Nova West Island runs Thrift Shops for NOVA which is having a half price sale at their 4 locations this weekend. The shops fund their charitable foundation which offers home palliative care and cancer support groups and runs 2 adult day centers for the elderly, all without government funding.

The 4 stores help raise money for their great cause. You can scoop up second-hand clothing for the family nicely hung on racks, or look for shoes, purses and hats. “Green” shopping by recycling is a planet saving idea: there’s home knick-knacks, china, glassware, jewellery,and books. The sale even includes furniture at the Beaconsfield store.

Locations: (biggest) 43 Ste-Anne, St-Anne-de-Bellevue (514-457-1642); 2750 boul. St-Charles, Kirkland (514-697-6692); furniture (and knickknacks), 449 boul. Beaconsfield, Beachonsfield (514-694-8417) (books only); 321 Plaza Pointe Claire, Pointe-Claire (514-694-8417)
Hours: Dec 8 & 9: 10-4
www.thriftshopsfornova.com
fb boutiques d’occasion pour Nova/Thrift shops for Nova

Now that it’s getting cold and you’re staying inside more, it would be a good time to start a needle work project. You even have time to get it ready to gift it for the holidays so head to Jeannettes Needlecraft  Shoppe to start.

A gift done by hand is one that shows that you truly care as your personal effort is displayed in each hand sewn stitch .

A quick gift idea: Try a  “stitch n’ zip” kit; These are ready to use eye glass cases, iPad cases, Kindle cases and tallis bags. The kits come pre-assembled. All you have to do is the needlepoint and then just zip it up and give it as a gift. You can have a tallis bag personalized with an embroidered Hebrew name too.

They also carry scarf yarns (Canadiana and Decor by Patons), to make the latest fashion accessory item as well as other low cost items that will tempt you to start those projects that you have being putting off.

If you want to start on a needlework project, here you can buy yarn and canvases. They can also upholster with needlepoint (especially chairs), finish cushions and mount tapestries.

Head to Jeannettes Needlecraft  Shoppe, a friendly family business and they will frame your special hand-made project, or a painting, lithograph, photograph or diploma at 15% off.

Happily helping you with your project has been the #1 reason people keep coming back to this shop for years and years. Call for a time to accommodate your schedule.

Location: 5015 Coolbrook Ave., Montreal H3X 2K8 / Google Maps: http://bit.ly/24l8jon
corner:  Queen Mary Rd.
Tel: 514-486-2800
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30-5, Sat 9:30-4
Metro: Station Snowdon
http://www.jeannettes.com/
e-mail: jeannettes@videotron.ca

The much awaited JRC Toys mega warehouse sale is baaaaack! Whether you come every year to score incredible deals or just heard about the “open to the public” toy holiday warehouse sale, it is your one stop for the most coveted toys and this year is the biggest sale ever.

JRC Toys has amazing deals on the hottest toys around and it’s a great time to make a head start and cross off items on your holiday list while offering you the opportunity to grab discounts of up to 70% off on all kinds of toys. Shop often as new items appear every week.  Best prices on the most recognizable brand name toys

Get some incredible savings on some of the biggest brand names toys including: Barbie, CAT, Crayola,Disney Pixar Cars, Disney Princess, Disney Frozen, Fisher-Price, Hasbro, Hot Wheels, Incredibles 2, Leap Frog, Lego, Mattel, Mega Bloks, Melissa & Doug, My Little Pony, ORB, Paw Patrol, Playskool, Spin Master,  Star Wars, and VTech.

Starting November 1st, they are open every day until Christmas. As of December 1st, the hours get increased to Monday – Friday till 8pm. They accept debit, Visa Mastercard, but no cheques. There will be no exchanges or refunds, as all sales are final.

JRC offers you the best prices on the most recognizable brand name toys. No need to wait and wait for online deliveries, just pick them up, take them home and wrap them up.

