***At this point, the only way you’re getting things in time for Christmas is by direct hand off. Of course, if you don’t care about that, then these cut-off dates don’t apply to you anyway. New Years is approaching…***
While I made the earlier Gift Buying Thoughts, I got poked to declare some drop dead cut-off dates for prezzies arriving by Christmas. For Black Blood of the Earth:
BBotE (domestic United States): December 18th
BBotE (international): December 15th (TOO LATE FOR XMAS)
Domestically, BBotE ships priority. This date can be fudged a bit if you want to go express but you’ll have to talk to me about that as the shipping will get much more expensive. International BBotE already goes express, so no help for folks abroad.
Steins of Science are a little trickier. I have some of them built and on hand already; they’ll go out the day after ordered. The cut-off date for the ones on my bench, domestic and international, shipping priority mail is December 19th. Going express would only let me push the deadline out to the 20th, so it’s not really worth it.
When I run out of those, it then becomes luck of the draw how quickly more show up. I generally build to order, but I’m trying to maintain at least a couple of each on hand for the holidays. I normally quote a three week lead time on the steins, but it typically runs faster than that and. Having said that, waiting to the last minute is a sure way to not get your stein in time. I’ve made some calls and confirmed that if you want either of the big boys, the 1900ml or 4300ml, which I don’t currently have built on bench, I can get a few in a timely manner. For these steins, your cut-off is before 12pm PST on the 16th. (TOO LATE FOR XMAS)
If you read this far, here’s your reward. There’s a new stein in the Prototypes & Clearance section. The 665ml Hybrid may become a standard stein; this one probably won’t.