Quality is great but not an issue with many buyers . . .
The internet's greatest boon is relatively easy access to useful information -- and facts -- regarding vacuum buying. Sites like
www.pricegrabber.com and
www.nextag.com help in tracking down best prices. Shopping the internet -- if you can buy and get free shipping can thus far defray or eliminate the cost of sales tax depending upon whom you're buying from.
It's also a great aid to many especially when a purchase bears some urgency. I found this out for myself when tracking down an induction cooker last week. In all of an hour, I got great information at
http://theinductionsite.com/, purchased the item of choice at amazon.com for 8 bucks below its usual lowest price offering and -- no shipping charge. And there it was at my door on valentine's Day. I am happy as can be. It works wonderfully.
Interesting thing that I learned was, as they stand to date, there's not a lot of difference in induction cookers as the technological principles are the same. With a few caveats in mind you can find one that will suit your needs at a nice price. I mention this as I discovered the same brand and model can turn up, site to site, at price variations that can run higher than $100 beyond the lowest you find.
Vacuum shopping for economical, worthwhile vacuums can be just as easy. The hard part is knowing whether you're paying in proportion to actual worth or what the market will bear. Not everyone can afford to buy with 20 years down the line in mind and are more than satisfied to buy whatever will work for now.