After Christmas Sale Merchandise

At what point do the after Christmas sales of "Christmas items" stop? It's hard to tell. I'm referring to things like Christmas candy (or better said, candy wrapped with Christmas decor), house decorations, that Santa with a clock in his stomach or the singing Christmas Chipmunk. There's plenty more, but you get the idea. After Christmas is over there isn't much of a market for that "stuff".

Many people wait until the after Christmas sale to buy their Christmas merchandise. The organized consumer faithfully buy its, pack it and opened and use it next Christmas. But most of us forget where it is and never find it for next Christmas. Maybe that's why I have 3 new Christmas tree stands in my attic I bought at 75% off during those sales.

Most of the after Christmas merchandise sales start at 50% off the day after Christmas. If you want the good "stuff" you have to accept a 50% reduction, but if you wait long enough you can get that Santa with the clock in his stomach for 75% off or if the store realizes no one is stupid enough to buy it, eventually at 90%. By the time prices fall to 90% off the selection is shabby and strewn all about the aisle. Odds are though, someone will buy it. In fact, there is no specific closing date to end those sales. Some last all the way through January.

It's only a guess, but I think whatever remains on the shelf after the 90% off sale has run it's course and the Valentine's Day merchandise (at full price) takes over the shelf space, the unsold Christmas merchandise is probably destroyed and written off on taxes the store is to pay. But some stores never discount remaining Christmas items. The Dollar store and Big lots, for example, never have those sales. In the case of the dollar store the one dollar asking price is already low enough to motivate the store to box and package the merchandise that is left over for next Christmas.

I bet if you look at your Christmas decorations you'll be reminded of things you bought after Christmas. In truth most of the decorations I bought (as opposed to what I inherited from my mother) was purchased at a big discount after Christmas. This includes Christmas cards. Christmas cards sit on the shelf largely unsold before the holiday, by after Christmas ends and they go on sale, it's like feeding time at the zoo. They quickly disappear. I think many of them are with me, because I have enough boxes of Christmas cards to send for the next 8 Christmas days. But that may be fewer than the extra Christmas string lights I bought after Christmas. Lights are another big seller after the fact.

Wrapping paper also sells well at after Christmas sales. But I never buy that I already have two huge Christmas wrapping boxes stored with it. Experienced after Christmas day shoppers don't pay much attention to wrapping and cards. They are well overstocked already and want more unusual or specialized items. Often they like the once expensive but now greatly reduced Christmas linen tablecloths or towels. For them, buying the Santa with the clock in his stomach would be unheard of.

Oh, am I taking you away from the after Christmas sales with my rambling monologue? You better hurry to the stores before they sell the last Singing Elvis Santa doll....