Just What I've Been Waiting For

It was only a few days ago when I was noticing how those DNA test matches don't always come in as frequently as right after a big sale. I remembered the last sale was around Father's Day, and it seemed like it would be a long time until the next sale most companies hold (during the winter holidays). Looked like a long dry summer stretched out between now and then...

Fortunately, just as I was considering that thought, someone must have read my mind, for a sale is in the offing! I received the advanced notice two days ago, thanks to having volunteered to be a project manager for Family Tree DNA. A summer sale is coming, said the email. And sure enough, here it is—a sale through the end of the month.

At least at Family Tree DNA, there will be discounts of up to twenty percent on their product line, including pricing for bundles of tests. Since FTDNA offers three different types of DNA test—autosomal, Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA—depending on a researcher's goals, pricing may make it beneficial to spring for combinations of tests during the sale. In addition, there will be sale pricing for "upgrade" options for those wishing to test for more markers on an already-taken Y-DNA test or advance to full sequence for their partial mtDNA test.

Bottom line for those wishing to start at the lowest priced test—the autosomal or "Family Finder" test, which provides matches with relatives up to the distance of about sixth cousin—the ask is now $69.

Since so often, a sale price at one company prompts the other companies to follow suit, I took a look around at FTDNA's competitors. However, I didn't see any announcement—yet—for AncestryDNA or 23andMe. Hopefully, these companies also will consider lowering their prices soon.

Of course, I have my selfish reasons for wanting sales like this: the more people who test, the more likely it is that I will find matches for the tests already taken by members of my family. You know how it is: we are holding out for that dream of finding just the person who will not only match our data, but have the missing link to the rest of the story about that one brick wall ancestor.

Disclaimer: while I do serve as a volunteer project administrator for one of the group projects hosted on the Family Tree DNA website, I have not received any remuneration for mentioning any of the DNA testing companies listed in this post. This post is based solely upon my own unsolicited opinion.