It’s that time of year again, holiday shopping has begun! Everyone is looking for those unique gifts, hot toys, and cool electronics. Whether it is a hard-to-find toy for kids or the latest 4K smart TV. Black Friday sales seldom fail to pique the interests of even the most casual shoppers. Yet even after the chaos of Black Friday lies both Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. While it’s clear that businesses are after your dollars during the holidays, you should be aware that cybercriminals are on the lookout, too.
When it comes to holiday shopping, you need to be careful that you don’t fall prey to these criminals. Here are some tips to following for your holiday shopping:
Online Shopping Tips
1. Do not use public Wi-Fi for any shopping activity.
Public Wi-Fi networks can be very dangerous, especially during the holiday season. Public Wi-Fi can potentially grant hackers' access to your usernames, passwords, texts and emails. For instance, before you join a public Wi-Fi titled "Apple__Store," make sure you first look around to see if there's actually an Apple Store in your vicinity, and thus, confirm that it is a legitimate network. To help stay secure, you should always be on the lookout for the lock symbol on your webpage.
2. Look for the lock symbol on websites.
When visiting a website look for the “lock” symbol before entering any personal and/or credit card information. The lock may appear in the URL bar, or elsewhere in your browser. Additionally, check that the URL for the website has “https” in the beginning. These both indicate that the site uses encryption to protect your data.
3. Know what the product should cost.
If the deal is too good to be true, then it may be a scam. Check out the company on “ResellerRatings.com”. This site allows users to review online companies to share their experiences purchasing from those companies. This will give you an indication of what to expect when purchasing from them.
4. One-time use credit card numbers.
Many banks are now offering a single use credit card number for online shopping. This one-time number is associated with your account and can be used in place of your credit card number. This way, if the credit card number becomes exposed, it cannot be used again. Check with your credit card company to see if they have this option available.
Buying clothes for the winter season can be a daunting task, if you do not know where to look for the best deals. However, you can look stylish and classy during the cold season without having to spend a small fortune on clothes! Having said that, here you will find 5 tips that will come in handy when buying clothes for winter:
Focus On The Price-Quality Relationship
Keep in mind that high-quality winter clothes do not come cheap – they are thicker than the regular, summer clothes and this is what makes them more expensive. However, you can still buy bargain winter clothes for all the family, provided that you look for discounts and special offers.
Also, choose the best type of insulation when buying coats in larger sizes for your husband, boyfriend, child or yourself: wool, synthetic, fleece or down. Down and fleece are by far the best material, as they keep your body warm and they are very comfortable to wear. Another essential aspect is to focus on coats that are water resistant and windproof, and you must choose the coat that best suits your body shape.
Never Shop Without A List
If you go to the mall without a shopping list, you will definitely end up spending more than you planned initially. Write down the winter essentials: gloves, coat/trench, boots, sweaters and such. If you have a list, you have more chances to stay within your budget limits and avoid overspending.This way, you will be a smart, organized shopper who won’t spend money on unnecessary items. If you made an inventory of your clothes, you would be surprised to see how many unnecessary clothing items you can find in your closet!
Check For Online Discounts
Clothing stores and companies often launch offers and discounts on the Internet, with the purpose of attractive more customers – why not take advantage of this? You can easily find a voucher or a discount coupon online, and save some money when shopping for winter clothes. All you have to do is to take your time to browse the Internet for the best deals.
Know When To Buy
This is by far one of the most important aspects. End-of-season and post-holiday offers are the best – you can buy high-quality, affordable winter clothing for you and your family one or two months prior to the winter season. Prices will go up in the middle of the winter, therefore buying winter clothes in December of January is not recommended (although you can buy cheap items right after Christmas, as they usually cost less). Retailers can’t afford keeping end-of-season clothes on their shelves, this is why they will significantly reduce prices – when they do, make sure to take action!
Whether new or vintage, the jewellery you buy – like your cars, clothes and watches – can vary in value depending on its brand. And obviously, some brands are more valuable than others.
When it comes to jewellery, don’t mistake a brand’s fame for its value. There are well-known brands whose jewellery won’t be worth much more than what you paid, while there are brands you may never have even heard of that produce jewellery whose value will appreciate with time.
