Category: Shopping

For those of you who were asking for the prices of Nikon and Canon lenses I got the full price list from A.A.B International and I’ve listed them below. If you don’t already have a 50mm prime lens you should really pick one up. Both the Canon and Nikon 50mm f/1.8 are under KD40 and it’s a must have lens.

A.A.B International Photographic Company (they really need to get a smaller name) is having a one day sale this Thursday 15th of March where they will be dropping the prices of their Sigma items to try and compete with Amazon’s pricing. I was able to obtain their discounted prices and I’ve listed them all comparing them to Amazon’s prices. If you’re interested check out their Facebook page for more information [Here]

The prices are listed below after the jump.

According to the Aramex Shop & Ship FAQ the maximum value allowed per package to be shipped from the US should not exceed $2,500. Packages that are over $2,500 must come with an Export Declaration Form from the shipper or the merchant. Sounds complicated but turns out it’s not.

If you send an item that’s worth over $2,500 to your Shop&Ship account it will get marked as a high value shipment and be placed on hold. You will then receive an email from Aramex telling you that they’ve placed your item on hold and that you would need to visit their US Export Regulations page on the Shop&Ship website. You will then have to do the following:

– Download and open the “Written Authorization Sample” word document that’s linked at the bottom of that page.

– Fill your name in the field “Principal Party in Interest”. It should be the same name as the Shop & Ship account holder.

– Fill your physical address. By this they mean your Kuwait address and NOT your US forwarding mailbox.

– Place your signature in the signature field.

– Leave rest of the fields blank to be filled by Aramex.

– Finally send the word document along with the package tracking number to [email protected]

And that’s it. A pretty simple process that would delay your shipment a couple of days but nothing drastic.

Last night I passed by Solarity, a new shop that revolves around solar powered items. When I found out about the place I thought to myself finally! With all the sun we have solar energy just makes sense. When I passed by the store they were still setting up but I managed to see a whole variety of garden lights and some back packs with solar panels. In the next few weeks they’ll be adding more items since they’ve only received around 20% of their products at the moment.

The official launch is tonight at 5PM and they’re located in Shuwaikh right next to Bike World. If you take the right hand turn after City Center, Tilal Complex will be on your left. At the next intersection take a right and their shop is located around 50 meters after also on the right. I really hope they do well. Here is a link to their Facebook page [Link]

I accidentally switched over to 99.7 the other day and heard an advert about The Athlete Foot selling ghutras made by Puma. I think they said that they were created either just for Kuwait or for the region not really sure but I decided to pass by and check them out. Turns out they’re not actually selling ghutras but clothing with the ghutra pattern. Would have been cooler if Puma actually made ghutras.

Ace Hardware have expanded their power saving section and now have solar panels in a wide variety of sizes as well as a lot of different kind of LED lights including powerful garden projectors. I can’t see many people going the solar way since electricity is really cheap but I can see these panels being practical at campsites.

I also noticed IKEA is now selling LED GU10 lights alongside the regular halogen ones. I converted to LEDs around a year ago because my halogen lights kept dying on me and I haven’t regretted the decision since. The LEDs are being sold for KD3.900 which is very reasonable. Their solar powered garden lights are also back in stock.

I’m really excited to post about this place since it’s about damn time we get a specialized photography store in Kuwait. Over the weekend I was planning to order a Think Tank bag from Amazon. I didn’t go through with the order since I was planning to go to Dubai today and figured I would get it from there. My trip got cancelled and I was going to order the bag tonight when I found out on twitter about Alghunaim Photography. Talk about the perfect timing!

Alghunaim Photography just recently opened up in Baitak Tower. They’re a small store but they’ve got some very cool brands including Think Tank bags, Manfrotto tripods and bags, National Geographic bags, Hoodman accessories, Kata bags, Lenspen, LockCircle, Datacolor products, Black Rapid camera straps and more. They actually still have more brands on the way but even with what they have right now they’re already my favorite photography store.

