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| - . yech . . . Close Encounters of the DIRT Kind
Let me begin by stating that all 4 employees I ran into while walking up and down the aisles of well-swept concrete flooring, were smiling, made direct eye contact, and appeared friendly. An easy 5 stars.
However . . . nearly everything my eyes landed on or the few things I touched in this massive warehouse-type environment is what I'd expect to find if---heaven forbid---I was forced to pick through curbside trash to survive. And I'd never have even the remotest chance of ever coming upon a long-lost Van Gogh or Rembrandt sketch here, either. For all those who must do this out of necessity, may God bless them and make their lives easier. It was an oddly depressing experience. It likely isn't close, but brought to mind the garbage rummaging that's a needful way of life for so many of those less fortunate in the slums of Rio and Calcutta.
Tetanus shots should be a consideration before entering this gigantic, dusty rusty junk drawer. This is just plain trash. (Maybe I came on an off-OFF-day.) Most things looked totally worthless and worn, and whatever was usable---like some glassware and cookware I looked over---were way overpriced---with only a handful of exceptions cost-wise. One could easily find similar and much better quality---and lower prices---at Bed, Bath and Beyond, TJ Maxx, or other major department stores during one of their frequently-featured home sales. And, in comparison to this warehouse, I'd liken Marc's closeout sections to exclusive designer boutiques. The only things that I didn't venture looking through were furniture, bedding, pillows, rugs, books, posters/prints, and photo frames. Maybe these sections have good prices. Won't ever know, though,
since I'll never return.
I do have my scrounging limitations, but I'm not averse to looking for a bargain by sorting through various odds and ends to find it. I've done my share of swap meets, flea markets, antique shops, estate and garage sales, and second-hand stores, but frankly, I'm stunned at the amount of cheaply-made, shop-worn, and damaged merchandise.
After years of receiving colorful Old Time fliers that I sometimes scanned and then always threw out, I decided to visit in the hopes I'd find some artificial flowers and greenery for a couple of projects. (Catans, Joannes, Gales, and Plant Crafters all stock acceptable to exceptional realistic plants but didn't have what I was looking for in their current inventory.) The fake flowers here were ridiculously high-priced for the gaudy unrealistic colors, material, and workmanship. If Catans carried any of this stuff (never saw anything this bad there, myself), it would be a third or a fourth of the price.
What niche this fills, I haven't a clue. What am I missing? Is this a "front" for some other business that I don't know about? Was I somehow hypnotized in the parking lot and instead of walking into a big space loaded with desirable bargains, I was actually abducted, then carried on board an alien space craft that took me to a strange flotsam-riddled structure on some far out planet? I just don't see any value here whatsoever---just a possible bacterial infection or bug or rodent bite---and tons of surprisingly way overpriced ready-for-the-weekly-trash-pick-up JUNK.
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