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| DollarWise | Online shopping can replace the irreplaceable
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Cracked china, a discontinued perfume, even lost Monopoly pieces: Here's a guide to online shopping sources for those seemingly impossible-to-find items.
By Jennifer Mulrean
Anyone who's ever broken a dish in Granny's china or watched one of their favorite products disappear from store shelves knows the special frustration of trying to replace them. It's as if the shopping universe has slammed its doors in your face.
You're ready and willing to pay for what you want, but no one can sell you what you need.
Well, almost no one. While some things are irreplaceable, there are a number of steps you can take before giving up the good fight. Whether it's the signature scent you've been wearing for 10 years or the running shoes that provide just the right bounce, the Internet has made it easier to find items that have gone missing. Here's how to get started.
Check the source
In your panic, you may forget the obvious, like starting with the product's original manufacturer. It can help in a couple of ways: First, the maker can clear up the question of whether the product is truly being discontinued or if it's a local supply issue. And second, even if your old favorite is being phased out, the manufacturers can often help you find inventory that's still available, if temporarily, either in their own warehouses or in stores across the country. Do a general Web search or use the MSN Yellow Pages to contact the manufacturer.
Product discontinuations are so common in the makeup industry, for example, that many companies maintain Web pages listing products that are on the chopping block. You can try Lancome's "Beauty Bye-Bye" page here, Estee Lauder's "Farewell Favorites" here, and Bobbi Brown's "Bobbi's Closet" here. Clinique has a "Gone but not Forgotten" telephone number, at (646) 602-7725, though the company says it doesn't maintain inventory of discontinued products in its warehouse.
For items that you've simply lost or broken among a set that's still being produced, many manufacturers can sell the item individually. For instance, toy-and-game maker Hasbro maintains a Web page where you can order replacement pieces for many of its games and toys. For the classic Monopoly, a set of 12 hotels and 32 houses will cost $4; a replacement board is $5. They also have a selection of Monopoly cards that generally cost $1 for a partial set, including shipping and handling -- easily beating the cost of an entire new game. (If you're buying more than one piece, though, keep in mind you can find cheap games at Wal-Mart and other general discount retailers; Monopoly sells online for about $10 plus shipping.)
Try the specialty replacement sites
If your inquiry to the original manufacturer comes up empty, you may be able to find what you're looking for from a specialty replacement site. Some general sites, such as DiscontinuedItem.com, try to connect you with retailers who have what you're looking for.
Other sites specialize in certain product categories. Here are a few to get you started:- China, silver and crystal: If your last holiday meal ended with a broken gravy boat (and what good party doesn't?), sites such as Replacements Ltd. and SetYourTable can come to the rescue. Replacements boasts 200,000 patterns -- including designs produced more than 100 years ago, so that heirloom set may not be compromised, after all. Even if you don't know the name of your china pattern, most sites will match it from a photo.
Because these sites are continually buying new pieces from private sellers as well as manufacturers, it's worth checking back if you strike out the first time. And remember, if you've broken a dish from a set that is still in production, it's generally cheaper to go to a general retailer or the original manufacturer than to use a specialty service.
- House fixtures (for remodeling projects): Anyone trying to preserve the historical charm of an old house while refurbishing it has probably been on his share of wild goose chases. Check out sites specializing in architectural salvage -- old doorknobs, faucets and the like -- that other home renovators have tossed. About.com has a great index of salvage sites here. You can also find discontinued wallpaper at Wall USA. And don't forget to check with Blue Mountain Wall Coverings. It's the largest wallpaper manufacturer, with many well-known brands.
- Perfumes: The Perfume Corner in Boston and La Parfumerie in Seattle specialize in discontinued and hard-to-find perfumes. If their sites don't list what you're after, you can send e-mail and they'll try to locate the scent for you. You can also contact the venerable Perfume Detective, Anitra Earle, by snail mail. She's based in New York and has made it her business for the last 20 years to find elusive scents. Contact her here: The Perfume Detective, 615 Warburton Ave., Suite 7J, Yonkers, NY 10701.
- Running shoes: Runners can be fanatical about their shoes, making discontinuations especially tough. But at RoadRunnerSports.com, you can stay one step ahead by signing up for e-mail notifications that let you know when your shoes are slated to be discontinued. Bandana Running and Walking and MyRunningShoe also offer already or about-to-be discontinued shoes.
Don't forget eBay
A general search on eBay with just the word "discontinued" turns up more than 2,000 items. With eBay you're not just relying on formal supply chains -- you're plowing the depths of your neighbor's basement, so new products can come online at any time. Also, the seller may not include the word "discontinued" in his listing, so simple product-name searches will be your best bet.
As a last resort, have it made
This is usually the most costly way to go, and it fits a fairly narrow array of items. But if it's makeup or a replacement part for your bike, you could be in luck.- Makeup: There are a number of sites that create customized makeup, including Three Custom Color, Giella and Reflect.com. Three Custom Color specializes in lipsticks -- you can send them a smidge of your old one and they promise to match it.
- Widgets: Customers of eMachineShop.com have had everything from saxophone mouthpieces to signs and parts for model helicopters and rockets made through the site. If you've broken something on your bike or you want a customized solution to a problem, you can download eMachines software and design the piece yourself. They'll make anywhere from one to 1 million copies of your design.
If you're still at a loss, try posting wanted ads on Craig's List or using local resources.
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