hurt in the mad rush at Lee Valley today. My start time was 12:01, I was just poking along as I do when online shopping. Not sure why I did it, but I went back out, and reentered, and looked like almost everything was getting gone, this was 12:07. LOL

I quick like a bunny jumped back in, got myself a low angle block plane, put it in my cart, and cashed out. That process was kinda slow. I got done before 12:10.

Just to check went back in at 12:17, and 99% or better looked to have all gone tags. That was brisk.

Whattted ya get??
 
#4 ·
I don t remember buying anything from them, consequently I had no idea there was a too-doo going on

- recycle1943
On ANY of the good makers, vendors, and places to buy from, get on their mailing list. They will send you out mail that will keep you spending, their job, but in doing so it will save you money, your job. :)

I just haven't been engaged in much computer this week, so I hadn't been to email in a while, and today I woke up early, and was online earlier than my norm, or I would have missed it too. Start time was Noon, getting there prior to was advantageous. They expected a huge turnout after last years first ever "second" sale was a smash hit. Expecting a large crown, they contracted with a parking venue, that put you in a "waiting room" so the site itself wasn't overrun. Never having been in something like that I didn't know what to expect, so I didn't come here early, or I would have posted a notice. I feel bad for that. Did that assume thing.

Prior to that they worried the tools would decrease their reputation for quality if the "seconds" made market, and people said this is junk. Last year I bought a router plane, and seriously cannot say what is wrong with it, but they did like they do with golf balls, and X'd em out, so a savvy buyer would know they were seconds. Problem is/was it appears even really serious woodworkers evidently don't know about it.

Apology for not posting prior to, but due to my not doing email checks all week, I didn't know until right before it was time to kick off, by then I was hiding out in a "waiting room" Seems kinda of dirty, and covert when ya type it out…..
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hand Furniture Product Gesture Wood


Steven. I did see the email this morning but forgot about it while I was working on My next project.

Thanks for the reminder. I bought a fine tooth dovetail saw.

I think it was an impulse buy, until I start making dovetails with. Then I'll say to myself. I'm sure glad I bought it when I'd did.

Recycle I really like their products. They do their manufacturing in Canada and shipping is free on orders of $30. or more.
 

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#6 ·
I've had one of their DT saws from the first year they made them. I call them the universal donor, and I let people use it that are just starting out doing hand cut DTs. Almost anyone feels at home with their handles, and the balance makes them easy to use. You'll like it James.
 
#7 ·
+1 The queue this year was new and a strange addition.

Logged in 10 minutes before sale, was perusing my wish list and dreaming about unlimited Christmas budget.
At the designated 5 minute queue start, I was not pushed to queue page.

Then 60 seconds later the queue page appeared on three different open browser tabs at same time. Two tabs had same tag #, but one was different. After ~3min, two tabs show 4 minutes (or 12:03) till I can access the sale and there are over 6500 people in queue ahead of me. The odd ball tagged browser page showed 8100+ people waiting and 30 second longer queue time, so I closed that window.

Number of folks online was not surprising, but how so many got in line front me was little depressing?

Folks must have dropped from queue, as the wait timer was counting down faster than my clock.
Thankfully, was dumped into sale page early at ~12:02 and happy to see nothing sold out yet.

Quickly dropped a wish list hand plane into my cart and checked out. Check out was much better than previous years, and near instantaneous opening of each page. Was done by 12:05.

Returned to sale page to look around and about third of items were already sold out. This years Christmas budget is small, or I might have grabbed something else and tempted fate 2nd time? Refreshed the sale page couple times in the next 15 minutes and all but a couple of the most common bevel down bench planes where sold out within 20 minutes.

Cheers!
 
#9 ·
I skipped it because I had to wait over 6 months for my last order to arrive. I was too afraid of what might qualify as a "second" this late in the game. I sat this one out for fear of getting something I would regret, but I am sitting here on the sidelines cheering folks on and hoping that some gems were acquired.
 
#10 ·
Devin, I got a fairly simple LA block plane, so likely something like that is stocked in greater numbers, sold in greater numbers etc, etc, etc. I've gotten a shipped notice, and they are saying I will have it early next week. Probably something in lower volume in sales will have had fewer of them available, but being seconds I don't think they are preselling anything, they would have all been tools already made, and at some point on final, found not to be up to the normal spec. Or at least that is how I figured this sale.

Was your wait for something on the seconds sale? I know Covid whacked them, just like most all tool manufacturers. I've been waiting on a new Rikon belt/disc sander for almost a year. A few places online have said they will have the model I am waiting on in December. Not sure if that means I should get mine then???
 
