Q1: What can we expect to find at these warehouse sales?

Just like we have garage sales, there are many manufacturers or distributors in the city that have an annual or semi-annual “garage sale”. They must clear out their warehouse space in order to make room for the next seasons’s merchandise Sometimes it pays to wait for a certain time of the year to buy. They sell off samples or liquidated items they are no longer producing, leftovers from last season, seconds or lines that never sold well. Whatever it is, the price is always right.

Today’s sales that I’m mentioning: Christmas decor, toys, coats for men and women, snowsuits for kids, and always lots of clothing
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The products at these sales vary as much as retail varies: Quebec designer fashions, toys, bowling balls, fine china, skin care products, home electronics, Halloween costumes, makeup, crystal, duvets and linens, ladies’ bras,  pianos, perfume, flatware, jeans, golf equipment, chocolates, winter jackets, lingerie and, of course, casual clothes for men and women.

Q2: You mentioned outerwear, which ones are happening now?

Gusti used to be very secretive about their warehouse sales but now their name is right on their flyer and there’s another name too – C’est la vie.  Please note that it is in a new location south of the Metropolitain.  Also note that it is a one day only sale. They usually have one in the Spring too.

The meager info on the flyer says that they sell  children’s outerwear which is what they are well known for but also note that they are selling ladies and men’s outerwear too.

Location: 250 rue de Liege
Phone: (450) 682-0500
Date: Sunday Nov 21
Time 8-3

Raffinati has been a well-known well-made Montreal-made label for women’s (2-18) wool coats, suits, capes, raincoats and sportswear  for many years. About 3 or 4 times a year (March, June, Aug, Dec) they are clear out their stock from their Chabanel showroom including scarves and jewelry to go with all of the above.

9200 Meilleur, suite 400
corner: Chabanel
Tel: 514-327-4477
Dates:  Nov 25-Dec 1
Times: Nov 25: 10-, Nov 26-Dec 1:10-6

O.K. Kids which sells a lot of kid’s lines in sizes 0-12 is having a warehouse sale for 10 days starting tomorrow. There has to be some names you like amongst:  Carter’s watch the wear, Petite Bears, , deux par deux, scrumptious, minoti, Bobini, Funky Diva, Nannette,  rumble tumble, Krickets Elite, b.t. kids, Cradle Togs, petit lem, Dr. Bon, Gusti,  Genevieve Lapierrre, Les Deux Capitaines and a petite echelle.

Location: 270 Benjamin Hudon, Ville St-Laurent
corner: Deslauriers
Tel: 514-332-KIDS (5437)
Dates: Nov 17-28
Hours: Mon & Tues 9-6, Wed-Fri 9-8, Sat 9-5
www.okkids.com

Q3:  What brands of clothing might we find at these warehouse sales for men and women?

If you like the brands: Miss Sixty, Energie, Killah and you are a man, woman or a child, you can head here (Chabanel) for another weekend of their fall and winter sample sale.

Location: 225 Chabanel, suite 901
Phone: 514-906-4430
Dates and Times: Nov 17-19: 12-8, Sat Nov 20: 9-5
www.sixtycanada.com

Cool brands as in Dirtee Hollywood, Shirimiri, Riller and Fount, Maurie and Eve,  Sanctuary or Drykorn are being cleared for 50-70% off for men and women in dresses, tops, coats and even shoes and boots.

Location: 225 Chabanel, suite 909
corner: Meunier
Dates: Nov 17-27
Times: Mon-Fri 10-7   Sat 10-5
www.rillerandfount.com
www.drykorn.com
www.dirteehollywood.com
www.maurieandeve.com
www.sanctuaryclothing.com
www.shirimiri.com

Manhattan Industries does not usually offer their premium brands at their warehouse sales. However you will find  Superdry, AG Adriano Goldschmied and i.am here on their 3 weekend sample clearance sale for men’s and women’s clothing and shoes at 50% to 70% off.

