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One of the benefits of this whole economic crisis is the rash of articles about discount shopping opportunities that have been appearing in the news. Today, on cnn.com, there is a link to an article about the world’s best flea markets.

The author of this article is a girl after my own heart: one who sees vacations and travel not as an opportunity to visit landmarks, but a chance to buy things you can’t get at home (at least not as cheaply).

I think, though, that the list unfairly combines two categories of market shoppery that are quite distinct. The first is the all-American flea market, which is essentially a garage sale/craft show/black market scenario, and the Turkish-style bazaar. Here are my personal favorites of each variety:

Canton, Texas. Located near my birth city of Tyler (I hesitate to call it my “hometown,” as I only lived there until I was three and managed to escape the piney woods accent), Canton is a flea market/fair the size of a small city.  Seriously, you could walk around for days, and never see it all. It’s your classic American flea market, with everything from rusty implements that may or may not still function, to valuable antiques and crafts.  I also like its community fairground feel, complete with corn dogs, funnel cake, and lemonade. I always leave Canton full of fried food with some new knick knack in my hand, feeling like I need to go look at some Norman Rockwell paintings or something.

Khan el-Khalili, Cairo, Egypt. Like Canton, Khan el-Khalili has a lot of greasy food, but instead of corn dogs and funnel cake, your choices include falafel or shawarma.  They take bargaining to a new level most Americans have not experienced. All you need to know are a few basic Arabic phrases (which I can’t type here, but they translate to “how much?” and “no, thank you,”) and a little Egyptian bargaining etiquette (don’t ask about something you’re not really intending to buy, unless they ask you first). With a little experience, even an obvious tourist like myself can get some pretty sweet deals. The streets are overflowing with colorful rugs, lamps, clothing, hijabs, spices, and artwork. My best find there was a pair of red leather shoes with yellow and white painted details. Unfortunately, my grandma’s horrible dog ate them…but I paid the equivalent of less than four dollars for them, so at least it only hurt me in the sentimental pocketbook.

If you know of any other shopping meccas of either variety, here or abroad, please let me know…

love,

thriftstore brandwhore

I’ve heard a few excuses from people who don’t go to estate sales: things are overpriced, it’s creepy buying things from dead people, and they just don’t know they’re happening. If you are held back by any of these excuses, you are severely missing out.

1. Things CAN be overpriced, but this isn’t the mall. Put on your Middle Eastern market shopper panties, and start making some offers. If the estate sale lasts more than one day, try to go in the final hours – this is the best time for negotiation. My personal best was a box of 60 ties, 30 records (including old Enrico Caruso records, for you music nerds), a framed photo, and a kick-ass beret for a total of $30.

2. Dead people are creepy. Yeah, but it’s likely that anything you buy at an antique store was once owned by someone who died…to me, this is no different than a garage sale. Although I did write a poem about this one time…maybe I will share my awful poetry with you in a future entry.

3. I don’t know the sales are happening. Then get on the mailing list. Most worthwhile estate sale companies have mailing lists and websites featuring photos of upcoming sales. My favorite in Houston is Margie Beegle sales (although my personal experience with Margie and her daughter has been less than pleasant, both on the phone and in person. My latest issue with them is that they advertised an upcoming sale very near my house as being “right in the middle of Midtown,” and I most certainly do NOT live in Midtown. Montrose pride!). Setting aside our political and ideological differences, they do get some of the best sales and make some of the best last-minute deals.

love,

thriftstore brandwhore

One day, while bored at work, I was trying to think of new websites to browse. I recalled attending a J. Crew sample sale in New Orleans, and decided to search for online sample sales.

During my search, I came across several members-only sale sites, and joined several. I’ve done the dirty work for you, so you don’t have to waste your time figuring out which sites are worthwhile.  Hands down, I vote for Hautelook.com.

Every day at 8:00 AM Pacific time, Hautelook features one to four designer sales, with products ranging from 50% to 90% off. Each sale lasts about two days. Not only do I enjoy the sales for their intended purpose, but I also use this as a resource to discover new designers. I already knew I loved Tracy Reese and BCBG, but if it weren’t for Hautelook, I wouldn’t know how much I loved Eva Franco and Amrita Singh.

Although the sales are great on a daily basis, the best sales are the end-of-the-year blowouts. Unfortunately, I was unable to partake of the discounts this year, because by the time I got to a computer, the site was so busy I couldn’t even log on – then everything was sold out. The competition is stiff, but worth it.

If you’re considering joining, let me know. The site is offering a promotion right now: if you are referred by a friend, we both receive a $10 credit. If you like sales, you’re automatically my friend, so either reply with your email address in a comment or email me at tchoupitoulas@gmail.com.

love,

thriftstore brandwhore