Location: 5589 Royalmount
corner: Chemin Devonshire
Metro: Station de la Savanne
Tel: 514-342-6979
Times: Sat -Wed 10-5, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Dec 10-8 daily and Christmas Eve 10-3 (Oct closed Mon & tues)
www.jrctoys.com
email: info@jrctoys.com

Everything you need to mash and cook those tomatoes for canning your own pasta sauce can be found at Lingerie Pina & Carmelo Sacco – including a 100 litre pot (big enough to take a soak in)!  If you have tons of zucchini, eggplant or peppers and you want to preserve them, this is THE place to find everything you may need – and it has been for generations.

The store has it all. It’s one that I love to browse through.  You can find so many hard to find things here.  Do you know where else to buy  housecoats or cotton handkerchiefs? They have bedroom slippers too; If your size isn’t here, they will order them for you.

If you have a wedding planned this year, the Mother of the Bride could find an outfit, the bridal party too and you can even get bonbonnieres made-to-order and wrapped.  They offer a Bridal Registry and there are gifts galore.

The name  clearly does not define this family business as you’ll find and housewares: silverware, china, espresso makers and meat slicers. If you are looking for ecological cookware, they sell Cool Kitchen which has no PTFE, no PFOA and can be used for induction cooking. The Italian community knows to come here for Pizzel machines for cookies and Cavetelli machines for gnocchi, Those who like collectibles will find: Precious Moments, Walt Disney Collection and Disney Traditions by Jim Shore.

Designers are here to help you with curtains (free installation), and they have the exclusive Hunter Douglas Alustra line with copper and chrome headers. If you need them, there’s carpet runners by the yard  – and also hard to find plasticized fabric by the yard.

I can’t believe I even scored a warm hood which I’ll have my dressmaker “zipper on” to my new travel jacket.

Location: 8365 boul. Viau, St-Leonard QC H1R 2T6
corner: boul. Robert
Tel: 514-323-0427

Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-7:30, Sat 9-5. Open Sunday 10-5 from Labor Day – June 1st

Iegor is holding an auction for jewelry, International Art, Antiques, Canadian Art and colletibles. Even if you can’t make it there, the auction will be held simultaneously on location and LIVE on www.iegor.net

If you have something to sell, their experts can  assess your property in the following departments:  Canadian and International art , antiques, fine vintage wines, fashion and jewelry, 20th century design, art of Asia, India, Africa, Oceania and South America, rare books, scrolls and collectibles.

For important collections you may schedule an evaluation on site or at your residence by calling for an appointment.

Location: Hotel, des Encans, 870, rue du Couvent H4C 2R6
Tel: 514- 344-4081
Date and time: Aug 14: 7:30 pm
Preview: Aug 10, 11, 13, 14: 12-5
info@iegor.net
www.iegor.net

This store was one of my first OMG moments when writing my Smart Shopping Montreal book. Sim Centre de Liquidation is a “secret” clearance center for a huge un-nameable low “Cost” warehouse store. Here the prices go even lower as they discount 30% or more off on the already low prices from that chain – and all prices include the taxes, Wow! Who doesn’t like a good deal? At  that’s exactly what you get here.

There is no membership required at this liquidation center, therefore saving you even more money.

Returned items or items that just needed to be cleared out to make room for new merchandise (electronics, toys, clothing, auto, housewares, etc.) are sent to this store every week. All items are checked to make sure they work.

The friendly proprietors even keep a reservation book and will call you if an item you are looking for shows up.

You will be amazed at your finds and will keep going back to check out the new arrivals and great savings.

Locations: 341 ave. Ranger, Vaudreuil – Dorion J7V 2X3 (450-424-0998)
corner: rue Chicoine
Times: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
simcentredeliquidation.ca/

My favorite flea market is in Montreal North, called Marche aux Puces St-Michel. The building has two floors filled with stalls showcasing second-hand items and collectibles like housewares, lamps, toys, guitars & amps, kitchenware, vintage radios/sound equipment, records, jewelry and furniture.

