Wed, 2008/12/03 - 3:55pm
Just got a newsletter from aerogrow - they're offering $30 off if you buy two AG3's. Holiday gift promotion, I think.
I'm glad they're now selling them with the English Cottage Garden (or gourmet herb) kits. I bought my mini from another vendor, because I wanted the English Cottage Garden, but Aerogrow only sold the mini with Mountain Meadow (or maybe herbs) at the time.
Wed, 2008/12/03 - 8:00pm
#2
I remember you were saying a while back how it would be good to have a gift-volume deal. This was a nice one, not so lofty in price as the 3-for-$449 deals, volume deal accessible with purchase of 2. (Even in a good year, I don't have 3 people on my $100+ Christmas gift list...)
I didn't really look at the $65 today-only gift thing. Thought it was the same cutting-board + how-to-herb add-on thing that they always have, wasn't it? I got my how-to-herb things when I got my first AG's.
Thu, 2008/12/04 - 12:28am
#3
yeah, it's a cook book, cooking DVD and some cutting boards, nothing you couldn't get for free. Now if they'd offer an extra seed kit or two that would be a whole different story. I'll pass.
Thu, 2008/12/04 - 12:49am
#4
The herb appeal set is a nice enough freebie. I use the cutting boards, and got some ideas from the recipe booklet. I agree they should drop the "$65 value" hype and shed a bit more of their infomercial image. Just call it a "free gift" and leave it at that.
But I think every Aerogarden this past year has come with a coupon for the herb appeal set. Maybe they're discontinuing that, but... My eyes skated right past it.
It's a pity you can't choose whatever kit you want when you order an AG. I have decided between vendors, and even between models, based on what starting kit it came with, and on the hardware choice, felt a bit silly doing it. (It was a close call between the Deluxe, Pro200, and AG6ElitePlus. Buying the mini from the vendor who let me pick which flowers I wanted was a no brainer.) But I think salad greens is the ideal first kit, because it grows so fast. Well, at least for most women. Guys seem less likely to value lettuce. 
But then, I'd still like to be able to assemble-own-kit, mix and matching flower & herb pods, etc. It's amazing how many permutations they covered with the 3-pod herb kits and still didn't get the combination I wanted. 
But then - we're the kind of people they made the Master Gardener kit for, right? 
Thu, 2008/12/04 - 1:20am
#5
Ya' know it's funny, I never saw an aerogargen infomercial til just the last few weeks thanks to TiVo, otherwise it might have changed my good image of them. I bought one because it was Amazon's deal of the day, an AG7 for $100.
I've never understood why they won't let you choose your seed kit. I can't imagine the kit is finished and shrinkwrapped in China, don't they do that here? Let them shrinkwrap the AG in China and throw in whatever seed pack a person wants when they order it. Makes perfect marketing sense to me but what do I know?
Lettuce is a good thing for men...rabbit like lettuce, man shoot rabbit, skin it, eat it. What's not to like? Seriously, I went on a strictly salad and wine diet for three days instead of steak, potatos, beans and beer. I gained ten pounds!
Thu, 2008/12/04 - 1:35am
#6
You got me curious enough to go look.
Kit: assembled in US of parts made in US and China. (Relieved! Wasn't happy at the thought of seeds packaged in China...) Aerogarden: Made in China, period. I think all the inner brown packaging and carton is also assembled in China. Then that boxed Aerogarden, plus a seed kit, is tossed into an outer fancy printed carton (if any) in the US before shipping to consumer.
I'm sure it's easier for their stock management to have limited options. But...
I bought the first ones from Amazon, too, but read up on them, and saw the infomercials on their website.
Lettuce is a good thing for men...rabbit like lettuce, man shoot rabbit, skin it, eat it. What's not to like?
LOL!
Thu, 2008/12/04 - 1:55am
#7
OK, I'll give you that it's easier stock management to make limited kits but for very little more work they would make lots more people happy and sell more AGs, IMHO. Putting them in the fancy packaging and shrinkwrapping them in China would save money, maybe enough to break even on the expense of throwing in whatever kit someone wants . I'd love to pick what I wanted with my new AG or even pay a dollar or two more to have a choice, wouldn't you?
