Village India Collection has occasional sales to allow retail customers to buy their handmade designs from India. Some of the items you can pick up might be: tribal artifacts, beaded and embroidered scarves, cushion covers, wall hangings, traditional Indian Pichwai paintings, tribal-style jewelry, stationery, leather journals, incense and burners. The open-to-the public-events are held 4 times a year (end of March, June, September and November), each lasting through 2 weekends. Wholesale prices can be expected on all of the above as well as on some recycled clothing  made from saris: skirts, kimonos, jackets and tops. Lots of tote bags and funky bags too. On Saturday you need to dial 406 to enter.

Location: 642 de Courcelle, Suite 406, rear elevator
Corner: St-Jacques
Tel: 514-938-8800
Dates: Thurs to Sat: Oct. 2-4, 10-5; Thurs.to Sat: Oct. 9-11, 10-5

Here’s a treat. On Sept 27th and 28th, you can take advantage of Roscan’s kitchenware warehouse sale, offering liquidation prices (40%-70% off and as low as $.25) on cookware, acrylicware, cutting boards, non-stick bakeware, utensils. My favorite part is the tables in the back full of boxes of gadgets at giveaway prices. Ask to be put on the list to be notified for the next sale.

Roscan
5850 Thimens, Ville St-Laurent
corner: boul. Henri-Bourassa
Tel: 514-335-4348
Dates: Sat Sept 27, 8-4;  and Sun Sept 28, 10-3
www.roscan.com

For my Smart Shopping Montreal fans, I have so much cool new stuff in this edition:

I bumped into green shopping everywhere in the city. I loved Bamboo Entrepot with its bamboo flooring, kitchen cupboards, couches, wine bar, bathtub, clothing and linens. There are environmentally responsible friperies like Folle Guenille or Pre-Loved who take vintage or just pre-worn clothing and rework them into hot one-of-a-kind fashions. Eco Reno is part of the ecological hardware and furniture movement.and offers up old doors, windows, mouldings, bathtubs and plumbing parts so you don’t have to buy new. Or how about Couche Maman Ecolo, the diaper fairy who comes once a week and saves our landfills of mountains of plastic diapers? In Montreal there are local manufacturers for: gift wrap, plaster mouldings, sofa-beds, maternity wear, paint, comforters, cribs, cardboard boxes and even bountiful farmer’s markets.

Once you pick up “Smart Shopping Montreal” it is hard to put it down, as you discover:
– liquidation locales: Lindt chocolate, home theatres, designer shoes, pianos, house renovation products, sporting goods, bras, pasta
– services: people who scoop poop, rent paintings or fur, monogram gifts, send cakes for a special day
– second-hand shops: computer games, maternity clothes, laptops, ergonomic chairs, mouldings

People who treasure saving objects from obsolescence and enjoy the work performed by master craftsmen will find solace in the chapter on repairmen. Do you know where to go to get your espresso machine fixed, costume jewelry repaired, boots widened, baby strollers washed, antique carpets cleaned or holes fixed in your leather couch?

Montreal is lucky to have a large mixture of ethnic groups. Reading through the International Food section takes you around the world with a smorgasbord of stores to entice you to try new flavours, perhaps English marmite and vegemite or “skinny” donuts or pickled mudfish.

In every budget, there is always a place where extra money is spent solving shopping problems. In, the specialty stores (which are often pricey) you’ll find: custom bathing suits, snakes, made-to-order couches, cake decorating, wigs, hard-to-find DVD’s, lace, and moving boxes

It’s time to join up for my Smart Shopping Club www.smartshoppingmontreal.com and receive your own autographed copy of my book. Happy Shopping!

Dans Un Jardin sells all those lovely aromatic things for your bath, bedroom and body. At their warehouse sales you can scoop up their products at great savings and you might be surprised that they offer men’s lines, some for baby and even special ones for pregnant women (calming ointment for breasts grabbed me but you may find comforting milk bath with meadowfoam oil, firming cream, Optimal-care stretch mark cream and soothing gel for legs) . They are clearing out their older packaging, some of their new lines that are overstocked and even boxed items (think ahead for the holidays). They also offer Lampes Bergere which are lamps that give off a perfumed fragrance as the bulb heats up. Men’s Decleor line offers up shaving cream and lotions – men, do you think you could live without Hydra Floral Anti-Pollution Flower Nectar Moisturizing Cream? In the kids Pois de Senteur line, besides the soaps, creams and detergent, there’s facecloths, bibs and blankets. This company usually holds its clearance sale at the end of May so you may want to check them out again then. You can be put on a mailing or e-mailing list to get an invitation.

