So last week I decided I absolutely had to get the new Celtic home kit for this season. Looked sharp online, you know? Clicked onto the official club store, found it – boom! Nearly £70. Seventy quid! For a shirt! Almost spat out my coffee. No way was I paying that unless I absolutely had to.
My Kit Bargain Hunt Begins
Right then, mission started: find this kit cheaper elsewhere. First stop? The usual sports chains. Scrolled through their sites. Saw it listed… for basically the same price as the Celtic shop! £67.99 here, £69.99 there. Same difference to my wallet. Felt pretty hopeless at this point.
Got thinking maybe last season’s kit would be cheaper. Found a couple sites still selling the 22-23 one. Sure, it was down to about £40, but… it’s last year’s kit, isn’t it? Didn’t feel the same. Wanted the fresh one.
Stumbling Onto the Hacks
Started digging deeper, past page one of Google. Found a forum where folks talked about kit buying “loopholes”. Not illegal stuff, just… places you might not think to look.
- Kids Sizes Trick: Saw someone mention checking the youth sizes section, especially the older youth ones (like XL or XXL youth). Compared the size charts carefully to my own measurements. The Celtic youth XL looked pretty close to a Men’s Small! Huge price difference – youth XL was like £45, way under £70.
- Genuine Re-Seller Hunting: Looked at less obvious, but legit, online sports stores. Not the massive chains. Found one tucked away that sells fan gear. Had the kit… for £55! Still saving a good chunk. Confirmed it was official branded stuff.
- Waiting Game is Tough: Nearly gave in. Thought about waiting for sales later in the season. Knew prices would drop eventually, maybe even half price. But honestly? I was impatient! Wanted it now for the early games.
The Winner (And My Wallet Thanks Me)
Kept looking. Remembered someone mentioning big department stores sometimes have them. Went onto a well-known one’s website. Searched for Celtic shirt. And there it was!
Official new Celtic 23-24 home kit. Men’s size. £52. Yes! Over £15 saved compared to the club store! Immediately checked delivery – all good. Ordered it right then.
Package arrived yesterday. Opened it up – perfect. Genuine Adidas, all the badges, official sponsor print. Fits great. Saved myself more than a decent takeaway dinner costs.
Moral of my story? NEVER pay the full sticker price first. The club and the big sports shops bank on fans being loyal and clicking buy straight away. Spend that extra half-hour digging around, try those size hacks if they fit you, and save yourself some proper cash. That £15 feels much better in my pocket than in some corporate account. Learned this one the smart way.
