There’s nothing like the day after

Call me a scam artist, if you will.

But one of the main reasons I love Christmas is the day-after sale, when I take back all my presents and get two for one.

That’s right. The day after Christmas, many stores have 50-percent off sales.

So I take back the fancy shirt my grandmother bought me for $50 and exchange it for the same shirt priced at $25, then I can get another one.

I actually came across this tidbit of greediness on accident, when I exchanged a shirt my grandmother gave me because it was too small.

I got a larger shirt of the same brand and the lady said I have about $20 left to spend to equal my grandmother’s purchase.

With a big grin, I began looking around the store, only to witness more deals than a blackjack table at Caesar’s Palace.

From that day on, the day after Christmas has been one of my favorite days of the year, right up there with New Year’s eve, my birthday and the annual University of Florida-Florida State University football game.

Now some retail outlet owners have caught on to this trend, but many have not.

And almost every retail store has some sort of sale the day after Christmas, anywhere from 10 to 50 percent off.

This deal, which I like to call the day-after deal, applies to almost all gifts, from stereo equipment to clothes to jewelry.

Now some may say I’m tip-toeing a thin line here — that I’m the Grinch who stole the day after Christmas.

But the way I see it is simple economics. By getting two for one, I’m saving money I would normally spend months later on similar items. And chances are the retail store is still making money off whoever gave me the gift, just not as much money.

I think this is why malls across the country are jam packed come Dec. 26, when gift exchanges are at peak level nationwide.

I seriously doubt by writing this column I’ll be jeopardizing any half-off discounts.

But if that be the case, the customers know where to find me the day after Christmas. I’ll be at the exchange counter of some local retail store, asking about what happened to the discounted items.

Mike Linn is managing editor for the Portales News-Tribune. He can be contacted at 356-4483, ext. 33. His e-mail address is:

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