What I found amazed me.

I explored corners of the bargainverse that I had never experienced and that most people I know have never heard of. As a seasoned consumer journalist, I thought I had seen and shopped it all. I hadn’t!

My quest spanned six types of retailers, which I chose using three criteria: One, they needed to have physical locations in multiple states—and not just in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, where I shopped with my husband, Bill—so no one-offs or online-only operators. Two, they had to offer deals you won’t find at your local discount chain or on Temu or TikTok. Three, they had to offer a variety of products and cater to a range of budgets.

At a time when many of us are looking for ways to save, I hope my travelogue inspires you to expand your own bargain-hunting horizons.

My shopping adventure began in a dimly lit warehouse off a small residential street in Bethel, Connecticut. It’s easy to miss; the only evidence of a giant store inside is a tiny sign on the door that says “Kathalow Warehouse Treasures.” Inside, stacks of home furnishings, electronics, small appliances, bedding and other merchandise fill shelves and clutter floors, and mountains of clothing, shoes and linens rise from long tables.

Like other stores in this category, Kathalow buys liquidated stock by the pallet rack. The industry is fueled in part by online returns, which are sold as “open-box” merchandise. The owner, Neda Macol, told me she also gets overstock and past-season products from Target, Kohl’s, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and other retailers. Some items were damaged, dusty or looking used, but I found a lot of great deals. A wood cabinet, for example, cost $79, 47 percent less than it did on Amazon; a gold wall sconce listed on Wayfair for $175 was only $39, a 78 percent discount. I also saw lots of clothing at flea-market prices, like children’s items for $3 apiece.

Unlike big closeout chains like Ollie’s, the vibe at smaller operators like Kathalow is chaotic, with varying levels of grunge. Many of these resellers are known as “bin stores” because they dump merchandise—clothes, electronics, bedding, beauty products and more—into giant, shallow bins. Every item in the bin has the same price, which may drop over time. At Mystery Bins in West Nyack, New York, for example, you’ll pay $15 per item on Saturdays, when new shipments arrive; prices drop daily until the following Friday, when the leftovers go for a buck. The store also sells individually priced large and small appliances.

I also took a road trip to Retail 101, a stadium-size warehouse in Shelton, Connecticut, that specializes in fashion and furniture. On a Thursday afternoon, the parking lot was packed, and customers were using enormous wheeled bins as shopping carts. I bought a $13 fanny pack that was $56 on the brand’s website. I also fell in love with a 10-foot-long teak dining room table in perfect condition, which I saw online for $2,900 but at this store cost only $600.

▶︎ How to find them: Search online for closeout and bin stores or local liquidators. Try sites like thebinfinder.com and binstorefinder.com.

▶︎ Special tips: Check items carefully and ask permission to open boxes; smaller operators are no-returns zones. Don’t expect warranties or, for larger items, delivery and installation services. And read reviews on Google and Yelp for insider insight; each store has its quirks.

There are thrift shops, and then there are thrift outlets. Before this journey, I was well acquainted with Goodwill and similar shops, but I was totally unprepared for the outlet version. In Hamden, Connecticut, it was a quiet Monday afternoon in February, but inside the town’s Goodwill thrift outlet, it was pandemonium. Hordes of shoppers were ransacking boat-size bins of clothing, books, shoes, home goods and electronics, and tossing their finds into overloaded shopping carts.

This is where Goodwill dumps its overflow. Bins of donations are rolled out continually. Almost everything is priced by the pound—glassware and dishes are 69 cents a pound, and ​other stuff is $1.79 per pound. The charity says that a shirt costing $7 at a Goodwill thrift store may cost as little as 50 cents at a Goodwill outlet. My favorite part was the furniture. Although most of it needed some work—a deep clean, small repair or paint job—tables, cabinets and couches were priced at just $5 or $10.

Overall, it’s a down-and-dirty free-for-all. In fact, Goodwill’s own website warns that shoppers “are known to be competitive and aggressive.”

For a more relaxed charity-outlet experience, try Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores. The one I visited in Newburgh, New York, was neat and well organized. ReStores are selective; you’ll find a lot of nice furniture, wall art, lamps, decor and more. A store manager told me that you can decorate a whole house for under $500. Although donations are mostly from individuals, she said, HomeGoods stores also contribute to the mix.

▶︎ How to find them: Both chains have more than 100 locations. Visit habitat.org/restores and goodwilloutlets.com to find one near you.

▶︎ Special tips: Check your local ReStore’s Facebook page, which may show what’s in stock. Goodwill recommends wearing gloves when you shop, in part to protect yourself from injury. They aren’t kidding!

