Today while browsing the Internet I read about a sales event located in Henrico County near Richmond, Virginia where there were about 1000 used laptops selling for about $50 each. This was one of those first-come first-serve sales and not surprisingly there was a large crowd waiting to get their hands on one. The laptops were apparently 4 year old Apple iBooks that were previously used by students in a public high school. Regardless of how old they are, that is a pretty cheap price for a laptop I must say.

As soon as the gates opened, the crowd went into a frenzy as people disregarded others to try and guarantee themselves a fifty dollar iBook. People were injured and many even feared for their lives. A picture is worth a thousand words and when I saw some video captures of the sales event, it continues to amaze me on how crazy people can become just to save money. While I’m probably one of the first people who would get excited over a great sale, if it involved putting my health at risk to get it that wouldn’t really be a worthwhile purchase. Not only that, but the fact that some people are willing to physically hurt others to get the sale is incredible. From what I read, there were even people who were using their vehicles to help get them through the crowd and to the front of the line.

From my experience, if you really want some good deals on old products on a consistent basis, try to talk with people who work within the industry and you’ll be surprised on how many high end items that company’s constantly want to clear out at a very low price. While I’ve personally never seen a laptop sell for $50 here, I’d rather be alive when I purchase a $1000 laptop than end up as a crippled person with a $50 laptop.

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