Keep your wits — and coupons about you

November 28, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

DETROIT

It took a chat with one of the top toy analysts in the country for bargain-conscious me to realize that holiday shopping coupons were already flying at me in such a flurry this year that I couldn’t keep track of them.

The conversation with this particular analyst, who specializes in Lego pricing, came after I spotted a sale on some Lego “Star Wars” items at Toys “R” Us—and a coupon from the chain in the paper offering through Nov. 13 a free $10 gift card with a qualifying purchase of $75 or more. (I’ve since spotted a similar coupon in the paper good through Nov. 20.)

I thought I had a great deal working.

But, the toy analyst interjected, “There’s a coupon for 20 percent off.”

“Where?” I asked.

“In my room,” he said.

Indeed, a Toys “R” Us catalog mailed to our house had a 20 percent-off coupon slapped on the front, which somehow ended up in the possession of our resident toy price analyst.

The 20 percent off would be a far better deal, especially since the analyst had his eye on the most expensive “Star Wars” item in the Lego catalog. The cost would be cut, plus we’d get an immediate discount.

Lesson learned. Look before you shop — for coupons, sales and a sharp analyst.

That could save you plenty in what’s expected to be the strongest year of the past several for holiday sales because retailers are responding to the cash-strapped situation of many middle-class consumers, said Diane Swonk, chief economist for Mesirow Financial in Chicago.

Some stores offer several promotions, betting perhaps that you’ll use the one that is the better deal for the retailer.

Sometimes, more than one promotion can apply. Bring all your coupons and ask.

Know that everybody isn’t getting the same coupon.

The same retailer can send a 20-percent-off coupon to you but e-mail a 30 percent-off offer to your neighbor; sometimes, two consumers living at the same address, or working in the same place, get different offers.

“You might get a different coupon in your inbox than somebody else is getting,” said Barry Boone, owner of CurrentCodes.com near Tulsa, Okla. “They vary these things based on what they know about you.”

Carry competing ads in your purse or pants pocket.

Many stores — especially those engaging in a price war on toys — will match the lower price in a current print ad.

Ask the store about deals or coupons. Some clerks will tell you if there’s a special coupon in the paper, in a circular or maybe even in that Entertainment Book you forgot you bought for this year’s school fundraiser.

Go shopping with friends who get coupons. I saved a girlfriend $60 on two lovely pairs of pajamas — plus she got free shipping — because long ago I had signed up for a loyalty program at a store that let me offer my friend my coupons.

Watch out, because sometimes when you pay less, you get less.

Swonk noted that affordable luxury isn’t really in vogue. Retailers know that many consumers aren’t planning to buy a cashmere sweater — “unless it’s $19.99.”

But some modestly priced “luxury items” can look skimpy.

I learned this lesson from Snoopy, who’s not as big as he used to be.

Hallmark offered a holiday Snoopy for around $10 — a discount from $12.95 — and I asked my husband to pick one up.

Snoopy showed up in a red hat, black sunglasses and a cheerful green Joe Mistletoe shirt, but I was stunned to see a Snoopy who was way smaller than the holiday Snoopys I remembered.

Good grief.

Susan Tompor is the personal finance columnist for the Detroit Free Press. She can be reached at stomporfreepress.com.

2010, Detroit Free Press