REAL reviews to help you skip junk and find jewels
With fake reviews everywhere, it's hard to know whether going with the "safe bet" of choosing the best-selling, highest-rated, most-recommended items, purchased and reviewed by the biggest number of "verified customers," will actually get you a guaranteed gem, or leave you with unjustifiable junk.
Say "bye" to wasted time!
I know I've wasted tens of hours reading through product descriptions and reviews for just one item I wanted to purchase, until I felt confident that I had chosen the item with the best specs and quality for the best price -- only to receive my order and discover that the product descriptions LIED, leaving me steamed, and writing angry emails to companies for having sucked so many hours of my life and dollars for things that didn't even deliver a worthy reward for my effort.
Buying online can be a hit or miss, and I'm in the camp of reading through even hundreds of reviews of everything available, to try to choose the best value available, and to try to avoid disappointment and wasted money as much as possible - - but sometimes, it just can't be avoided, and you just have to go by trial and error to find what you were actually going for.
As my man says, you either go the "research" route (reading, watching, and consuming everything out there on a product, to try to choose the best one), or the "trial-by-fire" route (buying everything, and hoping that some of your picks turn out to be good ones), on the hunt for a good buy.
I decided to create this review site to record my excavations, to save other exasperated shoppers from digging through duds, while sharing the gold I uncover, so that all my work can help others like you get good goods too.
And, if you choose to buy my best finds using my affiliate links, then we all win! :)
The fine balance between "gems" and "junk"
It was my man who came up with the name "Gem or Junk," and also he who summed it up best, when he said, "Cheap isn't always junk, and junk isn't always cheap."
Where I grew up with a dad who always dismissed every deal I discovered as "junk," simply because I had found a crazy sale, bulk or discount savings, or just a damn good price -- sticking his nose up at me while spending unnecessary extra dollars at premium grocery stores, when I found the same or better items for better prices at lesser-known spots -- I'm grateful that my man understands that real value means striking a balance between quality AND price.
Here, you will find not one watered-down review.
If anything, you'll find recordings of my ups and downs, and triumphs and let-downs -- and exactly what I (and sometimes my man and occasional family member or friend) think and feel about them.
Rarely will you find a raving review, but when you do, the featured item's probably worth getting, if you're actually interested in the product.
I will do my best to never steer you wrong, and also do my best to help you feel the same gold rush I feel when I've found the thing I never knew I needed, until I got it.
It's worth reading my reviews of junk too, because I'll also show why what's junk for me (due to my body shape and type, tolerance for chemical content of products, etc.) might not necessarily be junk for you.
What gems to expect
I'm starting out this site reviewing online items, but I'm sure you'll find, in the future, my honest reviews on anything from super-unique or delicious food, fun-but-not-often-taken trips, gem-packed courses, the best books, and anything else I discover that's worth reviewing.
Whatever it is, it'll likely be unique, and at times eccentric, but always promise some special value.
Come uncover gems with me, collect gems of your own, and skip out on stupid junk purchases.
Know you're shopping with "knowing," with my man and me (and our occasional contributer). :)
Happy browsing, reading, and buying! :)
Disclaimer
We've opted to remain anonymous, to preserve our ability to review critically, without worry or bias.
The monikers we've taken on reflect what we love to do.
Our team
The Treasure- sharer
I'm the primary writer, editor, primary reviewer, co-designer, and contact person for the site. What you read is me conveying both my and my man's (the Adventurer's) combined insights, and I'm the one who will be replying to your emails, questions, and review suggestions.
I love discovering gems in unexpected areas of life, that you never knew you needed until you try them and experience them for yourself. I love sharing, and telling the story behind, my finds.
I also seek out specific gems that the Adventurer asks me to find.
I also feel compelled to expose junk that doesn't live up to what it promised, as it disappoints and angers me to be deceived by false advertising, and I want to let as many others as possible know about such deceptions, to prevent others from having to go through what I had to.
The Adventurer
The primary designer, consultant, and advisor for the site, and to me. He's also the creative genius behind the name and concept for our site, and is always on the pulse of what will be relevant, important, and useful, often way before others recognize the value and act on it.
Know that you'll be in the know with his recommendations, which I try to include where relevant in our articles.
Some reviews will be me writing on his behalf (which I will indicate), summarizing his reviews, insights, and recommendations.
A lot of our gem finds stem from his discoveries of current and upcoming problems he learns we will face and need to solve, and searching for resources and ways to solve them.
We make a good team -- he tells me the issue and/or what we need, and I look for the requested items, or items that resolve things he's talked about before, that have the best quality, value, and effectiveness for the price, that are readily available to the public.
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The vagabond
The occasional contributor. Her years of experience in the service / hospitality / customer service industries lend her a useful critical eye into restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions, establishments, and everyday consumer products -- pointing out and ripping apart ones that fail to meet quality and hygiene standards, while noticing and highlighting gem products and experiences.
Her guest posts will usually come once a month, so keep a lookout for them.