Location: Bonaventure Exposition Hall, Level 200
Dates and Times: Sept 25, 8 am-7 pm; Sept 26, 8am-9 pm; Sept 27 10 am-5 pm
Tel: 800-363-3663 or 450-449-2121
www.dansunjardin.com 

It’s not only the department stores that give away free goody bags when you buy products. For one, Rhoda is a beauty products store which offers them as well. Women who want to save money on famous make beauty lines – Lancome, Biotherm, French Formula – and also polishes (OPI, Essie) and lipsticks, hair supplies (Sebastian, Paul Mitchell, KMS) and at least 15% off on designer fragrances, all come here. Ceramic irons, dryers, professional hair brushes (Jean Pierre), make-up applications and costume jewelry round out the merchandise.
The Lancome freebies have just arrived. This is the deal here: buy $35 worth of skin care products, makeup or perfume (hey that’s easy to do) and you get a FREE goody bag of Lancome samples. It includes: 2 makeup up bags, the outer one and a clear little one for your purse or the plane, trial size Bi-Facil eye makeup remover, High Resolution Serum which is an anti-aging product worn under your moisturizer, a mini mascara, Maqui Complet corrector (hides wrinkles), Quatro eye shadow and a full size lipstick.

Location: 5791 Victoria, Snowdon
Corner: Bourret
Tel: 514-737-5658
Hours: Mon-Thurs & Sat 10-5, Fri 9-5
www. rhodasbeauty.com

For the past 22 years I have been a regular guest on CJAD. They were the first to pick up on my Smart Shopping Montreal book and I credit them into helping to make my name and my book into a household word. So in keeping with tradition, each time I come out with a new edition, they are the first ones to have me on. Thursday morning I will be chatting with Tommy Schnurmacher and letting you in my latest scoops on my new finds and there are always hundreds. Please call in and say hello and ask me that burning question about where to find anything in Montreal.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 10-11 am
Date: September 25

I’ve written about Gem Entrepot for its factory-priced deals on wrapping paper, bows, bags, ribbons and all that ilk, however this place has more to offer – gifts to be covered in all that gift wrapping. In a small showroom in the factory building, their new Fall collection of handbags, fashion accessories, muklucks (Canadian made boots), Oprah’s favorite lip gloss – Ballamania and more. Organizations that need to find hot items to sell to raise funds, usually find something here and even better, there’s a corporate dictum here that encourages helping fund-raising efforts.

Location: 4732 Thimens Ville St. Laurent
Tel: 514-830-6694
Extra open to the public dates: Sat Sept 27, 9-3; Sun Sept 28, 10-2
Regular hours: Mon-Thurs 10-3, Fri 10-12
www.gementrepot.com

Women used to line up for blocks and hours for the La Senza (laSenza Girl, La Senza Spirit) Warehouse sale. Nowadays, they have made our lives easier by holding it for more days so there are no long line-ups and this sale has a shopping center parking lot. La Senza sells sexy underwear, loungewear, baby dolls, teddies, robes, and black erotic fun stuff. This time they have over 1 million items that are $5 or less.

Location: Mega Centre des Sources, 25 Bovis Pointe Claire
corner: Boul. Brunswick (behind Bar B Barn)
Tel: 514-685-0007
Dates and Times: ends Oct 5
Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-9, Sat & Sun 10-5
www.lasenza.com

L’Equippeur (Mark’s Work Wearhouse in the rest of Canada) just opened a new location in Dollard des Ormeaux. To celebrate the occasion, not only, they will offer 20% off everything in the store on Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week but as an added bonus Patrice Brisebois will be there to help you pick out your socks! (lol!). He’s scheduled to be there Friday evening and Saturday afternoon but no specific times are mentioned. The stores focuses on basics, mostly for men, and some uniforms, and all the clothing really holds up. There’s a bit for the ladies these days. Since it’s time for guys to refresh their basic wardrobes – casual pants, boots, shirts, underwear, socks – this is a good moment to stock up. There will be specials just in this store – on t-shirts, shoes, etc.

Location: 3353 Blvd. des Sources
corner: Brunswick Blvd. Tel: 514-684-1143
Hours: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-9, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-5

For years, those in the know slid in to the entrance at the rear of the Tyfoon building in the Blue Bonnets area to rummage the sample racks of really well known upper end branded clothing. The (mostly women) lined up for a place in the mass dressing room – because it was worth it. And it’s still worth it, for these brands in men’s women’s and kids’ clothing, shoes and accessories: south pole, Inkslingers, A.B.S., david brooks, Cezer New York, Parish, aka Stash House, triko, Coogi, Cavalli accessories, Pastry, akademiks, Crown Holder, Free, Levi’s footwear, Black Sheep, pellepelle and introducing European ladies’ wear of Nienhaus woman, Frank Walder and Brandtex

Location: 5540 Ferrier
Corner: Devonshire
Tel: 514-731-7070
Dates and hours: Fri Sept 19th 9-9, Sat Sept 20th 10-5, Sun Sept 21 12-5