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I just have to point out how really stupid the use of the term bodega is for this section, too. A bodega is a small urban grocery store, usually in a Spanish speaking area of a large city like New York or LA and it would carry exactly the opposite types of sizes because the patrons have to be able to carry their purchases home, generally without a car. So it makes no sense. Silly marketers.

Just to be clear, these are the older ones with Darth Vader, General Grievous and Clone Trooper in blue Clone Wars packaging. They also have the Clone Wars and like packaging action figures marked down as well as several other sets in the blue packaging, and the Target exclusive 3 packs in black packaging all marked 30-50% off. Availability really varies from store to store. I happened to be in several stores yesterday and noticed this. They were just setting all the new merchandise (white packaging) and that is not on clearance.

Thanks for posting. I had meant to post that I found them yesterday also. I got the kids Wilson clubs for $27.xx.

Just to throw a wrench into the schedule. They marked some sporting goods down again today. if you are watching anything be sure to check. it was really hit or miss, but more than 1 store did it.

Sounds like most were salvaged but probably a few stores will have them 70%. That happened last year too. Lots of cool big electric ride on toys 70% off in sporting goods. varies by store. I was SO bummed that the golf stuff was still not 70%. DS has been dying to take lessons, and I want the minimal investment possible in clubs to try this out.

I think they might have salvaged the Legos. None on the shelf this morning. No movement on bodega yet.

You aren't in souther California by chance, are you? I saw several the Eagle Rock store.

Last year it was early to mid-February. But a lot of stuff never goes. It just gets moved to regular aisles. Speaking of which, not sure if anyone has notice the Vday toys this time around. More and more they are putting regular toys in that section, and then not marking them down. They did it at Christmas with most of the Squinkies. This time it is the Club Penguin Puffles, Transformers and little Halo Mega Bloks figures. Kind of a bummer...

Sporting goods got marked down yesterday here, according to one of the markdown team. I asked first thing this am if they were going to do it today, and she said they did it last thing yesterday. Picked up the expandable gear bag I bought at 30% today at 50% and returned on the 30% receipt. Bedding also marked down. Found the sheets I bought at 50% for 70% and did the same. Finally, I have been stalking the fireplace stuff since I knew it was close to time to mark down. I broke our poker and we don't have tongs, so time for a new set! They finally marked them 30% today. I have to keep an eye out. I bought a new screen on sale that was close to 30% in November, and am hoping to get it in time at 50% to do a return on that also. But we'll see. I'm happy to have them, and they almost always sell out at 30% here.

They have funky rules about returns on electronics, but that's ridiculous. It is one thing if you didn't ask. But that just ain't right!

I think that might be because kids are so expensive and if you weren't a bargain shopper before you had kids, you have to become one once you do! Especially when they are babies! I know I am glad to have everyone here! We couldn't get by without everyone's postings.

Yeah, they used to always go the whole way. Last summer some places only went to 50% and salvaged, others went all the way to 75%. I didn't want to risk it, so I bought the Legos we wanted to get. Depends on how much you want them. Some I was willing to wait on, but I got the sets the boys really wanted.

Hard to say. They might well be stocking. They put signs on all sorts of cards. They move merchandise around, they return go-backs, they stock merchandise. I have gotten to know the employees and managers over the last 10 years. I know the main managers at 6 of our local stores. In fact, 5 of those 6 came up through the ranks and were assistant managers at our Pasadena stores before they got their own stores. I've developed a lot of relationships at the two stores here in town. Some of the employees have changed stores, and I still see them when I go clearance shopping for holiday clearance and make a big circuit. They all tell me different things and they answer questions when I try to figure out why or how they do things. Some of the general retail knowledge I have is from personal experience, too. I have worked in retail management and done buying trips to market. I have picked up a lot over the years, I guess.

I didn't check the price, sorry. The store is right at Arrow Highway and the 57. Easy access from the 10 or 210.