I spoke to experts in the retail, jewellery and auction industries to get their views on which jewellery brands are the most valuable and have the most resale value and thus, investment value.
Here’s my list of the world’s 10 Most Valuable Jewellery Brands—you can’t go wrong buying into any of these, as their exceptional craftsmanship, heritage, and brand strength ensures that the value of any item from them will retain and even increase in value.
Cartier
Founded: 1847 In: Paris
Perhaps the most famous jewellery house of all, Cartier was founded by Louis-François Cartier, but it was his grandsons who made the brand world famous. In addition to jewellery, Cartier also made their name as one of the best watch and clock makers in the world so their involvement in horology is longstanding. Their clients have long included the royal houses of Europe and the aristocratic families of America. King Edward VII of England referred to Cartier as “the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers.”
Many of their jewellery lines become iconic classics, such as the Panthere de Cartier featuring the panther design, and the Tutti Frutti, a cascade of colourful gems launched in the 1920s that was inspired by the colours and spirit of India. In addition to their high jewellery lines, their fashion line such as the Love Bracelet collection is just as iconic.
Van Cleef & Arpels
Founded: 1896 In: Paris
The Grand Dame of jewellery brands, this august house is steeped in heritage and history. Founded in 1896 by Alfred Van Cleef and his uncle Salomon Arpels in Paris, VCA as it’s popularly known, is renowned for their stunning high jewellery including intricately engineered diamond necklaces that actually zip up and down like a zipper, and an exquisite range of flowers, fairies, ballerinas and wildlife crafted from the finest gemstones. They also have a fine jewellery line of simpler elegant designs including the highly popular Alhambra range of necklaces.
Harry Winston
Founded: 1932 In: New York
Named after the man considered by many as the greatest American jeweller of the 20th Century and one of the greatest jewellers of all time, Harry Winston was founded back in 1932 in New York City. Winston was a genius at promotion: he was the first to lend out jewellery to Hollywood stars for occasions such as the Academy Awards and the celebrities helped spread his fame to the general population. He was known as the “King of Diamonds” and his creative designs attracted some of the world’s most famous people, from the royalty of Europe such as the Duchess of Windsor to those of Hollywood like Elizabeth Taylor.
The company also ventured into making watches that were more than just jewellery and partnered with some of the world’s most respected watchmakers, including François-Paul Journe, Vianney Halter and Felix Baumgartner, for their critically-acclaimed Opus series of watches.
Graff
Founded: 1960 In: London
The only British company on this list and one of the few great jewel houses whose founder is still heading the firm, Graff’s speciality are huge flawless gems and jewellery with gorgeous designs and technically perfect craftsmanship. Laurence Graff, the man behind the company, perfectly embodies his brand: at the age of 79 he looks a good 15 years younger, is charming, and the embodiment of impeccable style.
Now worth over US$4 billion, he had dropped out from school at age 14 and once worked as a jeweller’s apprentice where he had to clean toilets. He’s come a long way since then, with clients today who are the world’s most famous and powerful, including the Sultan of Brunei, Donald Trump, and Oprah Winfrey. He changed the diamond industry by being the first jeweller to buy his own diamond mine, creating a “mine-to-market” business model with every sector under his control.
Moussaieff
Founded: 1963 In: London
Although based in London, Moussaieff was started by and is owned by a Middle Eastern family and traces its origins back to Arabia. It describes itself as offering “magnificent stones, flamboyant designs and exceptional craftsmanship” and that’s a pretty accurate description. Although the jeweller started their first store in London 1963, their origins in the gem trade go back 160 years, when the man whom the company is named after began selling pearls from his camel across the trade routes of Arabia.
Today, despite having only five stores around the world, Moussaieff has become world renowned for its exceptional, extravagant jewellery, with a flamboyance and opulence that signifies its Middle Eastern heritage. It owns some of the world’s most prized and rare gems, including the Moussaieff Red, the biggest red diamond ever found. The company is run today by 88-year old Alisa Moussaieff, who is almost as legendary a figure as her late husband Shlomo, who ran the company for decades. He was also a confidante of the royalty, celebrities and stars who were and continue to be the company’s customers.