The brands they usually offer and still will have at this time: Indus+ry (edgy streetwear for men and women sizes XS-L), Industry shoe company (mens’ casual and dressy leather shoes sizes 38-44), pure & simple (women casual basics, some for men),, and Me(el) (ladies feminine tops, dresses sizes XS-L).

Location: 6150 Transcanadienne
Corner of Isabey, Ville St. Laurent
Dates:Nov 19,20,26.27, Dec 03,04
Times: Fri 5-9,  Sat 9-1
www.manhattaninc.com
www.meelclothing.com
www.industryclothing.com
www.pureandsimple.com

Q4: Okay we’ll bite and talk about Christmas, where were those decorations – and the toys?

Groupe Pierre Belvedere is offering up 4 weekends of clearances on educational toys, Christmas decorations, cards, gifts, candles,  stationery, napkins, calendars, agendas and things for special occasions.

Location: 2555 Dollard Ave, bdlg #1, Ville Lasalle
Corner: rue de Hull
Phone: (514- 286-2880
Dates: Nov 4-7, Nov 11-14, Nov 18-21, Nov 25-28
Time: Th&F 3-9, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
www.pierrebelvedere.com

Homegrown company, MEGA Brands is having a seasonal warehouse sale . Besides their well-known snap together Mega Bloks, they also sell arts and crafts under the RoseArt brand. Expect prices to be 40-70% of retail for toys, puzzles,  school and office supplies, construction sets, trucks, and Board Dudes. This sale is for excess inventory and discontinued lines., you may find  some regular priced items.

Good idea: If you miss the sale at one of their locations (Ville St-Laurent, Greenfield Park or Lachenaie), you can catch the next one the following week –

Phone: 514-333-3339

Location 1: 4505 Hickmore, door 110
Dates and Times: Nov 24-26: 11-8, Nov 27: 10-4

Location 2: 3858 boul. Taschereau, Greenfield Park
Dates and Times: :  Dec 1-3:  11-8, Dec 4&5: 10-4

Location:3: Carrefour Lachenaie, 250 Montee des Pionniers
Dates and Times: Dec 8-10:  11-8, Dec 11&12: 10-4

Q5: How do we find out about these sales?

Read my shlog where I post them a few days before they happen .When you attend the sale, ask if you can be put on e-mailing list for future sales. If you can’t make the sale, you can try to leave your name and e-mail with the receptionist.

Monsoon is an artist’s studio that opens up occasionally to sell off some or their samples and one-a-kind silk pieces (scarves, ties, hand-painted fabrics) at a a savings of 50% top 70% off. It is a great opportunity to pick out unique holiday gifts and to say hello to the artist himself.

Location:  1050 Lacasse, St-Henri
Phone: 514- 939-2078
Dates: Nov 18 & 19
Times: 12-2 and 5:30-8:30

Q1: Buying a television now is very different than it used to be, what are our options?

LCD screens are made in every size from 19″ to 65″ but plasma screens are available only in 42″or bigger. All new TV’s are HDTV (high definition) ready.

Fairly standard resolution on these screens (those larger than 32″) is 1080 p. (that’s lines of horizontal resolution). If it is smaller, it might be 720p which is less but okay on the little screen.

Plasma screens process quicker at 600 hz. LCD or the new LED/LCD’s are at 120 hz . Faster processing is good for faster moving pictures so it’s better for sports. Blacks are better on plasma screens which means the contrast is better or the color looks better to you. .

Q2: Besides screen size, what are some of the other considerations to think about?

– refresh rate is how fast the picture moves to the next image; A slower rate might have the possibility of a color drag or jitter as the pictures changes. Plasma screens have 1 msec  delay while a  LCD has a 4 msc delay which affects quality of picture and speed of processing.

– you should ask about how many different kinds of inputs the screen can accept: HDMI (you must have 2 or more of these), component, S-video, composite, coaxial cable) so you will be able to plug into it whatever you need to (including your old stuff).

– contrast ratio (brightest white to darkest black) –  A higher contrast larger ratio would yield a clearer picture. Average is 2,000,000:1, some screens would have 5,000,000 to 1.

