STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

No Bay Area wisdom to share but I'm a big thrift store fan. They're all different so you have to keep an open mind. There is luck to be had amid all the junk.

A step between thrift and consignment are Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads - again they all have different personalities.

Yelp.com should have listings and ratings of secondhand/thrift/consignment stores.

I've only been to one Loehmann's and I didn't get a good vibe. NR kind of gives me a headache too...I like things more organized. If I find things at NR it's by accident usually.

Stein Mart or Burlington Coat Factory are others that may be in your area - my MIL likes those.

Lower down, I find TJ Maxx and Marshalls have better quality merch than Ross but when you find a deal at Ross it's a DEAL - Evan Picone wrap dress for $7, Betsey Johnson sandals for $15, that kind of deal. Personally I prefer how stores like these put all the dresses in one place, all the tops, all the skirts, etc. - unlike Loehmann's/NR.

Online is tougher. 6pm.com has all of Zappos' old merchandise (shoes and clothing) and even some of the same for less. SmartBargains and Overstock are fun.

Google 15 dollar clothing store - some (very few) brands and everything is 15 bucks.

Leah turned us on to MJRsales.com - an outlet site for Victoria's Secret and other random stores owned by the same company. Looks really unreliable but good bargains. I just paid under $30 for motorcycle boots that are $100 everywhere else because they were a customer return.