“Anybody wanna buy a used bolo?”

Star Wars: Episode I DVD, Jeep Cherokee, living room sofa, digital camera, BBQ hibachi—these are some of my favorite possessions, and each one of them I bought used either over the internet, or at a second hand storefront.

Used car dealerships and thrift clothing stores have been around for as long as I’ve been alive, but with the relatively recent rise of the internet and sites like ebay.com, secondspin.com, and amazon.com, my limited budget can bring me unlimited pleasures. Toys, gadets, and collections that were once available only to those with enough money to pay top dollar for them are now available to guys like me, whose income bracket ranks them just above the poverty line.

“And we can charge anything we want: two thousand a day, ten thousand a day, and people will pay it. And then there’s the merchandising, and I can personally…”
“Donald. Donald, this park was not built to cater only for the super rich. Everyone in the world has the right to enjoy these animals.”
“Sure… They will… What, we’ll have a coupon day or something.”

What’s the big deal about all this stuff—you must be very materialistic—right? Wrong. I don’t love having these things just because I always want more—I love having them because they enhance my lifestyle.

“200 points, alright. Good for you.”

I bought a digital camera on ebay for $200 (I’ve seen regular retail price as high as $329). I took that cybershot P-72 with me on my trip home—half of our funnest moments were captured on camera, and the other half were spent laughing as we reviewed the stills and movies I shot with the camera. And now that I’m back from my trip, I’ve got about 400 mega bytes worth of captured memories to remind me of the fun, the food, the family, the friends, and the foliage of home.

“Stop that laughing. You know what happens when you can't stop laughing. One of these days, you're gonna die laughing.”

Another example of the expediency of e-shoping can be found in my most recent on-line purchase: Those who know me well know that my favorite comedy team is Mickey, Donald and Goofy. Cartoon classics like Lonesome Ghosts, Mickey and the Beanstalk, and Prince and the Pauper strike my funnybone in ways that no other movies can. Those three make for a gifted comedic trio, and over the years they’ve turned out to be some of my very best friends. Well, on Tuesday a new Disney DVD was released: Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in The Three Musketeers. Suggested retail price is $29.99, but I bought it used off of amazon.com for 8.99—that’s only half again as much as it’d cost to rent the darn thing, and this way I can watch and laugh again and again and again.

The part inside of me that’s still a kid wants movies, the part inside of me that’s a secret agent wants gadgets, and the part inside of me that’s still my mother’s son can’t help but be frugal—I’m glad there are things like used goods for sale that make it possible to satisfy all three.