My wife and I had our first ever fight as newlyweds at a Williams-Sonoma. Someone had given us a gift certificate as a wedding present, and we were trying to spend it. But my wife was the incredibly… thrifty… type, and refused to buy anything I liked because it was “too expensive.” Even though it was less than the amount on our gift certificate. Obviously whatever we got had to be under $50, but that limited us to gadgets and things and she kept saying “I could get something like that at Target for half the price!” or “We don’t need that!”
Finally we had spent all but $7 so I just picked up a bottle of peach nectar or something, just to get us up to $50. She got all angry because she thought we should just take the $7 in cash.
That was before we even went out to buy our first TV together, which was the second fight in our marriage.
Well, just about any store in the mall, I browse and browse but seldom end up buying anything. Once in a blue moon, a coat or shoes. I’m just too damned cheap. (Sometimes I’m dragged to Lord & Taylor, to look over the sale racks, where one can find designer clothing 70% off. Even so, nothing seems to fit right, and I take that as a sign that they don’t want my type in there. Too short, squat, and old, I guess.)
My friend, that’s why you wait for their sales! I’ve never bought anything there full price.
[ul]
[li]So-so top, but wearable with the right outfit $30.[/li][li]Very fun dress that I’m pretty sure I need now that I’m looking at it for $100.[/li][li]A lot less fun dress, but $40.[/li][li]Cute white top for $40. [/li][li]Tank that you won’t be able to wear for six months for $20.[/li][li]Ridiculously fun yellow corset yellow top for $50 here![/li][/ul]
Sorry for the hijack! I often find myself walking into Sears without buying anything, only because they never seem to have what I need. How does Sears never have what I’m looking for?! Last two visits were for a good bike lock and some grey sweater tights, and nothing.
I love Williams Sonoma but rarely buy anything from them. Resoration Hardware I always visit when I’m somewhere they have one, but it’s way too expensive (overpriced, IMHO). I love the look, though.
Folks are focusing on Mall and/or big-name-brand stores - if that is the exclusive focus of the thread, then this post won’t apply.
I like checking out high-end stores that I really can’t buy from for stuff I am interested in, like first edition books and guitars.
Bauman Rare Books - they have great inventory, but they are a top-shelf dealer and their prices are high. I love to stop by their store on Madison Ave in NYC to see what’s in stock, but couldn’t see myself buying from them when I was active…
Fretted Americana - a high-end guitar dealer who has had huge success on Youtubedemo’ing rare, very pricey vintage guitars using a studio guitar player Phil X, who is currently subbing for Richie Sambora in Bon Jovi while RS is in rehab. Again - great inventory, but pricey. Fun to browse…
There is a coin shop in my local mall that I haven’t bought anything from in years. I always think I’ll see something cool that I’ll want to frame, but even the Byzantine coins they have lack a certain je ne sais quoi.
I also look around this huge guitar store from time to time. I don’t “really” play guitar, just know a few chords and can play a little slide using Keith Richards’ tuning, but it’s fun. I do buy harmonicas there, and accessories as gifts, but that’s a case of go-in-and-get-it; I’ve never bought the stuff I browse.
I frequently check out the men’s shop at Bloomingdales-I like to see what neat stuff they have.
Although I could never afford it- a RL Polo down jacket at $450.00.
It is amazing just how rich many people are!
Spencer’s for a long time, until last year. I had to wait until the very last second to buy my mom’s birthday present, and they had a really nice selection of heavy silver New Agey necklaces for reasonable prices (she’s into all that astrology shit).
My local mall has an “As Seen on TV” store, filled with those pasta-strainer pots, “all-edge” brownie pans, pedi-eggs, and other things you probably don’t need but fast-talking TV pitchmen can make you briefly want anyway. Fun to go through, and I guess it’s nice to know that if I ever really need a sham-wow or Chia Pet right now, I won’t have to wait for mail-order, but not a place I’ve ever purchased from.
At first when I read the thread title I couldn’t think of any but wanted to see what others would say, but then I read the OP and thought “oh hey, me too!” except that I don’t go in them much anymore because I don’t know where one is.
Then I thought some more:
Victoria’s Secret - if I go to the mall, I usually go through there, but generally everything is really expensive and not really as sexy as you’d expect.
Yankee Candle - I go in for the smells. The candles are too expensive for me so I never buy anything.
Various Dollar Stores - usually they just have cheap crap I don’t want, but every once in a while I’ll find something great, so I’ll go look around anyway.
Others already mentioned in the thread:
Sharper Image - can’t afford their stuff, but it’s fun to look
Brookstone - for the same reason as Sharper Image
If catalogs count: Archie McPhee - so many silly things, but can’t justify actually paying for them Penzey’s Spices - it fires up my imagination for cooking, but I really only order from them when we run out of something that I get from them anyway. I never order something just because I saw it in the catalog.
I think it’s the store you shop at. I’ve found good stuff at Kohl’s as recently as a few months ago, and I’m a petite size 6. Write a letter to the manager (more likely to get noticed than just asking to speak with them) explaining the situation–who knows, they may listen?