New to Online Eyeglasses? Click Here!
Ongoing: Click here for 15%-off EVERY ORDER at EyeBuyDirect This is the best ongoing deal on the internet for EyeBuyDirect!
Goggles4U drops prices, drops additional discount codes. People are concerned, but this is still one of the best places to buy online. Link!

I've been doing some work on catching up with the site over the holidays and I came across a bit of a rant in the forums from what I can only guess is an optician or the mom of an optician.

Here it is:

Free advice? Bad advice.
If you only wear glasses at night, if you only use glasses for a computer or you can buy your glasses from walgreens then by all means buy them online. But if it's a prescription, for the love of god, get it filled by someone who is knowledgeable about the trade. If you don't heed this advice also do us a favor and don't bother going to a local optician to have your frames fit or to trouble shoot your problems; you already had your hand in putting him out of business, don't also insult him by asking for his time and expertise for free.
My response to this tripe:
This is a bunch of crap.

I've always said that I'm willing to pay for my FULL PRESCRIPTION, but don't hold a very simple part of it hostage to keep me in your store so you can force overpriced frames and criminally overpriced lenses on me. You expect gratitude for that?

Want to know who has put the local optician out of business? Luxottica and yes, the local optician herself. The world has always been an adapt or die scenario -- for everyone. So rather than whine about how unfair something is, use your brain and try to figure out how to use your "time and expertise" to turn it around in your favor. The old model no longer works -- and hasn't for some time.

Move on already.

- Ira

We've had a couple of our better ongoing deals go dark over the past few weeks.

They're baaack!

After a bit of housekeeping yesterday and helping a couple people get their orders straightened out, I got in touch with 39DollarGlasses and EyeBuyDirect about renewing their exclusive long-term discounts.

Both were more than happy to do it.

As you see over to the left, they're back in their rightful places. For those of you reading this on a smart phone, you'll need to click the "View Web Version" link at the bottom of the page to see.

Here they are...




With these available at GlassyEyes, there never is a bad time to buy eyeglasses online.


I always love this sale. Getting a dollar for fifty-cents is always a good deal, and this one is better because the prices are so low and there are no headaches associated with whether or not thin or tinted lenses are included in the sale.

These are the final days of the sale. Take a look!

Holiday Gift Vouchers 50% OFF - spend $20 for a $40 voucher at EyeBuyDirect.com!

ENDS SATURDAY!

Is it December already?


There are a number of sales this week and rather than post about each of them each day -- and have people unsubscribe, I figured it might make sense to aggregate things a bit.

Here are the current sales today -- which may be added to as the day goes on.
  • Goggles4U continues to run two deals: $29.95 of designer frames, and a collection of free frames with highly discounted lenses. Click here and choose your deal.
More to come!

Follow @glassyeyes on twitter for more deals!

EyeBuyDirect continues the sales today with a decent deal on progressive and bifocal lenses. Today's my birthday, and I'm definitely getting closer and closer to having to pull the trigger on progressives. Hoping to get another 5 years out of the old eyes before that day though!

For those of you already there, this is a great deal. I've set up a number of my relatives with bifocals and progressives through EyeBuyDirect. They've all been surprised and thrilled at the price and quality.

Click here to check out this deal! Use code 'Day6'.




If you're in the market for a pair, today is a great opportunity.

I hope your prescription is current -- today is the big day for online eyeglasses sales.

EyeBuyDirect is doing a Buy One Get One today only! Click here or on the image below to get all of the details.

If you missed it last week, you get another chance for the next 48 hours!

Once again, two options -- both solid.

Here is the first eyeglasses deal of the day...

39DollarGlasses is coming out of the chute with a $20-off per pair deal.

Click here and use the code 'CM20' at checkout to get this deal!

The Holiday Sales are in full tilt right now and that typically includes the bigger online eyeglasses stores. This year appears to be no different.

First out of the gate is goggles4u with a couple of big sale options for you. These prices are so low, it's a great time to stock up or try a store you haven't tried in the past. This is one of the original two stores I tried when I started this thing. I still wear those frames from time to time. Goggles4U has been around for more than 5 years and have done some really great things during that time.

