About a year before the event, I began seeing new stories and articles about the upcoming Total Eclipse in North America, the first one in nearly 100 years. It was being dubbed: The Great American Eclipse. And as sure as the Sun comes up every day, the internet started showering me with ads to buy Eclipse Viewing Glasses. Stories about how necessary they are to prevent severe damage to the naked eye. Then came alternative methods of viewing, with direction and plans on how to build a pin-hole camera or box to view the phenomenon. I know they were necessary and that the prices would come down as the completion for sales increased. I had already set reminders in my phone at 3-month intervals leading right up to the event, so I wouldn’t lose track of time, needed for planning. I went back in to my reminders and added, “Buy Eclipse Glasses” at 9 months out. I really didn’t need reminders of the event or to buy glasses, as I was barraged every day with reminders on the internet, but mine came up right on cue. At nine months, I began clicking on ads for glasses. The ranged from fancy one, set in normal glass frames, to the economy-version, that were flat and set in folded cardboard with bulky arms to go over your ears. When you clicked on detail or product description, they all used the same mylar filter to block the correct amount of direct sunlight as to not damage the eyes. So, except for appearance, they were all exactly the same. But the prices were not the same, they ranged from $5-6 dollars a pair to nearly $20. The best deals were found if you bought a larger package, like 3, 5 or 10. Naturally the 10-pack offered the lowest price for an individual pair. I only need 4 pair form my family, but decided to buy a 10-pack so we had a few extras if needed. I guessed there would always be someone that forgot or left theirs at home or lost the ones they ordered months ago or just plain forget to buy them until they were sold out. As I was about to finalize my purchase, I noticed that I was magically about $5 under the level to get free shipping. These are not bulky nor heavy, but my shipping cost was $9.99. My package of 10 glasses was costing me $19.95 plus $9.99 shipping for only $29.98, thus my average cost was about $3.00 per pair. But if I added a second set and paid no shipping my total bill was $39.98, lowering the average cost to $2.00 per pair, so I bought 20 pair. When they arrived, I put 10 in the glove box of my car and gave Susan the other 10 which she put somewhere. These were the ticket to the show, so no matter where I ended up, we’d have our ticket. Susan ended up giving or lending 3 pair and I gave away 5 of my extra 6 pair… Lots of people lost or forgot their ticket, so glad we could help.
