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Every now and then EyeBuyDirect has a frame on special that I have to talk about -- something unusual, but cool. This is one of those moments.

Altea is a bit on the conservative side in the front, but it's all party in the back -- not unlike a mullet. But let's put all mullet comparisons out of our minds for a moment. The temples are clear but feature a black outline. They're on the longer side (at 140mm), so they'll work for those of us with larger heads too. This is a unique frame, that will look good on everyone -- except, oddly enough, those sporting a mullet.
ALTEA
Altea is on sale until Sunday, July 5th for $10 off.

What does this mean to you? Well, with EBD and their coatings prices, it can mean that you get nearly free UV and AR coatings on a neat looking frame. Toss in the 15% off GlassyEyes discount ("gleyes09") and you get the frames, necessary coatings, AND shipping for just a smidge over $36. Not too shabby!

I don't have anything like this in the collection and am "in for one", as the kids say.

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I don't need multi-focal lenses (yet), but mom does, mom-in-law does and so does almost everyone I know over the age of 50. This is a huge section of the population that will never have laser eye surgery.

It intrigued me when I heard a rumor from Dr. Marc at 39DollarGlasses about a new progressive lens that 39$ was about to start offering. This lens, which I assumed would be a premium option turned out to be Optical Dynamics' clearLight progressive lenses.

We've added a new progressive lens option to our site. It is made using a digital free form lens molding technology and is manufactured by Optical Dynamics. The lens is a 1.58 index Aspheric design and has vastly superior optical quality because it is not surfaced using conventional methods.

It is also eco-friendly using 70% less material in the manufacturing process, significantly minimizing waste. This technology allows for the most customized lens based on prescription, PD, and frame measurements. This, in turn, gives the clearest most comfortable vision at any distance.


Best of all? It's the default lens option for all progressives at 39DollarGlasses now -- so it's the included lens. Prices did not rise to accommodate this change.

So, all of you progressives out there, give them a try and let me know what you think.

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I really like EyeOverheard. Lily does a bang-up job of gathering up all of the industry gossip and making it interesting. It's also a great place to keep the pulse of optical industry employees without having to deal with a certain optical forum's overwhelming cast of illiterates (usually).

Anyway, a post from a week ago struck me as interesting and even more so when I read a response by "Barry".

The story can be found here. It's about how Essilor, "The World's Leader in Ophthalmic Lenses" has decided that independent eyeglasses stores need to move some of their business online. Read the article, it's exactly the right length.

Barry responds to it with the following:

Call me old, a codger, or even a curmudgeon:
For the forseeable future, there’s nothing that will ever take the place of hands-on, in-person, just plain, good ol’ fashion’d “tryin’ on” when it comes to eyewear. If you disgree, let’s see after John Q. get’s his eyewear delivered to his door a couple a’ days after selecting them on-line.

As we’ve heard so many times from our clients” “I would buy more than *one* pair, if they weren’t so darn’d expensive.

Well, Mildred, I’ve got news for ya: $38.95 is the current ticket, including shipping. Are you really gonna but *that*m many more pairs, and create a real eyewear wardrobe? Who are you kiddin’!

You can’t even choose *one* pair properly, let alone 3!

Bottom line: It’s never been about price. It’s been about confusion and convenience. Just what are the gorilla’s doin’ to adress that?
I've got news for you Barry. There are thousands of people in my little corner of the internet who after discovering the solution to the problem of overpriced eyewear, now have to figure out how they are going to store/display all of their new eyeglasses.

It takes one successful order -- and with a moderate single-vision prescription, it's a virtual certainty with the right online retailers -- to permanently remove that customer from your brick and mortar eyeglasses world -- and revenue stream. They're doing a fantastic job with multi-focals too for you (and soon to be me) "codgers".

All of the confusion and second-guessing when you're staring in the mirror at four C-Notes perched on your nose melts away for most when they open a package and they pop on a pair of solid glasses that work -- for $30 or $40.

They expand out from there.

Bottom line: it IS about price -- and guess what, when you're adding to your collection it's a HELL OF A LOT more convenient to order online than to drive to a store to deal with someone who worked at 7-11 last week and who is now inexplicably wearing a lab coat.

P.S. Thanks for yet another example of how you opticians think about your customers ("You can’t even choose *one* pair properly, let alone 3!"). Kudos!

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