$39 Eyeglasses

[aeronca65t]

Kids:

A while back, someone here (Tony, I think) mentioned eyeglasses.

So I've been thinking of piping in with a recent experience I had.

I've been wearing glasses for almost 50 years (although I have classic, myopic vision, so I am tending to wear them less as I get older).

Anyway, a while back I went to make my always-behind-schedule visit to Szilvia, my eye doctor. And I told her about how I could get a pair of prescription eyeglasses for free using the prescription she was about to give me.

The deal came as a result of being an entrant in the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Some eyeglass outfit (one of the race sponsors) offered to give all the race drivers a free pair of prescription sun glasses if we send in the prescription and our "eye pitch" (distance from the center of one eye to another).
Szilvia said she wouldn't recommend this for eveyone, but for someone like me, with a fairly ordinary and stable prescription, it would be fine.
So I did it and the sunglasses I got are great.

This gets me thinking. Alway a dangerous propostion.....

I also needed new "regular" eyeglasses and I had looked at some at several of my local "vision centers" (eyeglass "super-stores"). And the prices all seemed like around $300 each or "two for $500".

I did a bit of internet surfing and discovered that most of these big optical places are owned by the same company. And they had sort of a "lock" on the competition.

But more surfing indicated that you could get online eyeglasses too. And cheap! Using the prescription that Szilvia had given me. Cool!

So I settled on "39dollarglasses" since they had some good reviews. Their basic price is obvious. They also sell bi-focals, sunglasses, safety-glasses, etc. (for more money, of course). I ordered a pair ($5 shipping) and I am delighted.
There are other companies in this online eyeglass business (such as "Zenni"), which look good too.

I don't know if I would do this this if i had anything "tricky" about my eyes.
In my case, my prescription has hardly changed in over 10 years, so my eyes are pretty "stable".
Your mileage may vary, but I had great luck with these guys:

https://www.39dollarglasses.com/

<span style='font-size: 8pt'>I have no finacial interest in this outfit.....it's not owned by my second-cousin, etc, yada, yada</span>

 

[NutmegCT]

If the quality is good and, like you say, you have nothing "tricky" about your eyes, looks like a good deal, especially if you're happy with their generic plastic frames included in the $39 price.

I've always had my eye doctor give me a full exam, then if I need a new prescription, I give him my old frames, and then only pay for the new lenses. As I use light & thin progressive Varilux lenses, with UV & scratch coating, it's about $125, which is (amazingly!) about the same price $39glasses charges. As that price includes the exam, I'm a happy camper.

Tom

 

[aerog]

Since the late 80s all my glasses have been mail ordered. My Serengetis (sunglasses) were made by Corning in their factory, they've since been sold off to another company - I've no idea if they still make the lenses.

I've never heard the term "eye pitch", they usually call that PD or pupulary distance (or something along those lines) on the order forms. A lot of times they don't put that on the prescription and leave it up to the optician to measure, so if you don't get a "PD" measurement as part of the exam ask for it.

 

[tony barnhill]

My glasses are tricky - & expensive....but Jerri just walks into the nearest drug store & heads to the prescription glasses rack...$5 & she's got a pair of glasses that work for her...I was skeptical so had her go to doctor to have her eyes checked...darned if those $5 glasses didn't fit her prescription just as perfectly as the $100+ glasses.

 

[rick_ingram]

My glasses are tricky - & expensive....but Jerri just walks into the nearest drug store & heads to the prescription glasses rack...$5 & she's got a pair of glasses that work for her...I was skeptical so had her go to doctor to have her eyes checked...darned if those $5 glasses didn't fit her prescription just as perfectly as the $100+ glasses.

Those are considered "reading glasses" and work on a magnification quotient....usually +125 through +325 ...consider them to be a magnifying lense only. (Cheaper than "arm extenders" when you can't get that newspaper far away enough to focus!)

These cannot be used if you can't see squat at a distance via the naked eye; you would need true corrective lenses for this and/or astigmatism.

HTH

 

[tony barnhill]

All she needs is reading glasses & they work for her

 

[Guest]

Do they have online teeth yet??