day 96: the thrill of the hunt

01.16.10 - my hubby, our best buds, and i woke up at the crack of dawn to make our way to a shopping extravaganza! today is the housing works thrift store warehouse sale in long island city, queens. you pay $20 USD for all-you-can-stuff in a shopping bag of clothing and accessories. many of the items are designer brand and you never know what "treasures" you will find in the numerous bins. there is also a used-electronics section with gadgets that are heavily discounted.

it's our second time attending the event and we had a game plan. i was on a mission for purses and handbags. hubby was looking for jackets. once we were let in. it was every man, women, child for themselves. 

there were all kinds of people attending the event -- a cross section of nyc under one roof. the one thing we had in common is our quest for a deal. we met a bunch of great folks. there were these 3 sisters who came super prepared --- latex gloves, garbage bags, hand sanitizer, and a tenacity unmatched for heavy discounts. we also met 2 friends that own a consignment/second-hand store in alexandria, virginia who happen to be in the city this weekend. they found some amazing pieces and are going to make a killing reselling these clothes and bags at their store. then a guy who exclaimed with glee when finding the perfect jacket, "it was meant to be!", as he raised his arm with utter exuberance. go, bargain hunters, go! 

after 10 minutes, you couldn't even walk because there were piles and piles of clothes strewn about the floor. you either had to dig through it or walk over the piles to find another spot to sift through. what a sight! 

about $80 USD later, hubby and i walked away with some amazing finds. i ransacked the bag bin and got handbags from valentino, cole haan, roots, and narciso rodriguez. my buddy, r, snatched a cute purse that we later found out was gucci! my other friend, e, got a photo printer for $2 USD!!!! on top of that, we all got tons of sweaters, tops, blazers, scarfs, and gloves.  it was such an excellent shopping day and the best part about it is that all proceeds from the warehouse sale goes to housing works. an organization dedicated to serving the homeless and people living with hiv/aids.