You're welcome, b@#$% (Long)

[Kusanagi]

That's because people simply look at the product costs. They're too stupid to factor in the shipping What bugs me are the people who put up brand-new model kits as "rare" and then start the bidding at the price they paid for it. As a result, many of those kits go for nearly *twice* what they would have cost in the store! That reason alone is why I never buy plastic models from Ebay...unless it's an older (that is, no longer in production) kit, or I get a helluva deal.

This is the precise reason I sell things on ebay.

[Gurndigarn]

I don't know if you have people spread all over the world like I do, but might I also recommend having amazon do the gift wrap as well and shipping direct to recipient.

Or what I did with my parents being a continent away: send them music via iTunes.

[Seanette]

I would pay 200 bucks just to not have to listen to the damn same Christmas carols played over and over and over in every store starting....well, probably starting NOW.

I know it's costing me more money to have all that stuff delivered. I don't care. My time is worth more to me at this point. All I had to do last year was open the boxes that Santa brought every day and start wrapping (I nicknamed my very nice UPS driver "Santa."). I enjoyed a stress-free holiday for the first time in my adult life.

My BIL refers to UPS drivers as "chocolate Santas" (he's referring to the uniforms, not the skin of the wearer thereof).

As for the Christmas carols, it gets to where I really sympathize with one line from a Christmas-set episode of X-Files. Scully has just finished her shopping and tells Mulder that if she'd had to hear "Silent Night" one more time, she was going to start taking hostages.

[pbmods]

"Holding a product" has got to be the ultimate courtesy a store can perform for a customer. When you think about it, the worst-case scenario here is that the store refuses to sell an item to a customer who wants to buy it so that they can sell it to a customer who may or may not be showing up later that day/week/year.

This is why I always ask a customer when she will be showing up and let her know that thirty minutes after that point, the item goes back on the shelf.

[trunks2k]

As for the Christmas carols, it gets to where I really sympathize with one line from a Christmas-set episode of X-Files. Scully has just finished her shopping and tells Mulder that if she'd had to hear "Silent Night" one more time, she was going to start taking hostages.

Tell me about it.... It's the same 10 songs over and over and over and over again, just as different versions. When was the last time a new Christmas song was made? And I mean one that becomes a "classic", i.e. wasn't just a temportary novelty and was still played 3 years after it was made.

[Seanette]

Tell me about it.... It's the same 10 songs over and over and over and over again, just as different versions. When was the last time a new Christmas song was made? And I mean one that becomes a "classic", i.e. wasn't just a temportary novelty and was still played 3 years after it was made.

Don't recall.

I personally find Bob Rivers and/or Tales From the Crypt Christmas music sanity-savers. As much as Christmas means to me, hearing the same music over and over for over a month tends to drive me just a bit nuts.

[protege]

Tell me about it.... It's the same 10 songs over and over and over and over again, just as different versions. When was the last time a new Christmas song was made? And I mean one that becomes a "classic", i.e. wasn't just a temportary novelty and was still played 3 years after it was made.

That's why I *hate* going to any store during the holidays. Around here, the Christmas crap starts roughly the day after Halloween, and goes until New Year's. Then there are the local radio stations....one of which just loves to play the same carols over and over. Ugh!

I'm so tempted to do most of my shopping online. That way, I'd avoid the crowds, the idiot drivers, and the rest of it

[Seanette]

That's why I *hate* going to any store during the holidays. Around here, the Christmas crap starts roughly the day after Halloween, and goes until New Year's. Then there are the local radio stations....one of which just loves to play the same carols over and over. Ugh!

I'm so tempted to do most of my shopping online. That way, I'd avoid the crowds, the idiot drivers, and the rest of it

I think all these nice bonuses are well worth the cost of shipping.

[phillippbo]

Tell me about it.... It's the same 10 songs over and over and over and over again, just as different versions. When was the last time a new Christmas song was made? And I mean one that becomes a "classic", i.e. wasn't just a temportary novelty and was still played 3 years after it was made.

I'm fond of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You", or "Santa Baby" (either version, but I prefer Madonna's - it's tempo is a little faster), or most of the "Mr Hankey's Christmas Classic's" from South Park (especially "Merry F***ing Christmas") - NOT for the kiddies, I warn you. "The Twelve Pains of Christmas" is another great one, and helps some of us run over by Christmas Cheer a little release. Not a Christmas song, but fits into that time of the year "The Hanukkah Song" by Adam Sandler. (This is by no means all of the "original" Christmas music I like, but it's all I can think of at the moment.)

The problem is not that new Christmas songs are not made, its that radio stations and the retailers don't like to play something that's "untested" as it were (or in the case of Mr. Hankey, would get them fined by the FCC or complaints from angry parents - but it's still funny). Although I can see someone's point of view about the repetative nature of the Christmas songs, I've never felt that myself. I guess I'm just a big kid at heart.

[Broomjockey]

Twelve Days of Starcraft

That is all I've got to say. Either you get it, or you don't.

[Ryu]

wow thats a blast from the past
i used to be obsessed with that game
people used to make all kinds of cool christmas maps (to stay on the current topic )

[Gurndigarn]

Not a Christmas song, but fits into that time of the year "The Hanukkah Song" by Adam Sandler. (This is by no means all of the "original" Christmas music I like, but it's all I can think of at the moment.)

Which has, sadly, joined "Grandma Got Run Over By A Raindeer" as the worst holiday humor attempt songs ever.

[LostMyMind]

You really need to listen to country station during christmas. Grandma got run over by a reindeer not even near the top 10 at bad holiday humor attempt.

I can't remember the title, but I think it's "Rusty Chevrolet" to the tune of Jingle Bells.

[Ree]

"Holding a product" has got to be the ultimate courtesy a store can perform for a customer....
...This is why I always ask a customer when she will be showing up and let her know that thirty minutes after that point, the item goes back on the shelf.

Man, I wish you worked with me.

I have such a hard time finding space in the warehouse, so it ticks me off when floor staff will just come back with an item and some cryptic note.
There may or may not be a name or phone number for the customer. There may or may not be a time and date when they will be picking it up.

We had 4 large wooden chairs sitting in my storage area for over 3 weeks. All it said was that a lady was coming in for them. There was no information, other than the name of the clerk and phone number for the other store who had called in and asked us to hold them, as they were sending a customer to us. I finally put them out, and as far as I know, she never came looking.

I have had other stuff sit there for weeks, and finally put them out, only to have the customer come in looking for it.

There have been items saying, "Will pick up tomorrow" with no date as to when they item was set in my warehouse.

All items set in the back are supposed to be put on reserve with the customer's name and phone number so the computer can track it and we don't end up selling the same item twice.

I am so sick of spending 30 minutes tearing my hear out looking for an item, because the computer says we have it on hand, only to find that someone has set it aside for a customer without reserving it.

[Jester]

If you want some truly unique Christmas music, pick up the Christmas album "Horny Holidays" by Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors.

Absolutely hilarious!