Portable power helps realize especial convenience long envisioned to help anyone, anywhere bring provisional sources of information directly within access. Thanks to battery power, people can make informed decisions before potentially dangerous, unexpected conditions mount, and the option also makes a nice complement to modern capacity for driving long distances for any daily outing or vacation. Wherever people may go, and especially when they go to less populated areas, bringing along a provisional store of batteries can help power essentials such as portable radios, flashlights and lamps so that the whole family or team can take proper precautions as eventuality becomes contender.
Batteries have so many uses. They power our clocks, ensure our protection in fire & smoke alarms, keep our pets’ water bowl free-flowing, fan babies when the A/C doesn’t work, and even power our CMOS motherboard chips. Batteries even keep our digital cameras going and supply off-grid power to our PDAs and laptops. Perhaps they even keep your UPS afloat over the course of any emergency power outage.
So naturally when using a lot of batteries, uncovering how to get them cheap is valuable knowledge.
Expired batteries
Anyone can get a good deal on expired cells of any size or type, and the fact applies even to rechargeable batteries labeled, “pre-charged.” Yes, over time even those lose their charge, so they’re fair game to be sold at reduced prices.
Prices as low as 25% under retail cost have been sighted for name brands such as Duracell to buy at vendors such as Amazon.com, although these require a coupon in addition to a price cut of 10%.
Expired batteries can probably be gotten much cheaper from specialty dealers, but they are not necessarily the way to go. Rechargeables are guaranteed even past their expiration date to deliver on certain expectations rendered by the manufacturer through advertisements and other promotional outreach materials.
But expired batteries, whether still useable or outright dead, can be recharged a number of times using special rechargers (see below). As such, this could be the deal of the decade for the right person – hardly an exciting find for anyone perceiving a risk, however.
Auction & stock liquidation
Another way to get a good deal on batteries can be found in the online auction place, or in bulk through a stock liquidator. Businesses liquidate stagnant stock and go out of business all the time.
Auction sites often find better profits in selling liquidated items piecemeal. Such stock naturally fetches a higher price by being exactly what a purchaser wants without needless extras. Liquidators often require bulk purchases that can deter quite a lot of potential customers, even if batteries can be gotten at the best price around.
Deals may vary from either, and it’s not necessarily a guarantee that the savings will be more from either, except with regard to getting your bargains delivered.
Dollar stores
Another type of business purchases what can be obtained in high volume at prices both in the here & now and also prices calibrated to sell liquidated stock, or “closeouts.” These “dollar stores” have a considerable presence in the marketplace and can be a very inexpensive place to get batteries.
DollarDays offers their own selection of closeouts at value prices. DollarTree is another source where batteries can be gotten at the streamlined price of $1 per pack.
Some dollar stores, such as Dollar General, actually have their own batteries manufactured with their own store name. Just don’t expect high-drain devices to appreciate the savings.
Competitor batteries
There’s still a wide wide world of competition when it comes to batteries. New brands just seem to appear and disappear on store shelves, seldom with staying power. The big brands are Duracell, Energizer, and Rayovac, and each provide similar quality, whereas Rayovac also makes their own share of cheapish batteries that do not last a long time for high-drain uses.
For example, a CD player may work 2 -15 minutes on cheapie Rayovacs whereas it may work 30 minutes – 2 hours on premium Rayovacs. The application itself means everything when it comes to making the best choice, and a cheapie battery may be the smartest decision when it comes to powering an analog clock or peripheral remote.
Bulk batteries
Usually the best deals available come from buying in bulk, just as with a liquidator, and that goes for any particular arrangement or combination mentioned above as well. Bulk batteries are often generic batteries but may sometimes have brand names associated with them.
Purchasing batteries in bulk from a manufacturer or wholesale site such as All-Battery, Batteries, BatteryMart, MegaBatteries, or OnlyBatteries could result in considerable savings. For example, AA 2600 mAh rechargeable batteries purchased in respectable bulk can be had for considerably under $2 apiece while name-brands tend to sell for $3 per.
Purchasing bulk batteries direct from the manufacturer is probably the most economical option without doing a thorough search. Plus, there may be more options involved than available at stores, since batteries can also be purchased for stock “solder-your-own” battery packs.
Special deals
Also, don’t forget to check for special deals on-line. Sometimes there are manufacturers together with stores literally giving batteries away, whether in fact or with coupons & rebates.
Look for product search engines that sort by price such as BottomDollar, DealTime, NexTag, PriceScan, and Shopping. The major search engines also offer similar shopping search engines. These sites can pull up the going rate as featured at actual stores.
Be sure to check out useful, dedicated search engines such as TechDealDigger that specialize in finding deals and specials on electronics.
It’s also important to look for individual store discount codes and product coupons before making your purchase.
And also consider looking for RSS feeds or sites that announce anything from samples to freebies as those come by.
Common sense
So, why would you want to buy, say, a stock of 100 60-packs of expired AAs online for $1,200 when you can in fact buy 600 fresh, rechargeable AAs for well under $1,000?
But if those 600 batteries cost only $150 at auction, it would seem to be a steal. Even if the batteries were unusable, it’s possible to recharge them using 1993’s Buddy-L SuperCharger or Battery Xtender.
Be on the look out for words such as “expired,” that apply to the offer itself instead of the expiration date of the batteries. And finally, consider that there may be shipping costs involved beyond the nice-looking prices that you see on the screen. Whether you may drive to the company to pick up your order may also be factor in to your savings.
The hunt for savings on batteries tends to be best performed by exploring online options that vary by venue and type of battery. There are old batteries, expired batteries, single-use, and rechargeable batteries. Additionally, there are wholesalers, auctions, liquidators, dollar stores, and special deals of every sort that make for options worth investigating before a well-planned purchase. Be sure to check out the wide range of options in deal locators and then move in to score remarkable savings.