"Quirky" isn't a word usually associated with Procurement unless you have an employee in the department who clearly would be better off in another career such as performing as a mime in Central Park.
Months ago, I wrote an entry titled Purchasing Non-Traditional Items. Today, I have another aspect of that concept to explore. How about purchasing items from non-traditional sources? Have you ever done that? Would you consider it? What the heck are non-traditional sources anyway?
Buyers, especially the newer and younger ones who are online gurus, are no longer limited to local vendors or national vendors with local offices. There are other sources to find goods and services. These sources probably won't be used for repeat purchases of the same item, but may be just what the Buyer ordered for one-off unusual purchases.
1. Craigslist (Craigslist on Google Finance) - Since Craigslist is full of classified ads, buyers can easily search Craigslist sites for their own or surrounding cities. Probably best for small companies on tight budgets. Especially good for finding office furniture bargains if you don't mind a slightly used look.
2. eBay Inc. (EBAY) - This is also a good site for small businesses on a budget. Many people sell brand new items as well so Buyers should not only think of eBay as having used merchandise.
3. Overstock.com, Inc. (OSTK) - Perfect if end users will only settle for brand-name merchandise.
4. NYPosting.com - Classified ads site similar to Craigslist. but with color on the pages and localized to New York (includes serveral cities around the state). Look for similar sites in your local area by searching for your city name plus "alternatives to craigslist" or "classified ads" in search engines.
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