Q3: These technologies have been around for awhile, can we feel safe buying into them or is there anything on the horizon that we should know about?

LED a format of LCD is now available and will probably be the future. This technology has a brighter picture and the quality is better – and it is  thinner which is important for wall models.

Q4: We used to be able to just buy a TV and plug it in but nowadays we need a computer engineer just to figure out which wires go where. Since this is so confusing, you have some suggestions about where to go to buy your set?

If you shop at the local family owned smaller stores which have been around for years, they offer lots of hand-holding, great customer service and in-house service departments along with decent prices. And that’s what has kept them open all these years.

Radio St-Hubert has been open for over 47 years and is still going strong, despite the big box stores, this business has survived with old-fashioned, patient good customer service and sales people who have been there a long time. Major brand names are stocked: for TV’s or DVD’s, it’s Panasonic, Toshiba, Sharp or JVC. For speakers you can buy Paradigm, Klipsch, Monitor Audio,  Epos as well as high end sound equipment by Creek, Pioneer Elite, Cyrus, Integra, Moon, Sunfire, Sugden, Bel Canto and Anthem.

Look for the Sonos wireless home music system, Tivioli and short wave radios, satellite dishes by Illico and Bell Express View. Custom installation can be provided, you can buy hard-to-find connectors and cables, and there’s a reasonable in-house service department (no charge for estimate).

Location: 6278 St. Hubert St.
corner: Bellechasse St.
Phone: 514 276-1413
www.radiosthubert.com

If  you are tired of playing games with the flyers and sales help at the big box stores, come to Maison du Son for helpful service and decent prices. Televisions, home theatres, audio systems (Sony, Toshiba, JVC, Sharp, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Epson projectors, NAD, Pioneer Elite, Marantz, Myriad), DVD players, audio furniture, satellite dishes and high quality radios (Boston Acoustics – iPod compatible) will all be sold to you with a guiding hand.

If you want a different model it can be ordered for you, there’s custom installation and a full service department here or at your home (if bought here, will assess problem free of charge).

Location: 1112 Mont-Royal Ave. East
corner: at Christophe Colomb Ave.
Phone: (514) 523-1101

Centrale Audio Video has been around since 1958, buying is a bit more intimate and sales help plentiful, enabling you to easily choose your TV ( Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, Sharp), sound system (Paradigm, Marantz, Yamaha, Anthem), DVD, camcorder, satellite dish, camera or fax machine with their competitive prices.

Computers and their peripherals are sold, and they have their own in-house service department.

Location: 350 des Erables St.
corner: Highway 20.
Phone: 514-364-4980
www.centrale.ca

Q5:  In 2011, we will all have to switching to cable. Will our old TV’s still work?

Yes. Older TV’s were analog, newer ones are digital. If you have an old analog one it will be missing a tuner. You will be able to buy a box to convert your analog signal to a digital one.

Village India Collection has occasional sales to allow retail customers to buy their handmade designs from India and Nepal. Some of the items you can pick up might be: felt bags and colorful hair accessories, beaded and embroidered scarves, jewelry, funky bags and recycled clothing made from saris: skirts, kimonos, jackets and tops.

For your home there’s embroidered ottomans, cushion covers, table cloths, bed coverings, wall hangings, traditional Indian Pichwai paintings, leather journals or tribal artifacts. The sale lasts through 2 weekends, expect wholesale prices. On Saturday if the door isn’t open, you need to dial 106.

Location: 642 de Courcelle, Suite 106, ground floor
Corner: St-Jacques
Tel: 514-938-8800
Dates: Nov 12&13 and Nov 19&20: 10-5

From now until Christmas you can fill your gift lists with incredibly priced deals at Entrepot l’Elephant. This wholesaler of names you know for 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. This sale has 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: now til Dec 24
Hours: Tues &Wed10-3, Thurs & Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5

Refurbishing giant, J. Sonic is holding a sale of electronics.  The enormous warehouse is full of such things as: 50″ plasma TV ($688.99), 42″ plasma TV ($488.99); 60″ plasma TV ($988.99), home theater system $218.99, 47″ LCD TV ($988.99); 52″ LCD TV (988.99), Sony 46″ TV ($688.99), Dyson vacuum $348.99) or a blu-ray player (88.99).

