I have a little obsession with getting a fantastic deal. I’m not organized enough to be a coupon clipper, I just know where to go to get really awesome, ridiculous deals. Here are my top 3 sweet spots for my fabulous finds:
Sample Store
I work in retail, so naturally employees are welcome to shop in the middle of their work day at the corporate Sample Store. They have new stuff everyday and the deals are so unpredictable that it creates pandemonium. Think of it like Black Friday, where people line up at the door before the doors open and grab all the good stuff right off the shelves, but all-year round, Monday thru Friday at 10am. Everyday prices on shirts and tank tops are $2, shorts $6, dresses $12. They have auto gear, baby stuff, apparel, toys, housewares, kitchen accessories, and other random things. It’s not a secret that I’m a Sample Store junkie. I go almost everyday and come out with the most ridiculous finds – my best one was this chandelier for $35 that retails for $895 on Amazon. It proudly hangs in our master bedroom.
I’ve had some family and friends come visit me to see what all the fuss is about, but it’s hit or miss depending on the merchandise they put out that day. Since I go everyday, I’m bound to find something good every now and then.
Macy’s Clearance Center
Not a lot of people know about this hidden gem. There’s a Macy’s Furniture store in Schaumburg where they have a really nice showroom and pushy sales people…but the upstairs of that same building is their Clearance Center. It’s run as a totally separate entity from the main floor gallery – you can find the same products, but at up to 90% off retail value. Say whaaaa?!
It’s a totally different vibe up there, too. The price tags are color coded to match the current percentage off for that week and the sales people are very helpful only when you need them to be. They get new shipments every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Jeff and I go once a month because their inventory changes so quickly. Our best bargain to date is our dining room table. It retails for $799, but we got it for $99. Seriously! Our receipt said “Your savings today = $700.” 
We also got a white leather sofa for our living room for $600 (retail $1200) from there:
Thrift Stores & Garage Sales
It’s true what they say – someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure! Thrift stores & garage sales are pretty tricky because they’re time-consuming and risky. You have to have the eye for good stuff among the piles of junk. If you’re into re-purposing furniture you have to be able to see past the worn paint, outdated fabric, or missing hardware. Once you get past all the crap, you might end up with something good. Something really good. Something NO ONE ELSE HAS. Here are some of our pulls that I’ve featured in previous posts:
Vintage white dresser from Arielle’s room that I featured here.
Chairs that I re-upholstered chairs and featured here.
Hunter Boots that I featured here.
“The history of cerael” art that I posted on Instagram. I scored this at a garage sale for $1! It’s a framed shadow box that displays real cereal, with a caption the name, original manufacturer, and year established. I hung it in our kitchen breakfast nook (duh! where else?). It looks vintage, but on the back it says it’s from Z Gallerie with an original sticker price of $70.
So my secret is out! That’s where I shop to get all my amazing deals. Don’t all go there at once and take away the good stuff before I can get to it! 🙂 Oh, and please do leave a comment if there’s a place you know of that has crazy awesome deals. I’d love to check it out sometime!
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