Appliance Sale! (Or, “Places not to take a stroller.”)

One of the major appliance retailers in Seattle is Albert Lee, and this weekend is their annual warehouse sale. I’d never been to this event before, but my sister-in-law called me up the other night and said I should go. Trissa had a funeral to attend this morning, so Atticus and I headed on over just before they opened the doors at 9am. Our remaining appliance needs include the wall oven, microwave, and dishwasher - and we have some specific models in mind.

The first thing Atticus and I noticed when we drove up at 8:45am was the line around the block. And the distinct lack of parking places. So we parked a few blocks away and strollered on over. It was cold out, but we didn’t mind because the store had people handing out free doughnuts to everyone in line. I guess they want you all sugared up to make impulse buys!

At 8:59:30, someone from the store yelled “30 SECONDS!” and the line surged. Several minutes later everyone was inside and Atticus and I and the stroller made a bee line for the area where they would have the Wolf wall oven that we wanted. About 1 mintue into the store we saw 2 36” versions of it - already sold, but too wide anyways. I asked a sales guy if they had any 30” models and he directed me to another sales guy who pointed at the next aisle. About this time I noticed a major problem - Atticus and I were at a distinct disadvantage because of his stroller. If he could, Atticus would have yelled “Leave me here dad, just go get the oven!” Of course he didn’t yell that, and I couldn’t leave him anyways, so we pushed our way down the narrow aisle getting dirty looks the whole way as we elbowed our way to the end. Fortunately the next aisle where we were heading was wider, and we headed down it towards the oven.

The first thing I saw was the “sold” sign. You’ve got to be kidding - we’re at the sale for 3 minutes and the only oven we want is already sold? I asked the rep if they had another, and he says it’s not actually sold - someone had just removed the orange price tag, but then stuck it back on the side of the oven. The price tag is supposed to cover the “sold” sticker, so that when it’s removed other people know the unit is unavailable. Atticus grabbed at the tag, and it was ours. (He apparently likes day-glow orange - I liked the $1000 savings.)

Next up, a matching microwave. I bothered the rep once again “Do you have the matching microwave?” He pointed at the narrow aisle we had just come from “there’s one in a box over there”. We weren’t going to make it, I knew, if we had to go back the way we’d come. I quickly devised a plan. The sale was in a warehouse, with the appliances sitting on wooden palettes organized in rows. From where we were I could see the microwave box. If I left Atticus in the stroller, I could step over a warming drawer and grab the orange price tag from the box. Atticus saw what I was thinking and shouted “Ga! Da Da Da!” This was the closest to “Go Dad!” I knew I was going to hear, so I went for it. I leapt over the warming drawer, grabbed the tag (which denoted a price that was half off) and stepped back to the stroller. We had our microwave.

Now for a dishwasher. These I was less sure of - Trissa and I know we want a stainless-steel model, likely a Bosch. But I didn’t know the retail prices nor the specific models. Atticus and I headed through the crowds to the the corner of the warehouse with dishwashers and I could immediatly tell by the lack or orange price tags that the pickings were grimm. On top of the that, the aisles formed by the stacked dishwashers were too narrow for the stroller. Then I saw it - one of the last units that still had an orange price tag on it, about 4 dishwashers in from the end of the aisle. Stainless steel, looked high-end. Someone else was pointing at it and asking a sales rep something. “Atticus”, I said, “we’re going in.” I unbuckeled him from the stroller and left it at the end of the aisle. We elbowed our way towards the dishwasher, and got there just as the pointing man reached for the price tag and ripped it off. “Waaaaaaaahhhh!” cried my son. “It’s okay, Atticus.” I said, as I approached the man. “Are you sure you’re gonna buy that?” I asked. He said that he was and I conceded. “What did you get it for?” I asked? He showed me the tag - list price was $1200 (for a dishwasher? You’ve got to be kidding, right?), but the sale price was $600. I would have bought it had we been there 30 seconds earlier, but 2 out of 3 isn’t bad.

After we paid, Atticus and I headed home. We can go back with the van this week and pick up our new appliances and get them installed - maybe by Thanksgiving! It was quite an adventure, but well worth it. If anyone else is planning on going, I recommend taking the kid, but leaving the stroller.

Here’s what we got (the oven picture is for the wider version of what we actually bought):