eBay is not just for antiques
A while ago, I came across a store on eBay that interested me: The Organic Vanilla Bean Company. I added them to my favorite eBay sellers, and that was the extent of our relationship… until now.
In case you don’t know, vanilla beans are expensive. I thought the prices were kind of outrageous until I read about what’s actually involved in raising and harvesting vanilla beans… it involves precise timing and hand pollinating, if that give you any idea, so the cost is reflecting the work involved. I have a single vanilla bean stored in my pantry right now (a cool, dark place, you know). I’m afraid to use it. I keep thinking, “What if I use it and the recipe turns out lousy? I’ll have squandered my one vanilla bean.” Because at $8/bean or whatever, it’s not like I’m going to be buying more on a regular basis.
Last week I received the periodic eBay email featuring “Your Favorite Sellers”… and saw that The Organic Vanilla Bean Company had just listed some beans. I was feeling adventurous, so I thought, what the heck, and bid on one lot. It was a quarter-pound of 6-7″ grade A Tahitian vanilla beans, and the shipping was $3. A quarter-pound of that size is about 30 beans. I decided to bid something so ridiculously low that if I won the auction, it would be clear that God Himself wanted me to have those vanilla beans. So I bid a very random $6.38, and left for the weekend.
Imagine my surprise when I returned and found that I’d been offered a “Second Chance Offer” at my bid price! I didn’t hesitate. 30 vanilla beans for less than $10, shipped? Sign me up!
The point of this entry? Consider buying your gourmet food on eBay. You might save a bundle.
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[...] er is to have my doctor’s office call the mail order pharmacy.” Great tip! eBay is Not Just for Anti [...]
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[...] be something for everyone. One of my favorites was Frugal Underground’s article on buying vanilla beans on eBay. So curl up with your laptop and enjoy this week’s Carnival o [...]
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[...] I looked on Apple’s site to see what retail was on the model I wanted, and then went comparison shopping. I checked Apple’s refurbs, Amazon, and other various sites. In the end, I got a great deal on eBay (have I mentioned that I love eBay?): a couple hundred dollars less than retail. [...]
I buy my vanilla beans from ebay too! It’s so much cheaper in the longer to make your own vanilla extract for baking this way, and I make our own coffee liquer from vanilla beans, sugar, instant coffee, water, and vodka! Good luck using your beans!
Let us know how your recipes turn out! I’ve shied away from buying vanilla beans too, because of the expense. But if they make a real difference in the outcome of a recipe…
This is great, I would have NEVER thought of this myself.
Don’t throw away the pods! Put the pods in a blender with sugar, and you get… Vanilla sugar! Put it in recipes, on toast, in coffee, straight… I think I got this from the Naked Chef Jamie Oliver on Food Network.