Liquidation Expo

[RightFieldCoder]

A Liquidation Expo is going on at the Wisconsin State Fair park this weekend. The SO and I were going to stop by tonight, but her mom heard they didn't really have any deals there. They advertise great deals like laptops for $149. I was looking to get a cheap laptop, and thought we would take a peak. Then I found out they charge $8 at the door just to look. Has anyone gone to these liquidation expos? Are they any good? Are there actual deals there, or no more so than what you can find at other stores?

[RockCoCougars]

The advertising for these 'liquidation sales' is pretty much bait and switch. All these things are is glorified flea markets. I guarantee that the '$149 laptop' is a used, refurbished Pentium 2, best case.

[NeedMoreFans]

Stay as far away from these things as possible. Sure, they'll sell you a cheap laptop, but when you get home, there is a 50% chance it won't work. When I worked at an expo center where these were held, more people complained about them than any other event we had. People tried returning stuff all the time. That, and the vendors sold drugs to each other...

[mothershipconnection]

Just go to Big Lots - they don't charge admission and don't have a no return policy. Plus, when they sell you a Shop-Vac, that's really what it is, not a Xiang-Li Industries Vac 2000.

[Bikeage77]

i went to one once, and it was pretty much stated as above...i ended up buying a buncha $5 dvds (of good movies, but probably not "must haves") to feel like i made out alright on the 5 dollar door charge

[RockCoCougars]

Yep, mostly cheap imports and used junky stuff. I think the marketing plan is to get the admission fees and then get people to feel that they have to buy 'something' to 'justify' the cost they paid to get in, and the time they spent getting there.

[dadofandrew]

We bought our first computer at one like this at the MN State Fairgrounds. Paid about $250 (back then, a desktop was about $750-1000), and it worked for about 3 years. Most of them usually have Badgers/Packers sweatshirts and the like for $5-10. The folks we bought ours from gave us their business card and told us to bring it in if we had any trouble in the first year. Pretty much everything is going to be refurbished, or bought in bulk, but you'll find good deals.

 

We sat outside at that one for about 15 minutes, eating lunch, and saw a minimum of 50 people leaving with a $100+ purchase. I can't imagine how much business that place did.