#11 ·
Yeah the virtual waiting room wasn t a good idea me thinks.

- waho6o9
Well it was different, that is for sure. I got online about 10:30 or so, I believe that gave me a huge start over Capn K, but due to my poking around looking at things, I probably almost blew any advantage I may have had. I didn't have a problem with check out last year, but I had heard feedback that many had items they thought they had, and didn't, this due to the massive amount of people "in the store" at one time. I believe they hoped this queue thing was going to help that.

Likely Robin will post his thoughts on if it did or didn't. He's pretty responsive to what everyone likes/dislikes. He likes smooth sailing. :)
 
#12 ·
Capn, it was new and different. I'd never experienced that company online. I imagine with things that had a start time, and only so many available items, and not wanting to crash the system, it's a smart idea. Now if the way they do it actually works is a debate that maybe isn't over yet.

Like I said above Robin is usually one to talk about what has occurred, so he'll probably mention it, the real truth will be is there a waiting room next year? Or will there be a seconds sale next year?
 
#13 ·
Devin, I got a fairly simple LA block plane, so likely something like that is stocked in greater numbers, sold in greater numbers etc, etc, etc. I ve gotten a shipped notice, and they are saying I will have it early next week. Probably something in lower volume in sales will have had fewer of them available, but being seconds I don t think they are preselling anything, they would have all been tools already made, and at some point on final, found not to be up to the normal spec. Or at least that is how I figured this sale.

Was your wait for something on the seconds sale? I know Covid whacked them, just like most all tool manufacturers. I ve been waiting on a new Rikon belt/disc sander for almost a year. A few places online have said they will have the model I am waiting on in December. Not sure if that means I should get mine then???

- therealSteveN
I was referring to the wooden block plane kit that I ordered in March of this year that didn't arrive until a few weeks ago. Shipment got delayed 5 times. Five times they estimated it would arrive in a few weeks only to push it back again, and again, and again.

If it wasn't for Dave Polaschek coming to the rescue and sending me one he already had, I would have had to exit the 2021 plane swap or make something very different (I was already on plan C anyhow, so more likely I would have just gone to plan D).

I didn't even open the package for 2 weeks when it arrived because I was so over it. I just opened it and it looks like everything is in-tact and of good quality.

All I'm saying is that they have to work their way back into my good graces and a mad-dash sale isn't going to attract me because they burned me.
 
#16 ·
I think the weird thing about my Rikon/WoodCraft sander is since buying to support the local WoodCraft, Amazon has had it cheaper a few times, and in, and out of stock at least 10 times. I don't even look anymore it makes me sad.

I guess as a seller of items I understand makers of goods allowing Amazon to bully them to always get inventory, even in crazy times like we have recently seen. I just Hope if I were a vendor, seller, manufacturer, or goods I would have the intestinal fortitude to tell them, get in line, it's how I do business, and fill orders as I got them.

In his quest for world domination it appears we are giving Bezos an easy path.
 
#17 ·
Capn, it was new and different. I d never experienced that company online. -therealSteveN
Been attempting to get discounted LV stuff for many years?
Not a frequent LV shopper, but according to my order records, I buy something from LV 1-3 times a year.

Here is my history, as best I can remember:

The old website (2-3 years ago) was atrocious during the Black Monday sale, where the 2nd quality tools were first introduced.
Several years I was unable to get any tools from sale, because I was greedy adding 3-4 tools in my cart. During checkout one tool would be out stock, and checkout process started ALL over. Check out was slow, CC processing was slow, and didn't remember CC info; the resulting restart/delays meant another tool would be out of stock each checkout attempt, until they were all not available. It was torturous way to spend 30 minutes shopping online.

The new website design improved checkout response time for the sale event But still was not easy to buy more than one item. That 1st sale on new site design (2019?) also had disappointing discounts. The discounts on 2nd quality tools were lower (~8-12% discount) than if you bought one of the larger discounted gift cards (~14-18%). I bought a gift card that year; and waited for next free shipping event to use it.

IMHO - When LV moved the 2nd quality tool sale into October for 2020, instead of selling the tools on Black Monday; the page loading times for event were much better, but still slow. They no longer offered discounted gift cards, which likely removed many family members buying presents for Christmas? The 2nd sale discounts last year were little better than previous year. Still only added a shoulder plane to my collection in 2020 with ~15% discount. Wife bought me a gift card with ~16% discount on Black Monday.

During this year's tool event the checkout process had same page load response time for me as placing 'normal' order. Be interesting to see discount amounts on Black Monday gift cards this year, to see if 20% discount I got on a plane is a best deal or not?

Cheers!
 
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