This article by Jim Absher originally appeared on Military.com, the premier resource for the military and veteran community.
The Department of Veterans Affairs hospital gift shops, known as the VA canteen service, have added online shopping for the first time -- and the prices could be worth checking out.
Established in 1946, the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) was created to provide merchandise and services at reasonable prices to patients, visitors and employees at VA hospitals. There are also several locations at VA benefits offices nationwide. Similar to the military exchange system, a portion of proceeds at the canteens goes back into services for veterans.
For example, homeless veterans get a free meal, and VCS donates beds to homeless veterans moving into permanent housing. And like the exchange, all purchases are tax-free.
Now, the VCS has moved into the electronic age and expanded its inventory. Any veteran enrolled in the VA health care system can now shop its website. Your family can shop there too.
The ShopVCS.com website offers many items for sale, including jewelry, tires, clothing, major appliances and more. You can also buy discounted tickets for sports events, concerts, theme parks and Las Vegas shows. And the site offers discounted hotel rooms, rental cars and more.
The VCS also provides Emergency Mobile Food Units that are deployed during natural disasters to feed thousands of veterans and service workers during times of crisis.
The prices are on par with national chains and AAFES. You do pay for shipping, but there is no sales tax. As always, some deals are better than others. All honorably discharged veterans can shop online at AAFES, but the brands at AAFES are sometimes different than the VCS Canteen. A quick comparison search revealed the following prices in early 2019:
Yeti Tundra 65-Quart Cooler
- AAFES: $314.95
- Amazon $349.99
- VCS Canteen: $331.95
- Walmart: $464.90
Hamilton Beach Belgian Waffle Maker
- AAFES: $49.95
- Amazon: $45.00
- VCS Canteen: $69.99
- WalMart: $49.99
Canon PowerShot ELPH 190 Point & Shoot Camera
- AAFES: $149.95
- Amazon: $149
- VCS Canteen: $199
- Walmart: $159
Vortex Optics Strike Eagle 1-6x24 Riflescope
- AAFES: N/A
- Amazon: $388
- VCS Canteen: $224
- Walmart: $388
Many hotel and travel deals beat the usual online travel websites, and the concert tickets are cheaper than you can get elsewhere. You can pay with credit or debit card and PayPal.
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