Saving Big On High Tech Items Can Happen

DENVER (CBS4) - New versions of most high tech gadgets come with higher price tags, but there are ways around paying full price. In fact, there are ways to find huge discounts.

Frank Svoboda is a technical junkie. He loves gadgets and is a master of getting good deals which is why he is willing to try online bidding websites.

"You have to decide this is the item that you want and it's a good price if you don't win the auction," Svoboda said.

Svoboda is gambling and it can be risky. He uses bigdeal.com .

On the site players pre-purchase chips to buy online items. If they win, they get a great deal, if they lose the bid they can also lose their money.

For example, if an iPad has a price of $900 going into the bid, a bidder must know that if they bid and lose they pay full price for the iPad or lose the money that they've bid up to that point. So if a person bids $400 of the iPad and then doesn't want to pay anymore, they either drop out of the bidding and lose their $400 or they pay full price for the iPad.

Svoboda lucks out sometimes he even paid $150 for an iPad that normally costs $900 retail.

On the other hand, he has also since spent eight hours in one session trying to get a good deal on a laptop. In the end he paid full price for it.

If you're not a gambler, look for computer outlet stores . The Apple Outlet in Englewood has much lower prices.

"We offer discounts on brand new equipment to older stuff," Joseph Stewart at the Apple outlet said.

Some of the items at the outlet still have the original warranty they came with. The store also offers its own 60 day warranty. Stewart said that used computers are all a lot of people really need..

"I think people on the cutting edge doing advanced video work or high end gaming or things like that might want to get something that's new or closer to new but most people really aren't doing that kind of work with their computers," Stewart said.

One man said he was hoping to get one of the iPhone 3's instead of one of the new ones. He said he felt more comfortable buying his new iPhone from an authorized Apple store.

Across town off of 2890 South Colorado Boulevard in Denver Action Computers specializes in computers that have been used by businesses and are now back on the market.

Daniel Kelley, a sales associate said that the savings at the store are about 50 percent of what someone would pay at a retail store. Most of the items also come with a year warranty.

Kelley also said when buying used, technicians say to make sure you get all the gadgets that originally came with your item including what you need for reinstalling the operating system.

Kelley said that Gateway, HP and Dell items have the best long term value.