One of the more curious phenomena on the Internet bargain scene is the proliferation of “daily deal” Web sites. The premise is usually that each day a new item, or sometimes several items, is offered. These are usually significantly cheaper than their regular retail price and have limited availability.

They offer a wide variety of products, ranging from clothes, electronics, perfumes, toys, sporting memorabilia and occasionally even mystery items – lucky-dip style. Many of the products are mass-produced goods sourced from low-cost countries, and I reckon that most of the “limited offer” items are end-of-life or overstocked items that wholesalers and manufacturers couldn’t get rid of through retail, but you do find the occasional gem: for example, around Christmas last year, Catch of the Day offered the 120GB version of the Playstation 3 console for $399 plus shipping, which in conjunction with a Paypal $50 cashback, resulted in a price that has yet to be matched anywhere else on or offline.

If you’re a keen bargain hunter, it pays to keep an eye on these sites:

• Catch of the day (http://www.catchoftheday.com.au)
• Zazz (http://www.zazz.com.au)
• One day, three deals (http://www.1-day.com.au)