Ends this weekend.


'Tis the season for eyeglasses deals.


39DollarGlasses has been around for 11 years, and for the past 5 of those (more on that later) they've been one of my go-to places for glasses. A few times a year, they up the ante and offer a $20-off every pair sale.

If you're new to online eyeglasses, now is a great time to try this retailer to see what they can do.

Here's that link:
Take $20 Off Your Glasses!

Ends Friday!


If you've been waiting to place your order, Monday is your last chance! This sale doesn't come around very often.

Click here for more!


Talked to my guy over at EyeBuyDirect and he says the sale is going really well. Frames are selling out, but they're adding new frames along the way. Head back over and see if they have anything that suits you!

Check out these further discounts on lens upgrades:

  • 60% Off 1.57 lenses!
  • 70% Off Polycarbonate (1.59) lenses!
  • 20% Off 1.6 lenses!
  • 30% Off 1.74 lenses!


It has been awhile since I've been able to say this, but today it's true, EyeBuyDirect is having a BOGO Sale! If you're in the market for a couple of pairs of new specs, this is always a good time to buy.

EyeBuyDirect has been a leader in this market for years now. Their guarantee is one of the best around. Order with confidence!

As always, restrictions apply so take a look.

Got this in the inbox yesterday morning. I'd imagine that many of the other bespectacled St. Paulites who received thought, "wow, that's a great deal." In fact as of right now, 221 people have bought into this.

I haven't paid more than $40 for a pair of glasses in years.

I'd bet dollars to donuts, my final price for even my moderate single-vision prescription will be much, much more than the $220 I'd be getting for my $40.

They're giving you the first $180 off -- which probably lines up nicely with their profit per pair sold.

It's been a while since the last time I've taken a step back to see how the online eyeglasses market has progressed. There have been a number of very noticeable changes to me in the past year or so.

First, there are fewer big sales happening, which makes me think that things are starting to settle down a bit. The big boys have found their places and a number of the smaller places have either closed up shop or are struggling to keep the lights on.

Another of the trends I've been seeing is that there seem to be fewer problems overall. There was a time when I'd be working with at least a half-dozen people a week to answer questions and get issues ironed out. Those numbers have dropped while the orders have increased. We're definitely seeing many more repeat customers now, and the ones who've had success are bringing the word of online eyeglasses to their friends and families -- and sharing the knowledge they've gained in the process.

One of the things I'm most impressed with in the past twelve to eighteen months is the entry of Warby Parker. It's nice to see some style and class come to the market in the mid-price range. Their site is beautiful and they even offer a monocle if you happen to be Colonel Klink.

All in all, it's a quieter, safer period we're in -- much less wilderness -- but I'd kill for some big deals once in a while.

What are your thoughts?

A bit of a newcomer to the scene has called it a day in the online eyeglasses business.

I received an email the other day regarding Eyeglasses123 and it contained some interesting content:
After careful thought and tedious number crunching, the owners of Eyeglasses123 have decided to shutdown their business...

Apparently (and these are their words) "they cannot keep up with competition and economic pressure."

I liked the prices they had on designer frames, but lens costs kept me from purchasing from them after the first pair.

The site is still appearing live, but I wouldn't consider them as a viable option any longer.


EyeBuyDirect has kicked off another Buy One Get One Free event today. They've tacked on additional savings on lens upgrades -- which I continue to see as unnecessary unless your prescription is on the strong side.

Click here to take a look...



Here are the Terms & Conditions:
  • Buy One Get One Free ends June 6th midnight PST
  • Minimum order $14.95 per pair
  • Free eyeglasses- cheaper of the two
  • Offer not including designer frames
  • Offer includes single vision lenses with anti-scratch coating
  • Additional upgrades available, extra charges may apply
  • No double discounts- Buy one Get one Free overrides other coupons & discounts
  • Two (or more) frames have to be ordered to avail of this promotion

Ends June 6th.