Location: 300 Montee de Liesse
Corner: Cote de liesse
Dates: Nov 5-7
Hours:  Fri 3-9, Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4
www.refurbished.ca

We have a dearth of places to get any sort of a deal on high quality linens in this city, so when Lawrence a 61-year old local company has its home bedding sale, it’s worth checking out. Expect to find coordinated bedroom ensembles in jacquard, sateens, high end percale sheets, pillowcases,  bedspreads, comforters, decorative cushions, duvet covers and mattress pads. They sell for 50% to 80% off from this season’s regular lines, as well as discounts and closeouts on samples and last year’s goods. Some prices at the sale: $10 $25, $49 $55 . Sign up to be notified of the sales.

Location: 8655 Delmeade
Corner: Cote de Liesse
Tel: 514-343-3740
Dates: Oct 21 & 22: 11-7, Oct 23: 10-4
www.lawrencehome.com

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Q1: You wanted to talk today about different places you have found to buy home furniture…

In the Fall people start looking at the insides of their homes again and nesting instincts make them want to re-fresh the places they will be spending a lot of time in the coming  colder months. Some new stores have opened up selling both modern and traditional furniture… for less.

Q2: Ordering furniture can be frustrating as we usually have to wait for months for it to arrive.

Yes furniture is literally usually on a slow boat from China. Also, Ikea has ruined us for the “I want it now” generation. This group is so used to immediacy both there and on the net. At the stores I found recently, you  can get it the merchandise quickly.

Q3: Okay let’s get into the nitty gritty, what do you have for modern furniture?

If you’ve ever yearned to own an Eames chair or a Philippe Starck, Arnie Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Karim Rashid, Mies van de Rohe, Ronarad, or a Le Corbusier piece of furniture, but it was out of your price league, drop everything and run over to Barami,, a 20,000 sq. ft showroom in the heart of trendy Old Montreal.

In its 3 floors you can buy high end “interpretations” of their designer styles in couches, tables, lighting (Artimede, Flos,  Castiglione lamp), beds, office chairs and paintings. You might find a classic chesterfield with a modern twist – studded with pink rhinestones, or an antique-chic Louis XVth chair upholstered with Warhol-esque insignia.

About 60% of what you see is available within 2 weeks and the other 40% in at least 6 weeks.

Location: 404 St-Jacques West
corner: McGill College
Phone: 514-849-5000
Hours: Mon-Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-7, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
www.baramifurniture.com

I’m thinking that you haven’t even heard of JYSK which started in 1979 in Denmark and is present in 33 countries, with almost 1,600 stores. Basic furniture needs are here: beds (bunk ones, too $169), cupboards, desks and chairs, futons and sleeping couches. Accessories to jazz up your home might be rattan baskets, duvets (feather or not), curtains and rods, shower curtains, seat cushions ($4.99) or candles.

You might bump into a bag of guest slippers (5 pairs/9.99), travel pillows ($3.99) or pet clothing. Regulars know there are secret in-store sales, and they (plus family and friends) get invited to regular evening sales. where prices can be 20% less than sale prices.

Location: 950 boul. le Courbusier
corner: Boul. Souvenir
Phone: 450-902-0314
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5
Other location: Brossard, Quartier Dix30 (450-443-6555)
www.jysk.ca

Q4: If someone likes more traditional lines of furniture, do you have any suggestions of where they might shop?

The Prillo furniture company finally opened up two large liquidation spaces where they sell off their traditional lines of couches, arm chairs, dining rooms sets (chairs started at $39), side tables, wall units and grandfather clocks. Follow the yellow stairs up to the bedrooms, bureaus and mattresses.