I’m a huge fan of outlet malls, but over the years I’ve seen fewer markdowns on regular merchandise and more items made specifically for the outlets. But old-fashioned outlets are still out there. I saw this contrast when I visited a strip mall in Marlton, New Jersey. At a Raymour & Flanigan outlet, a salesperson told me prices are lower than at the brand’s regular retail stores because the furniture is made with lower-quality materials—perhaps a good choice if you’re on a tight budget. Meanwhile, across the parking lot, a Best Buy Outlet was offering deep discounts on regular retail stock sold as open-box merchandise, such as items that were returned or dinged during transport. Outlets also sell overstock and floor samples. On items I price-checked at that Best Buy and at a Lowe’s Outlet in Meriden, Connecticut, savings ranged from 15 percent for a dryer to 62 percent for a vanity, compared with the lowest prices I found online. Many things were half off or more, including TVs, fridges, a lawn mower and a barbecue.

▶︎ How to find them: Search online for the names of retailers and the words “open box outlet” or “clearance center.” You can also try thatoutletgirl.com, where I got the inside scoop on Nordstrom’s Last Chance outlets. There are just two stand-alone versions of those stores in the United States, and neither one is near me. Boo-hoo!

▶︎ Special tips: Even if a store says its open-box items have been tested, check for damage and missing parts. Also ask about delivery and installation services, return policies and warranties, which may differ from those at the regular retail stores.

If you crave designer clothing, accessories and home goods, there are no better bargain-hunting grounds than sample sales: pop-ups where high-end brands unload excess merchandise. On one cold, blustery Tuesday in April, I spent the day running around New York City to see what they’re all about.

I started at Lacoste on the first day of its sale. Outside, it was like the entrance to a nightclub, with a mob in front and a bouncer at the door. Inside, a guard made me surrender my purse and jacket—a common practice at sample sales. Handing over my bag made me twitchy (although I removed my wallet), but I quickly got over that once I dived into racks full of bargains.

Overall, the discounts that day were substantial. A jacket that went for $240 on Lacoste’s website was available in a different color for only $85. At a Retrofête sample sale, I paid $49 for a black-and-silver satin blouse—59 percent less than the lowest price I could find online. A pair of designer sandals I spotted at another sample sale cost $100; I found them online for $850.

Although an item may cost a fraction of what you’d pay at retail, it can still have a jaw-dropping price. Sixty percent off might sound great, but not when it came to the earrings I fell in love with at a John Hardy sample sale: The original price was $11,000!

▶︎ How to find them: They’re usually held in big cities; check listings at chicmi.com, 260samplesale.com and timeout.com. Or search Instagram using the hashtag #samplesale.

▶︎ Special tips: Go online beforehand for details, such as whether a sale is invitation-only. Purchases are usually final, so no buying without trying! Because there may be no dressing rooms, wear clothes that allow you to try things on without disrobing. I recommend a T-shirt and yoga pants, shorts or a wide skirt.

Walking through the parking lot of Zaborski Emporium’s multistory warehouse in Kingston, New York, was like entering a long-lost world. A field of rusty radiators surrounded the entrance like guards at an ancient temple. The inside was loaded with floor-to-ceiling stacks of old windows, doors, lamps, toilets, tubs, home decor, furniture—everything and the kitchen sinks.

Salvage operations like Zaborski sell just about anything that can be removed from buildings and homes prior to demolition, making them great places to shop if you’re remodeling or you just love antiques. They look like a cross between a museum and a flea market.

Some salvage operations specialize in pricey antiques. For example, at Hudson Valley House Parts in Newburgh, New York, doors and lighting fixtures can run many thousands of dollars. On the other end of the spectrum is the Remix Market salvage store chain run by the junk-removal company Junkluggers. At one of those stores, I spotted a nice sofa for $200, lamps for $3, chairs for $15, and glassware and other lightly used home products for just a few bucks apiece. Items are sold as is and are final sale, but the cashier said prices are negotiable.

▶︎ How to find them: Visit the website remixmarket.com or search online for “architectural salvage.”

▶︎ Special tips: Many products are dusty or damaged, so be ready to use some elbow grease.

I can’t think of a better place to go bargain hunting than outdoor megamarkets. Brimfield Antique Flea Market in Massachusetts is one of my favorites. Billed as America’s largest outdoor antique show, it brings together thousands of vendors selling everything from used tools to fancy furniture and rugs.

I make a pilgrimage at least once a year to the market, which runs in May, July and September. My house is filled with Brimfield bargains, including my $400 kitchen table, made from a zinc tabletop welded onto an antique wrought-iron base, and my collection of antique kitchen and mail scales, bought for no more than $15 apiece.

Other monster fleas include 127 Yard Sale, which spans six states and takes place in August; the monthly First Monday in Canton, Texas; and Scott Antique Markets in Atlanta (in May) and Columbus, Ohio (in November).

▶︎ How to find them: Query Gemini, Perplexity, or another AI chatbot by typing in “largest flea markets near me” or, if you’re in the mood for a road trip, “largest flea markets in the U.S.”

▶︎ Special tips: Arrive early to get a parking spot. Bring empty bags for carrying your purchases, comfortable walking shoes and lots of cash. Don't be shy about haggling, especially on the final day, when sellers are eyeballing unsold items they’d have to haul back home. 

Lisa Lee Freeman, who writes the “Live Well for Less” column in the AARP Bulletin, was formerly editor-in-chief of ShopSmart magazine from Consumer Reports.