Working in the yard over the weekend, in between the bouts of rain, it became clear that I need another pair or two of sunglasses to add to the collection. I've never lost a pair of my glasses (save that pair at the bottom of Lake Marion before I bought my prescription swim goggles) but my sunglasses seem to have scattered to the four winds. I have a tendency to leave them places, and while I usually find them, I was only able to find a scratched pair this weekend.

Anyway, there haven't been any BIG DEALS out there in a couple of months, but hoping that changes over the busy summer sales period.

Going to head over to a few of my favorites (over at the left) and see what is available to help me with my sunglasses deficiency.

EDITORS NOTE 6/13/2011 -- THIS RETAILER HAS CEASED OPERATIONS


A while back I wrote a review on Eyeglasses123. They're a growing company with a bit of a different spin on the discount eyeglasses market. They specialize in good prices on designer frames. They also have lower-priced house brands -- some of which are bold, very stylish, and hard to find in some of the other stores. I really like the "vintage" pair I got in November -- they're in the regular rotation.

Their pricing structure hasn't matured yet (things have changed a lot in the past 4 months), but their inventory still makes them a solid destination when you have your heart set on a particular designer or distinct style without emptying your savings.

Here are the latest deal they're offering:
  • 35% additional off on glasses in the "Designer Outlet". There are currently about 50 frames in this collection from the following brands: Gucci, Giorgi Armani, Kate Spade, Timberland, Liz Claiborne, Puma, Covergirl, Kenneth Cole, Vera Wang, Harve Benard... Find something in here, add a lens and  lop off the 35% of the total. The discount will show up automatically in the cart after you enter shipping info and email.
To give you an idea of what this discount will do for you, I grabbed the first frame in the collection, the Timberland TB5027. Eyeglasses123 has this for $14.95. Add a basic plastic lens for about $30, take 35% off and add about $5 for shipping and you'll get it in a week or so for less than $34. The same exact frame and options at LensCrafters will set you back about $250. FramesDirect, the largest of the online designer eyeglasses store will get them to you for $138.

Eyeglasses123 is the obvious answer in this case. 

Eyeglasses123 doesn't have the best prices on Transitions and Polarized lenses, so you'll likely want to look elsewhere (39DollarGlasses offers each lens upgrade option for about $50 -- which is $30 less than the "sale" price at Eyeglasses123 -- but you won't find any designer frames there). Eyeglasses123 also no longer includes the basic lens in the price of the frame, which is a big disappointment.

However, the bottom line remains the same, they're the best site online for a broad selection of designer frame eyeglasses and sunglasses. With the brands listed above and others such as Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Persol, Ray-Ban, Silhouette (the brand that started my whole online eyeglasses odyssey) and Versace, they'll have something for you at a good price.

Spend your flexi-spend employee benefit dollarsEyeBuyDirect's Buy-One-Get-One lasts until the Ides of March -- the 15th for all of you non-Shakespeareans in the audience.

This may be a good time to get a head start on your summer sunglasses collection.


Click here to take advantage.

EyeBuyDirect is celebrating its 5th Anniversary in March. They're starting things out with their most famous sale -- the Buy One Get One FREE.


The coolest part is that we get a head start on it! We get the last day of February to get our orders in early and beat the rush.


Click here and...

Let's go!

39DollarGlasses just ended their Valentine's Sale yesterday, but its success has bred an extended stay on the GlassyEyes Eyeglass Discount List. Just got the word from them that they'd like to continue the discount exclusively for GlassyEyes readers.

You're going to get $15-off per order from now until at least the middle of September.

This is a great deal. Keep in mind, if you're in the market for more something a bit more expensive in say a bifocal, or want to order 4 or 5 pairs, the 10%-off coupon code may be your better friend. Do the math (or have you kid do it for you) and choose the right option.

Get an early start on Spring with some prescription sunglasses.

[Updated Links to Reflect Current Offer]

39DollarGlasses has a great, just in time for Valentine's Day deal.

$15-off every pair -- a great deal.


Here's the link. Use code "GG123".