The bag I was interested in was the Think Tank Retrospective 5. It’s a small shoulder bag that I wanted for my tiny Panasonic GX1 camera. It costs around KD40 on Amazon and with tax and shipping to Kuwait it was going to end up costing me at least KD50. At Alghunaim they’re selling it for just KD45! The owner is actually trying his best to match his prices to Amazon. With the Manfrotto items for example he told me his prices should be equal to that of Amazon which I think is great. They also have a lot of National Geographic bags although I didn’t spot the tiny one that’s popular with X100 owners.

Another interesting thing the owner is trying to do is create a used camera market. He wants to start displaying and selling used cameras in his store so if you have one you’re planning to sell you should pass by.

I really hope the store does well and I also hope the prices stay the same. They don’t have an online website yet but their store is easy to find and there is a ton of parking as well. They’re located in Baitak Tower in Kuwait City (facing Safat Square) and they’re on the ground floor opposite Starbucks. You can also call them on 99066601 or 90023334.

You could also visit their website [Here]

More pictures below.

I took these pictures from the Napket balcony around a week ago. I wonder if the whole area outside is going to end up being covered.

It seems some young Kuwaiti boys made a Kuwaiti version of Monopoly Deal and are selling it. If you’re interested you should hurry and buy a copy now before they get slapped with a lawsuit. Check the following link for more information [Link]

Update: The blog SIX TWO has better pictures [Here]

The Deal just got a collection of Tumi bags if anyone is interested. Once items move up to The Deal they’re usually given a further discount so you might be able to find a good deal. They’re located on M1 in Salhiya.

I was just checking out some cameras for a friend and noticed Amazon has an incredible sale on the Panasonic GF2. They’re selling it along with the 14-42mm lens for just $350! That’s a really great deal. Here is the [Link]

Here is the official price list for the PS Vita in Kuwait:

PS Vita Console (wifi) KD89
PS Vita Console (3G) KD116

4GB Memory Card KD7.6
8GB Memory Card KD13.3
16GB Memory Card KD18.9

Uncharted: Golden Abyss KD17.2
Little Deviants KD10.8
Reality Fighters KD10.8
Wipeout 2048 KD13.6
Everybody’s Golf KD13.6
Modnation Racers: Road Trip KD13.6
Unit 13 KD13.6

The official release date is February 22nd.

Update: X-Cite have started pre-orders [Link]

According to 965Malls it looks like Virgin just started their clearance. They have to get rid of as much items as they can before they close down end of the month. Clearance will most likely be on items they carry themselves, for example the Mac section is stocked by iCity and so isn’t part of the sale. [Link]

This is a cool little store that’s located on M1 in Salhiya Complex. It’s the outlet shop for all the Tanagra brands like Tumi, Orla Kiely, Lacoste and more. The problem is the majority of the time the items available aren’t that great but every now and then you might find something that’s a steal.

Since it’s holiday season I thought it would nice to bring back the Holiday Gift Guide. The last time I put a list together was back in 2005 so it’s been awhile. The list below is made of items I like and think would make great gifts. Might add more if I remember anything else.

Books
Apple Pro Training Series: Final Cut Pro X KD9.5
Apple Pro Training Series: Motion 5 KD10
Wheat Belly KD4.5
Kindle 4 KD22

Cameras
Panasonic GX1 with 14-42mm X Power Zoom Lens KD265
Nikon D7000 with 18-105mm lens KD420
Contour+ KD128
GoPro Hero2 Motorsport Edition KD115
RAM Mounts Windshield Suction Cup Mount Kit KD8.5

Music
Apple iPod Nano 8GB KD34
Sony MDR-XB500 KD14
BeyerDynamic DT 770-PRO KD55
FiiO E7 USB DAC and Portable Headphone Amplifier KD25

Electronics
Apple MacBook Air 13″ 128GB KD340
The Boxee Box KD48
Data Robotics Drobo 4-Bay KD85
Garmin Forerunner 305 with Heart Rate Monitor KD50
Archos 70 – 250 GB KD65

Other
HPI Savage XS Flux RTR Mini Monster Truck KD88
SUPABOY Portable Pocket SNES Console KD23

Note: Most of the items above are linked to Amazon.com