I buy things online. It is easy and I am selective, often waiting until a retailer of a product I really do buy and use offers me a very good deal.

The Yankee Candle Company is one. First of all, I  realize that burning candles is in a way burning money and I need to have a good reason for doing so. I consider the quality of my home atmosphere a good one and scents have been proven to affect mood. For the most part, I will burn a candle from this company because the product is  high quality and the scent listings include numerous and often detailed evaluations. and, often, detailed, detailed reviews. I know what we like and what has a good, clean throw. I have found some scents that do an excellent job of neutralizing some musty odors that hang around the room a dog prefers in the rainy season. I have learned to fight the urge to buy a candle because it sports a really enticing name. I mean, the name Casablanca may make me think of romantic and noble speeches at a rainy airport and trench coats . . . but it is probably going to be very hard to smell the mood set by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains and  . . . oh, who was that actor that lit two cigarettes at once and gave one to Bette Davis in “Now Voyager?” (Maybe I should sniff some peanut butter and look at the measurement results – see previous post.)

As a repeat customer, YCC periodically offers me two candles for the price of one and a $5 flat shipping. That’s cheaper than a Wal-Mart price. I just have to be patient and plan ahead, and, given the weight of candles, it is a very good shipping deal. I could not drive to the YCC store in Fort Wayne for that price, not to mention toting all those glass jars and wax out of the store, through the parking lot and then to my doorstep all by myself.

Shoes are another example. At my age I like the dependability of a good fit. If you bide your time, you can get a new exercise/walking shoe exactly like the one that has been such a comfortable fit for a slashed price. You can check lots of sites looking for what you need without having to go from mall to mall or store to store  only to be told it’s last season’s model or they don’t have your size. . . and it’s easier on your shoe leather. Okay, I probably am pushing the  punny stuff a bit too much.

While I’m at it, let me mention Crate & Barrel. Can you say flat shipping fee, excellent packing, high quality glassware, lots of reviews and prices again cheaper than Wal-Mart?

Often these sites will ask you to participate in a survey about your online experience and satisfaction with the product. Every now and then, I will agree because, well, why not? I got a good deal.

Today I got a phone call from a nice lady with a “foreign phone bank” accent telling me I had been selected to receive free samples and a $100 shopping card plus a $50 restaurant credit.  I told her thank  you, but no because I felt this could probably be a tricky little scam (I didn’t actually say “scam’) and if computer analysis had flagged my purchases marking me a careful shopper of quality products, I would think they would send me an email with all the fine print right there to be zoomed in on.

I could understand someone hearing “free samples” and “shopping card” and “discounted eats” and thinking, Well, if they want to send me stuff, why not? I suspect they do send you free samples . . . and then maybe they bill you $15 for shipping & handling each time. Some things aren’t too good to be true – such as Lands End $50 jeans for $7.50 . . . but, my father was one for getting the facts straight and in writing . . . or, at least in this Internet age, the facts in a fax. (Oh, Lord, the weirdness is getting a foothold.)

So, Robert Grismore, it’s a little thing, but I think I answered the survey question, “Are you a gullible nutball?” question okay.  I think  I need to work on the nutball part some more, though.

Paul Heinreid! He was the cigarette lighter and his character was Victor Lazlo. It just now came to me and I thought I’d share it. By the way, the cafe singing of La Marseillaise is always worth remembering.