Columnist Muriel Stevens: Going on a 'junking' spree in San Diego

Every now and then I get the urge to go "junking," my word for shopping in outlet-type stores. And there was no better place to seek bargains than in San Diego, where I spent the July Fourth holiday weekend.

Why do I call such shopping "junking"? Because I frequently end up with a lot of stuff I really don't need. None of it is really junk -- except if you buy things you don't need and they don't match anything you already have.

The best way to shop these stores? Make a list that includes things you need, along with things you would like to have. There is never a guarantee that you'll find what you want, but part of the fun of this kind of shopping is in the hunt.

Outlet shopping in Las Vegas keeps getting better, so when I go out of town I look for outlets we don't have, such as Nordstrom's Rack. But I never miss a Saks Off Fifth (ours is at the Belz Factory Outlet), wherever it is. I'm still trying to beat my own record of finding a designer dress originally priced at $900 that I bought for $32.

That was sheer serendipity. When I saw the dress, I just knew I had to have it. Three reductions had brought the price to below $100. It wasn't until I paid for it that I learned that the dot on the tag meant I would get an additional 60 percent off.

There's something energizing about having unlimited time to shop.

A friend and I arrived in San Diego on Thursday and immediately scanned the paper for possibilities.

What luck! Loehman's was having a three-hour sale the next day. All sale merchandise was an additional 40 percent off and other merchandise was an additional 20 percent off.

We arrived before the store opened and pretty much had it to ourselves.

For the best selection of sizes and colors, arriving early is one of the cardinal rules for this kind of shopping.

In fine stores such as Saks, the merchandise is first reduced at in-store sales. After the sales, the remaining merchandise is sent to the Off Fifth stores. All the items are of first-rate quality, but the clothing is end-of-the-season.

If you choose trendy stuff, it may no longer be in vogue by the time you wear it. Stick with the more classic styles so that what you buy has some longevity.

We had a grand time in Loehman's. Chanel shoes and Christian Dior lounge-wear were fantastic bargains. Needed the shoes; fell in love with the stunning silk caftan. Originally $200, with the early bird discount it cost $30.

We shopped for eight hours, stopping only to put purchases in the car and for lunch. The cost of my purchases for the day was less than the original price of the Chanel shoes.

Only Nordstrom's Rack was disappointing. The tags on the shoes showed the original prices; almost all the tags on the other merchandise gave no indication of the original amount for which it sold. Without this information, how do you know if it's a good deal?

When I returned to Las Vegas, I called the Mission Valley store where we had shopped and learned that the Rack now sells two kinds of merchandise: its own, which comes to the Rack directly from Nordstrom stores, and special purchase merchandise (close-outs) that come directly from manufacturers and other stores. A good deal, but not quite the same kind as having the original ticket for price comparison.

Of course, I had to ask an executive: When will Las Vegas have its own Nordstrom's? As soon as they can find an appropriate location.

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