I hate the Defender warehouse sale!

labatt · #1 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

So the spending season has begun for me in the thawing northeast. I went down to the Defender warehouse sale yesterday and bought wayyyyy too much stuff.

I thought I'd get out easy when I just picked up a couple of cans of Sailkote and bottles of KO, but then I passed by the display of Mustang hydrostatic PFD's. They were offering a free strobe with the purchase of a PFD. I wanted the strobe so I had to buy the PFD. Then I walked down to the Garmin display and checked out the Colorado. It was love at first sight - I need a new handheld unit for backup and geocaching, so I had to get one. Then I was reminded of global warming, so I had to pick up a movable hatch air conditioner. Since I was wondering how I would climb onto my boat with that air conditioning unit, I had to get an Edson step. I've been looking for boots for my size 15 feet for ages, but then I got to wondering if I'd fit in a size 14. Lo and behold, I did! Daddy owns a new pair of Gill boots. I wonder what that new SPOT tracker is like? We'll find out, since I had to get one of those too.

It was about this time that someone reminded me that I would have to share with my wife the fact that I went insane. Fortunately, I put a lightly used 3.5HP 2-stroke outboard we had for our dinghy, before we upgraded to a 6HP unit, up for sale on Craigslist on Thursday night. Friday morning, I had an e-mail for an interested buyer. Two hours after I left for the Defender sale, the interested buyer got to our house and bought the engine, so my wife was in a good mood. I told her - "Hon, you can have the cash from the engine sale for whatever you want." She was happy, and then suspiciously asked what I bought at the sale. "Two cans of Sailkote and a couple of bottles of KO," I started.

Did anyone else take advantage of the sale?

Stillraining · #2 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

Hay wait a minute...How did you get your economic stimulus check already...

Quote:

Originally Posted by labatt

So the spending season has begun for me in the thawing northeast. I went down to the Defender warehouse sale yesterday and bought wayyyyy too much stuff.

I thought I'd get out easy when I just picked up a couple of cans of Sailkote and bottles of KO, but then I passed by the display of Mustang hydrostatic PFD's. They were offering a free strobe with the purchase of a PFD. I wanted the strobe so I had to buy the PFD. Then I walked down to the Garmin display and checked out the Colorado. It was love at first sight - I need a new handheld unit for backup and geocaching, so I had to get one. Then I was reminded of global warming, so I had to pick up a movable hatch air conditioner. Since I was wondering how I would climb onto my boat with that air conditioning unit, I had to get an Edson step. I've been looking for boots for my size 15 feet for ages, but then I got to wondering if I'd fit in a size 14. Lo and behold, I did! Daddy owns a new pair of Gill boots. I wonder what that new SPOT tracker is like? We'll find out, since I had to get one of those too.

It was about this time that someone reminded me that I would have to share with my wife the fact that I went insane. Fortunately, I put a lightly used 3.5HP 2-stroke outboard we had for our dinghy, before we upgraded to a 6HP unit, up for sale on Craigslist on Thursday night. Friday morning, I had an e-mail for an interested buyer. Two hours after I left for the Defender sale, the interested buyer got to our house and bought the engine, so my wife was in a good mood. I told her - "Hon, you can have the cash from the engine sale for whatever you want." She was happy, and then suspiciously asked what I bought at the sale. "Two cans of Sailkote and a couple of bottles of KO," I started.

Did anyone else take advantage of the sale?

mstern · #3 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

I didn't go this year, but I have been in the past. It is a great event, with some tremendous bargains. I bought enough from the loose bargains box (blocks, cleats) to make it a worthwhile trip. I also picked up some bottom paint, not to mention invaluable advice from the Micron factory rep on bottom painting, replaced the cover for my Lifesling, and found some plates and cups in the "Everything $1" bin. I also got a never to be repeated deal on a tiller cover: they were on sale to begin with, but they had mismarked the price even lower! To top it all off, I was given a free gift of a Defender can cozy.

JimsCAL · #4 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

I "visited" online. A lot safer for the pocketbook than being in person. Just searched for the things already on my spring list.

teshannon · #5 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

No but I've been hitting up Ebay for some absolutely essential decorative pieces.

Freesail99 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by teshannon

No but I've been hitting up Ebay for some absolutely essential decorative pieces.

I a month or so back bought from Defender a lot of teak items they had on closeout. Items such as teak switch covers, outlet covers, teak tolet paper holder and so on. I been getting high with a headache varnishing them in my apartment.

merlin2375 · #7 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

I searched online as well, didn't see many GREAT deals just some good deals. Sounds like it's better in person!

Ragtime · #8 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

For those who either missed the Defender.com sale or did get all your supplies, Hamilton Marine is running their spring sale now at Hamilton Marine.com until April 6. The sale prices seem to be the same as Defenders sale prices.

wchevron · #9 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

it was my first time this year. i think i spent the first 20 minutes pushing my cart in circles looking at all the stuff. i was like my kids at toys-r-us. i needed quite a bit for the boat so eventhough people were looking at me like i was nuts with my cart overflowing, it was all legitimate purchases. it's nice being able to talk to the vendors. the garmin rep. convinced me to upsell but the raritan and edson rep. were able to change what i had previously determined i needed and ended up saving me some time and money. and like yourself labatt, i bought something for the wife to appease her when the credit card bill comes in.

WuWei · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2008

I'm not going to lie- I go completely nuts when boat stuff is on sale. Then, it ends up in the black hole of my garage. The hubby did a major garage clean-up (I was hiding out on the patio... he he he...), and later showed me his "finds" of stuff he did not know we had, like 3 boxes of Marine-Tex, new blocks, lights, a brand-new Lev-O-Gage Sr. (the one on the boat needed to be replaced, and I forgot I bought it), etc, etc, etc... "Um, baby, where did all this stuff come from?" I just played up my blondeness- "Oh, I don't remember, but wow, this is great! It's like a treasure hunt in the garage!" Ooh, but was I mad as hell today when I realized I missed the JSI garage sale this weekend AND he is out of town.....