Location: 3400 Cremazie est
corner: 14th Ave
Phone: 514-722-1890
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5
Other liquidation location: 501 Harwood, Vaudreuil-Dorion (450-455-9299)
www.prillo.ca

When furniture is not sold at the regular Stacaro stores, it winds up here at this outlet, to be sold at reduced prices. The lines are more traditional, new reproductions made in Europe, Holland, France, Spain, U.S. and yes, China too. Constructed of oak or cherry with lots of leather pieces, there’s wall units, desks, sofas, tables and chairs, sideboards and dressers.

Location: 1604 Notre-Dame West
corner: Guy
Phone: 514-904-2909
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
www.stacaro.com

Q1:  It’s time to be a tourist in our own city, can you tell us a bit about what’s happening in Old Montreal?

When was the last time you went to Old Montreal? If you haven’t seen it in the last few years, you won’t recognize it. The software companies that marched into its western end, mostly west of McGill St., have turned this area on its nose.

Now there are people living and working down here. Fabulous new restaurants have opened up in wonderful new boutique hotels. At the eastern end, near Bonsecours St., an entire new neighborhood was created.

Q2:  That sounds like a lot of changing, is the street scene modernizing and losing its Old World charm?

Did you know that the buildings on de la Commune Street look exactly the same today as they would have been to a sailor who sailed into the port in the 19th century?  Place Jacques Cartier has been totally refreshed. For the summer, St. Paul street has been turned into a pedestrian mall.

Q3:  Let’s get back to your specialty, what about the shopping there?

For all of the new inhabitants, retail shops opened to feed and care for them  – bakeries, dry cleaners, clothing shops, furriers and depanneurs have filled up the empty storefronts.

At first glance, dear old St. Paul St. is still filled with so many souvenir shops. Having said that, a handful of them contain the works of real artisans or more upscale gifts, and those are worth stopping in to see.

Q4:  What kinds of thing would we find in those stores?

You can think of these shops as shopping green and shopping local:

L’empreinte Cooperative is a 37-year-old co-op for over 70 Quebec artists and artisans, you can expect to find variety, including ceramics, handmade albums, glass vases, bowls, sheepskin slippers, pewter lamps, handmade clothing, puppets and creative jewelry. Marianne Chevalier weaves pictures using copper thread and for souvenir hunters, Renee Bovet captures Montreal street scenes on silk.

Location:  272 St. Paul St. East
corner:  Marche Bonsecours St.
Phone: 514-861-4427.
Hours:  Sun-Wed 10-6, Thurs-Sat 10-10 (Summer daily 10-10, Jan & Feb 11-5:30 daily)
www.empreintecoop.com

Smack in the middle of old Montreal, Les artisans du meuble quebecois, is a 43-year-old artisan’s consignment shop displays some of the wares of a minimum of 450 artists. Look for: glassware, ceramics, handmade cards, duck decoys, door knockers, fish bone shadow boxes, scarves, wooden kids’ furniture, dolls, quilts, creches, jewelry (silver, beaded), wooden boxes and then some.

Location:
88 St. Paul St. East
corner: St. Gabriel St.
Phone: 514- 866-1836.
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

At Tant qu’il y aura des fleurs, the decor here feels like you’ve stepped into someone’s lovely rustic home. Objects to fill yours include artificial fruit and veggies, candlesticks, large quilts and pillows, Joanel purses, animal wallets, woven place mats, colorful tablecloths from Provence (wash ‘n use, stain repellent), dishes, wooden bowls, vases, interesting jewelry and for fun, roosters, For babies, look in the back for little terry robes and booties made in Quebec. Everything can be gift-wrapped to go.  Right now you’d be surprised but they have set up a Christmas section and does make people smile when the see it.

347 St. Paul St. East
corner: St. Claude St.
Phone: 514-395-9079
Hours: Daily 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Inside Marche Bonsecours, , emphasizes natural items. Look for framed displays of beetles or butterflies, petrified wood, some minerals and fossils. You can buy an 8′ giraffe, skin drums, stone candle holders, dream catchers, bamboo flutes, paper lanterns and some really nice handmade paper stationery.

300 St. Paul St. East
corner: Bonsecours St.,  inside Marche Bonsecours
Phone: 514- 868-9992
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.