Thu, 2008/12/04 - 2:43am
#8
I'd definitely rather pick the kit to go with the AG. I'd rather see less of the packaging in China.
Point was the seed kit + AG combining happens here, anyway. The change would involve the order fulfillment people packing kit + AG with order in hand, rather than picking already-packed AG's from rack 1 or rack 2, that someone else packed in bulk the other day. Which shouldn't increase cost by as much as a dollar, but might require a little reorganization.
Thu, 2008/12/04 - 3:26am
#9
That's why we're not millionaires, it makes too much sense and dumba** bean counters run the world now. I spent most of my life thinking the general public and business people had good sense. I was wrong, dead, dead wrong. Half the people have an IQ below 100 and a high IQ doesn't mean squat without common sense. The Harvard business class of '52 put us where we are today, look it up.Ron Popeil had half the education and probably half the intellegence but you'll always remember him because he had common sense and a handle on what people wanted.
Maybe we should bring back those suction cup waving hands people put on their car windows, "baby on board" stickers or pet rocks. Are you old enough to remember the tiger tail Exxon had back in the 60s? Prob'ly not - it was about 8" long and hung off your gas cap. It was dumber than dirt. We had the first '64 Mustang in Austin, TX and the gas cap was rear center. That tiger tail sticking out was so great - and usually the only thing people ever saw of my Mustang, it hauled butt.
Thu, 2008/12/04 - 1:34pm
#10
Actually, I don't know who Ron Popeil is. 
But yeah, the free-markets-will-save-all concept is pretty thoroughly discredited. Well, aside from the fact it's never actually been tried. Collusion and irrational lemming charges are the norm.
One of the things I like about Aerogrow as a company, is that I believe they really do listen to the customer. And Cliff's gang (and you, lorraine!) really do mean it, about wanting to leave the customer delighted. I like that - not satisfied, but delighted. Some seemingly dumb things get cast in stone by exigency along the way, but a teachable company gets over it. And I think Aerogrow's shown its willingness to learn and adjust over time. Even if they didn't give us our choice of kits on the AG3, apparently they did learn that more people wanted the English Cottage Garden, for instance.
The Exxon tiger tails sound very cute! 
Well, I was alive in the 60's (born '62), but don't remember the tails.
Mon, 2008/12/08 - 10:55pm
#11
Ooh, now they have all the Aerogardens on sale, $20 off, no need to buy two. That's pretty good on the higher-end ones - having just shopped for a Deluxe / Pro200, I couldn't find any Pro200's below $200 a month or so ago.
Edit: Actually, it looks like Amazon is better for the Deluxe - $180. Other models mixed in and out of stock, equal or higher prices from Aerogrow's online.
Tue, 2008/12/16 - 9:46pm
#12
I didn't realize this before, but the $30 off two minis deal, is a rebate offer (to 12/31) that stacks with the other mini sales. At Amazon, looks like it's thus possible to get two minis for $110 ($55 apiece).
Mon, 2008/12/22 - 4:17pm
#13
FWIW, Xara offers a 25% off Christmas sale (to Jan 2). So like, $67 for my favorite vector graphics drawing program, Xara Xtreme, with the usual full-featured trial version to decide first.
Sat, 2009/03/14 - 2:29pm
#14
Nice deal today at the new Aerogrow outlet store - baby greens + mesclun salad kits + new bulbs for the Pro100/classic, for $25. Though I'd recommend replacing the seeds in the baby greens kit with a more productive lettuce. Normal price for the bulbs alone is $20...
Thu, 2009/03/19 - 6:21pm
#15
3-pod Flower Kits $5.94, 6-Pod Flower Kits $9.48 (or lower) @ Amazon.com
6-Pod Kits:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B001CEGHUU/ref=pd_luc_mri?...
3-Pod Kits:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B001CEGI1I/ref=ord_cart_sh...
9 pod master gardener kit for $14.95
http://www.amazon.com/AeroGarden-Master-Gardener-Deluxe-Seasons/dp/B001C...
I saw that, not a bad a deal! What'd you think about the free $65 gift today only? Looks to be worth maybe a tenth of that, to me at least.