Heck this is a lot more lucrative than a Tupperware party.  You receive money instead of spending money. Get your friends to gather up broken bracelets, tangled chains, orphan earrings and that gaudy necklace from the 80s. With gold trading at a 30-year-high, now is a good time to change all that sparkle into hard cash. Gold Party Canada, a Montreal based company will buy all of their unwanted gold jewelry on the spot after quickly and expertly appraising it.

Hostesses (besides buying your unused gold jewelry for top dollar) will receive $25 for every guest who sells a minimum of $200 of gold. If that wasn’t good enough, they even give you money to host the party in style. You are give a $100 credit toward food and drinks (no receipts necessary). Invite 10 people, earn $350.

Guests go home with an average of $750.

www.goldpartycanada.com

Though Indigo/Chapters is the elephant when it comes to the book industry in Canada, it often is not the best place to go when you want to order a book that is not on the shelves. For that, the smaller independent bookstores do a fabulous job.

One of them, Kidlink is not only for kids. You can order any book and they usually can get it to you faster than the big guys. Support our local family businesses.

By the way, they are also a specialty store for kids’ toys and are great at helping you pick out gifts for youngsters of all ages.

Location: 5604 Monkland
corner: Oxford
Phone 514-482-4188
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5

If you are looking for children’s wear for boys and girls for size 0/3months to 10 yrs, this Puffy Fashions warehouse sale has mostly Spring styles, and also some for the Fall.  The prices are excellent especially because they include the taxes. Here’s an idea of what you might find there:

2-piece zip off pants for boys sizes 2-10: 2 sets for $25, 2-piece skirt set for girls sizes 2-10: 2 sets for $25, short set for boys & girls sizes 2-10:
2 sets for $15, 2-piece baby pant set, boys & girls, 2 sets for $20 or 2 sets for $15

Location: 9494 Boul. St-Laurent, suite 600
corner: Louvain
Phone: 514-274-6449
Dates and times: June 10,11,12,17,18,19: 10-6;  Sat June 13, 20: 9-3;  Sun June 14: 10-3

On CJAD 800AM, you can hear me on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour so those of you with those important shopping questions, this is your chance to have me answer them.  I will be on Tommy’s show at least once a month. If you miss  the show, you can always write to me here at my website.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11-12 noon
Date: Thurs June 11th

Men who are looking to buy a dress suit for grads or weddings, might want to take a look at this menswear chain.
Men liked to buy clothes in bulk so they don’t have to go shopping again. The Mondo Uomo chain has prepared packages based on the kind of suit fabric you choose: wooltrend, 100% wool super 120’s, 140’s or 150’s. The packages include a suit, shirt, tie, belt, socks and shoes and start at only $199.98 going up to $499.98. Six piece tuxedos are $199, sport jackets $149 plus work shirts, sweaters, coats, etc.

Locations: 8915 boul. St-Laurent (514-384-9719);  6371 Jean-Talon e. (514-255-1315); 2272 Autoroute Chomedey (450-689-9057); 957 boul. St-Jean (514-694-7000).
www.mondouomo.ca

Q: With Moving Day 4 weeks away, people are getting into panic mode about all the work that has to be done in order to make the move. Let’s start with the basics, the boxes.

A: Gem Entrepot, 4732 Boul. Thimens, Ville St-Laurent. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10-3, Fri 10-12. Here, you can buy slightly used moving boxes for $.25 and paper for packing: white tissue or white kraft paper

Magasin Festival Store, 8310 Cote de Liesse, Ville St-Laurent. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-5. Owned by a manufacturer of corrugated boxes, this is the place to buy (ask about the liquidated ones) boxes (1.5 to 6 cu. ft) for moving, storing and shipping, with special ones for mirrors, artwork, lampshades, golf bags, bicycles, dishes and crystal and wardrobes. Protective packing supplies are here, like bubble wrap, inkless newsprint, tissue paper and foam chips.  www. festival.ca

Owned by a manufacturer of corrugated boxes, this is the place to buy new and liquidated boxes (1.5 to 6 cu. ft) for moving, storing and shipping, Protective packing supplies bubble wrap, inkless newsprint, tissue paper and foam chips.
Prices:  liquidated boxes  $.20-.40,  new boxes 1.08 & up. Festival will buy back their boxes at greatly reduced prices.

Q: What if you have other kinds of things to move?
Festival sells special boxes for mirrors, artwork, lampshades, golf bags, bicycles, dishes and crystal and wardrobes. You can even offer custom boxes for strangely shaped objects

Q: Do you have any other moving tips for us?

First box/last box. Label a box “first box” and put in the last things you packed so you can quickly access your sheets, covers, toothbrush, toiletries, phone, toilet paper, towels, cutlery, dishes or paper plates and shower curtain. On an exhausting moving day, you just want the basics quickly accessible to fall into bed.

Q: Any packing tips?

Pack 2 or s boxes a day, starting now and they will be magically done by the time you have to move. Save packing space and money by wrapping fragile things in towels, sheets, duvets and blankets. Don’t leave suitcases empty, move your clothes in them. If you don’t want to buy wardrobe boxes, for hanging clothing, tape hangers together and move in bundles.

Fashionwear has always been a fashion service held in the Ruby Foo’s Hotel 4 times during the Fall and again in the Spring. Stock of about 28 lines of women’s trendy clothes (and SenGence, smudge and waterproof lipstick) are shown each time. As you try on outfits, you are aided by one of the consultants, who helps you coordinate a wardrobe. Remembering what you bought last time, they try to update your look based on what you already have at home.
Now Boutique FashionWear has opened a permanent location in Hudson. They still have the showings and you can find out dates  by getting on their calling or e-mail:

Location: Exit 26 off 40 West, 3100 Rte. Harwood,  Centre d’Achats Hudson
Tel: 450-218-1955
cell: 514-234-4707
Hours: Tues & Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sat & Sun 10-5
www.fashionwearcanada.com

Ruth Shine, former owner of the famous Bead Emporium on Victoria Ave in Westmount, will be giving a talk about African Beads. She is the grandmama of beading in Montreal. Ruth travels every year to find beads in Mexico with a group of like minded women. Maybe you can go along on her next trip.

Location: Cote St. Luc Library,5851 Cavendish Blvd ( opposite the Cavendish Mall)
Date and Time: Thurs, June 11: 7pm

The first full weekend in June from 9-5 on Saturday and Sunday, this wholesaler of names you know in kitchenware (Bodum, Good Grips), housewares, giftware, barware, bakeware, food prep and gadgets, glassware, dinnerware, barbeque, coffee and teapots, gardening tools, salt & pepper mills, serving accessories, bonbonnieres and gift baskets opens up for even better deals (up to 75% off) than you get all year in their outlet store mentioned in my Smart Shopping Montreal book. Worth stocking up for gifts for the whole year.

Entrepot l’Elephant (Danesco)
Location: 18,111 Transcanadienne
corner: West of boul. St-Charles
Tel: 514-694-0950
Dates: June 6 & 7: 9-5

Recession prices are also available at Dahlia warehouse sales. You can zuzz up your wardrobe with their pretty blouses, tops, sweaters, jackets which are made under the monikers of: Dalia, Katherine Barclay and Renuar. For this sale the prices are only $10 and $20.

Location: 225 Chabanel, Suite 315
Corner: Meunier
Dates and Times: June 5: 11-8, June 6, 13, 20,27: 9-2
www.daliacollection.com
www.renuar.com
www.katherinebarclay.com