Location: 7707 Shelley
corner: boul. St-Michel, side entrance of 3250 boul. Cremazie
Phone: 514-721-7701
Hours: Open all year, Fri to Sun 9-5

Empire Auctions will pay you on the spot for any silver or gold you bring in to sell to them. Look in your jewelry box for broken bracelets, tangled chains, orphan earrings and that gaudy necklace from the 80s. Now is a good time to change all that sparkle into hard cash.

Rummage through all the drawers in the bedroom, dining room and kitchen for tea sets, flatware, serving pieces, gold coins, cigarette cases, silver bars or even gold teeth.

For silver, look for a stamp which says 800 or 925 which indicates that it is real silver.

Empire will weigh everything and make you an offer per gram. They list their prices daily on their website. When I wrote this, these were the prices per ounce:  gold: $1435.64,  silver: $ 17.79 and platinum: $ 967.50

Don’t forgewhileWhile you are going there, don’t forget they also buy: antiques, diamonds, paintings and sculpture, rare wristwatches and pocket watches, Persian rugs, furniture, crystal, memorabilia, rare automobiles, porcelains, rare coins, stamps, vintage toys and model trains, and much more.

Location: 5500 Pare, Ville Mont-Royal
corner: boul. Decarie
Tel: 514-737-6586 or 514-737-5343
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5
www.empireauctions.com

When setting up a new house or apartment, why not buy quality products that the restauranteurs use so they last a long time? Head to the Marche Centrale area, to Tzanet, for restaurant grade quality equipment for cooking and baking. It has always been a popular shopping destination for hotels and restaurants, but you too can take advantage of their quality and variety.

All of your cooking and baking needs are met with name brands like Kitchen Aid, Cuisinart, Good Grips gadgets, a big selection of quality knives by Victorinox, a huge variety of dishes by Dudson from England, Arcopal from France and professional quality stainless steel pots and pans.

They sell Chicago Metallic Bakeware, a 100 year-old company which produces bakeware with a non-stick surface, which releases easily and clean-ups up effortlessly afterwards. Bakers and cake and cupcake decorators will also love the 50 ft. wall of Wilton products – and so will you.

Why not buy fast food trays or cutting boards in different colours to match any decor, 3′ pepper mills, tipped glass candy jars, call bells, oval stainless platters, cocktail shakers, oil table lamps, many sizes of pizza pans, strainers, whisks, a single serving teapot, booster seats or bamboo steamers? And if you need them, there’s a section of second-hand equipment like dishes, mixers, tables and chairs, etc.

Location: 1375 Louvain
corner: boul. l’Acadie
Tel: 514-383-0030
Store Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6, Sat 8-5
Other Location: 710 rue Bouvier, Quebec G2J 1A7 (581-742-9876)
www.tzanet.ca

You need to know where to go when it’s that special time for communion, confirmation or baptism. Lingerie Pina & Carmelo Sacco has been the go to place for generations.

If you have a wedding planned this year, the Mother of the Bride could find an outfit, the bridal party too and you can even get bonbonnieres made-to-order and wrapped.  They offer a Bridal Registry and there are gifts galore.

The name  clearly does not define this family business as you’ll find and housewares galore: silverware, china, toasters and meat slicers. If you are looking for ecological cookware, they sell Cool Kitchen which has no PTFE, no PFOA and can be used for induction cooking. The Italian community knows to come here for Pizzel machines for cookies and Cavetelli machines for gnocchi, Those who like collectibles will find: Precious Moments, Walt Disney Collection and Disney Traditions by Jim Shore.

Designers are here to help you with curtains (free installation), and they have the exclusive Hunter Douglas Alustra line with copper and chrome headers. If you need them, there’s carpet runners by the yard.

Do you know where else to buy  housecoats or cotton handkerchiefs?

Location: 8365 boul. Viau, St-Leonard QC H1R 2T6
corner: boul. Robert
Tel: 514-323-0427
Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-7:30, Sat 9-5. Open Sunday 10-5 from Labor Day – June 1st