Champagne Dreams and Lobster Wishes for Everyone

by Shaw Stafford (RSS feed)
Jan 24th 2010 at 10:01AM

Can anything good come from this economic slowdown? If there's a silver lining in this cloud of a sluggish economy, it's that prices on things usually considered expensive are falling, making these small (and not so small) luxuries more affordable. Sort of. Check out these luxe items gone cheap, or at least cheaper.

LOBSTER--If you live around New England, you may have noticed the lower prices on this pricey crustacean, driven by recession-inspired lower demand. You can buy lobster locally from the fisherman on the corner for half of what it used to be a few years ago. If you don't live near the lobsters, check out your local grocery or warehouse store. Earlier this year, buyers were finding lobster for $7.99 a pound at a Costco in San Antonio, Texas. Try Hancock Gourmet Lobster to get it delivered to your door.

Forecast: Enjoy. Thanks to responsible fishing practices and lower demand, prices will stay low and supply isn't falling anytime soon.

CHAMPAGNE --With competition from first-class sparkling wines and Champagne exports dwindling, many retailers are sharply discounting bottles of bubbly. As consumers realize the abundance of high quality Champagne-like substitutes, spots like Good Cheap Wines will continue to offer their take on the best of all vine inspired libations.

Forecast: Enjoy. There will always be expensive bottles and there will always be the cheap stuff. Since inexpensive Champagne and sparkling wines are tasting better while becoming easier to find, have fun taste testing to find the one you like.

DESIGNER GOODS -- As demand for designer items like clothing, handbags and home goods falls, luxury good manufacturers are offloading merchandise at an ever increasing number of sample sales, traditional and online. Websites like Swirl let you sign up to notify you of traditional sample sales in your city, while Gilt or One Kings Lane offer members only online sales. Discounts can run up to 70%.

Forecast: Engage cautiously. Even discounted designer goods can be too pricey for the budget minded.

YACHTS-- Like houses or cars, yachts can be bank-owned or repossessed. As bank defaults and troubled sellers increase, so do killer deals on previously owned yachts. While it's hard to say if the overall price of a yacht is cheaper than it used to be, there definitely are deals to be had, so a place like Best Yacht Buys may be the way to score your dream liner.

Forecast: Don't do it. Yachts are still a big-ticket item generally reserved for billionaire tycoon types. Maybe go on a fishing boat ride to pick up some lobsters instead?

Tags: champagne, lobster, yachts

Filed under: Wealth

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mikedudical Jan 24th 2010 12:01PM

If you've ever thought about buying a Yacht now may be a better time than ever. My wife and I have been shopping repossessed ones for a while and found one for a steal at a larger Credit Union in our area. Another place to look is Repofinder.com as they show some of the local inventory nationwide. If you can get a loan (or pay cash) expect to get the deal of a lifetime.

pam Jan 27th 2010 10:02PM

Great article. Very informative.

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