So, the missus has her graduation soon and I'd like to see where I can get a bouquet of flowers and a graduation bear for cheap!
I've noticed that through the entertainment book you can order some flowers for a discounted price. Does anybody have any other ideas?
Graduation is on Thursday at UNSW and I'm located in Strathfield, NSW if that helps people with suggesting local florists? :)
Expensive though (buying from uni) as scrimshaw says below
The ozbargain way would be to cut some flowers from a random garden and get a bear from vinnies lol
Graduation bear
$12.50 + $6.90 postage
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-GRADUATION-TEDDY-BEAR-SCHOOL-…
Or giant teddy (shipping from China may take 3 weeks though)
Flowers
Buy from Aldi $5 or Asian florist ($12). I usually buy mine from Eastwood.
Don't buy the university merchandise. They're for people who don't plan forward and have to resort to buying overpriced gifts on the spot!
Gotta say, that bear looks pretty…. Unhappy? My sister graduated a few weeks back, bought a graduation bear with the right colour sash at the uni store there for $22 that looks a lot better than that eBay bear.
What really got me was the photographer trying to flog a $200 photo package for about 6 photos of you receiving the degree!
Yea that bear doesn't look very flash. Aldi for $5 sounds good. I'll probably do that!
Not to sure about bears. But $120 for gown, trencher and hood hire. I am currently looking at cheaper solutions.
Anyone have any recommendations? Suppose it would be best to start a new thread.
I wonder how much it would cost to buy it from elsewhere? I've looked into it a bit but apparently the unis are anal with hat and cloak specifications, probably so they can keep this scam going.
Really. I understand that the specific colours of the hood need to be correct for the degree but how wrong can you go with a black gown and black mortarboard? Would you be told to change if you turned up in the incorrect/different style of gown (ie different pleats or fastenings)? I am not sure on the answer.
I've actually been told by some of my coursemates from Hong Kong that you can buy an almost identical gown for about the same price as hiring it.
On one hand you might think, why would you want to buy it when you're only going to wear it on that one day?
But then, looking at it the other way - you don't have to make sure you are there 2 hours beforehand to hire it, and you don't have to make sure you return it on time to avoid a late return fee. And you can also choose to take the photos on any other day you like, at any other location you like!
Of course this is not a practical option for most of us, but it may be an option for a select number of people.
I actually asked them to buy one for me but the guy told me he couldn't because they were being tailor made. I've been told the main difference is that the gown is slightly thinner (material).
Yeah but once you buy it you can rent it to others and make your money back easily! :D
I'd really like to know where I can buy them from though.
I will be attending Graduation Ceremonies both this year and next year so buying is a better option. You are right they are strict on the times that you can collect and return as they rehire the same day.
Is there a specific tailor in Hong Kong that your friends used?
really? Our college would sell gowns for $90 new…
Yes. Both University of Sydney and University of NSW are $120 to rent for a few hours. Where is your college?
this was a college at ANU. Just the gown, not the Hat etc.
You could also try Sydney Flower Markets at Parramatta Road, Flemington.
Essentially they supply florists but it is also open to the public:
Hmm still wondering where I should buy the bear!
I might look around the CBD tomorrow. I'll try my luck.
Pretty much any local florist would have both. All the universities i've visited has bears in their stores… where you buy the university merchandise.