I will add to the above. The best time to buy is when you actually need something. If you really want to buy you won't just be waiting till a certain time of the year. Finally, just go out and buy something there will be a use for it somewhere and of one can't find that use give it away as a Christmas present.

I have a fool-proof system that I will sell to you for ONLY 999.99$! Also, completely unrelated, I'm currently selling a various assortment of tools, chocolate and digital cameras.

Um, at last count there were 7, and I don't know about in the US [where you are], but we can shop 7 days a week here in Oz, up to 9.00pm Monday to Friday, to 5.30 - 6.00pm Saturdays and Sundays.  In fact, here in Brisbane we have the Myer Centre with hundreds of specialty shops, and it NEVER closes, well except for Good Friday and Christmas Day.  In fact, Brisbane these days never shuts down, to cater to the thousands of tourists who arrive each week.

Wasn't like that when I arrived 42 years ago, everything was shut by 5.30pm Monday to Friday, Saturdays has morning trading only, and on Sundays Brisbane was a virtual ghost town, very few people on the streets and maybe an odd cafe or two open here or there.... but come 5.00pm it was totally dead.

Hehe, all the more left over for us, then... cos it don't matter how they spell it, our days always end with ay. 

And another fing, I don't see no good time fer ta be buyin' eye patches n' peg legs.

I muss admit, tho, me finks Spring be a good time fer cruises.... bein' tha water won't be so cold fer when them thar landlubbers be made ter walk tha plank after us fleeces 'em of their booty

Roll up, roll up, book yer Twisted Sister Spring cruises here.

NOT funny!

The only good time is when you lose the eye or leg!  D'oh!

So much for the Boy Scout motto, then.... 'Be Prepared'

Okay, so what do you get when you cross a boy scout with a pirate?

An ornery SOB who tells yer: "Be prepared ta walk tha plank."

Then you could always play 'Jake the Peg' with the extra leg.... and there's nothing wrong with keeping a spare implant or three around the place.

That's alright, I flunked pirate school first time around.... failed I on keel'auling n' cannonry.

So next time 'round I keel'auled a Kings man n' fired 'im out of a cannon... got A+ fer that n passed wiv a flyin' Jolly Roger.

Sheesh, I didn't know you did so well.... I know some who didn't even get in the bottom 1%.

Like tha swab who become shark food.  He wur suppose ter wipe up a bit o' pee off tha plank [blast them nervous plank walkers] n' he slipped n 'e falled in.

Aaaarggghhh.

It'll get that way here soon enough, what with retailers lobbying govt to extend trading hours across the board.

Thing is, that's suburban stores and larger country town that stay open 'til 9.00pm... the capital cities never close down these days.

Anything that would/could attract a tourist dollar in capital cities is open 24/7 363 days a year... 364 on a leap year.

Me, I haven't been in Brisbane [out state capital] for almost 10 years, except once last week, and only then to attend a lawyer's appointment with my son's significant other half as moral support.  Don't like big cities, myself, so I avoid them like the plague whenever possible.