Where to Buy Cheap Cricut Cartridges Online and Offline

Scrapbook fanatics everywhere rave about the Cricut personal die cutting machine for creating professional-looking lettering and embellishments for their papercrafting projects. Unfortunately, Cricut cartridges for use in these machines are not cheap-they typically retail for $24.99 to $89.99. Even if you buy these cartridges "on sale" at the big box craft stores like Joann's or Michaels, you're still paying far too much, even when they're 50% off. I recently bought 5 NEW full-size Cricut cartridges for $84 including shipping and I'm going to share my hotspots! Here's how you can buy Cricut cartridges for 65%-80% off.

eBay-the BEST option for buying cheap Cricut cartridges
Check eBay for cheap Cricut cartridges and you may score a new cartridge for under $15! In order to get a good deal on the cartridges, you have to be patient and be willing to bid on auctions, rather than using the "Buy it Now" feature. Do completed auction searches to see what the cartridge you're seeking is going for. If the "Paisley" cartridge typically sells for $23-$26, then realize you're probably not going to get it for $12. This can help you avoid overpaying for the cartridge too. Always factor in the shipping charges for the cartridges-seek out sellers who offer free shipping. Another tip is to bid on the Cricut Cake cartridges-these cartridges (retailing for $90) often sell for $14-25 because many people don't realize that the Cricut Cake cartridges can be used in ANY Cricut machine.

Use caution when buying used Cricut cartridges, especially if you own a Gypsy or plan on buying one in the future. If its previous owner linked the cartridge to her Gypsy, you will not be able to link it to yours, as it can only be linked to one Gypsy. Ask the seller about this before bidding. If you're not interested in the Gypsy, then bid away!

Remember, if the cartridge is newly released or very rare, you'll likely be paying $40-$70 for the cartridge. If the cartridge is new, wait a few months for the bidding wars to go down.

Paper Crafting Pro
You can get some excellent deals here-they have many under $20.
In order to see the prices, you need to register. However, if you currently don't have the funds to buy a cartridge, hold off your registration. Your registration gives you two days to make a purchase. After two days, the site requires that you pay a $9.99 monthly fee to access the site, regardless if you bought something or not. I'd only buy the membership if I were a business reselling the cartridges. So, don't register unless you plan on making a purchase-and if you do buy something, buy everything you want! If you change your mind later, you can always resell it on eBay.

Oh My Crafts
This website always has cheap Cricut cartridges, many in the $20-35 range. Make sure to sign up for their email newsletter-Oh My Crafts is generous with the coupons, often having a "20% off your entire purchase" coupon, which can be used on Cricut merchandise.

Offline (brick-and-mortar) stores to buy cheap Cricut cartridges
Although they can be cheaper than buying on sale at the big box craft stores, it's still not as cheap as you can get them online via eBay. Check for sales and bundles-and remember that Wal-Mart has a line

Big Lots also sells Cricut cartridges-many around $30. Make sure to check the clearance racks at Wal-Mart, Big Lots, Joann's and Michaels-sometimes you can score a great deal.

Bottom line? NEVER pay full price for a Cricut cartridge! And in my opinion, NEVER pay more than $30 shipped!