The markdown team already starts their day at around 3 or 4 in the morning everyday. they leave around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. They do that to avoid the heavy evening shopping crowd. Same reason they do not work weekends. Occasionally they will work them on an overnight shift (they did it for the hand marked Christmas clearance), but it is rare. And, it doesn't benefit the markdown team, just makes them more resentful to have to work overnight. Clearance won't stop entirely simply because they have to unload the merchandise, and it is much better for them to get the prices they are getting than to salvage it because salvage companies tend to pay pennies on the dollar (though they have to take it all, even the damaged junk). But I agree, it isn't an entitlement, and I do consider myself lucky when I hit it. Some items I track, like toys, but most shoppers just feel like they hit the lotto when they get awesome clearance deals. Manufacturers hate having to give the stores back money (and they do generally if there is a large scale clearance of something that just doesn't sell), and the stores hate losing money. I have always thought it was crazy to hand mark everything, but I guess they want a tag on it. Seems like it would be easier to do it like they do holiday clearance and just have the employees go through and put it somewhere, but maybe it takes the same amount of time and better the tags are another advertisement of the deal. Target HAS curtailed their ordering. Quite a bit, in fact. In years past the toy clearance would have taken up 2-3 aisles in every store and there would be more on end caps. This year it was barely one full aisle at most stores, a couple had an aisle and a half. That's having seen 10 stores locally. The stores DO lose money on those items. No question about it. Sometimes they get money from manufacturers, but only if a large number of a particular item didn't sell. The holiday clearance has also generally been much, much skimpier. They clearance it to recoup as much as possible from what they paid. The mark up from wholesale on most of the toys they sell is 10-20%, so they take a big hit on stuff that has to be sold at lower prices. A lot of the prices they sell for in their ads are loss leaders, intended to get you in the store. If they are already going to have to take a loss on something, advertising it doesn't hurt and helps get you in to buy full price stuff at the same time. That is why clearance is almost always at the back, to get you to walk through all the full price merchandise before you see the deals. Oh, and most Targets do run overnight crews. Some of the smaller stores don't, and in those, the markdown team comes in with the rest of the morning staff. But if the store runs overnight crews, markdown starts early in the AM.

I know I saw the Step Two kitchen set yesterday, but I can't remember which store! It was either La Verne, San Dimas or Covina. I THIINK it was San Dimas as they had more than usual. Won't swear to it though. None of the stores had the usual frantic crowd this year. Most didn't have the 70% signs, so it wasn't drawing people in like it normally would. I think Covina was the store that hadn't started marking, so if you decide to drive all the way up here, it might be worth a stop.They would not have had time to finish yesterday, probably, so it will probably get done today. This is the store on the 10 closest to the 57. I've also had some good luck at the Rancho store in the past, though I didn't go this year. We have a Pokemon tournament in Norwalk tomorrow, so I'll see what is left there. Good luck! In sporting goods, several stores have trampolines with the netting surround 30-50% right now. Wish we had the space for it, but our backyard has trees placed in all the wrong spots to make one fit well. Kids have to make do with having a tetherball.

The difference is that they are required to scan and label each and every piece. If they scan one in your basket and then others are pulled from the shelf and sell without getting scanned, their numbers are off, and, again, they get in trouble if they don't scan and label every single piece that is supposed to be there. When I buy multiples of an item, I let them count the number in the basket (when they offer to scan what is in my basket) so they can enter it in their PDAs. I understand how frustrated you were. I've been there. I've been doing this toy clearance for 10 years now, and I have done the waiting. My assumption isn't that the child was the only reason you were frustrated, just that it added to the situation. I would not be that surprised if they were working slowly. I've seen them be extremely passive aggressive at toy clearance. My point was to have you see their side too. They are trying to work and they get this group of people who are hovering and pulling stuff off the shelves and just watching them and waiting. Personally, I could never do the job because I'd lose it and scream at people. It would be a bit like when your kids are hovering and waiting for you to do something and getting anxious and irritated. Not fun to be them. And, as a result, some of them get unpleasant. They shouldn't but it happens. Sounds like that is probably the kind of people they were. The ones at the store I mentioned are like that. Not a nice group of women. But that whole store, including the top manager, are a nasty lot, so I have low expectations there. That was one of the big reasons I was so shocked to find the basket still there and marked. I figured I'd get flamed, but I've seen both sides of this problem over the years, so that's my $0.02.

That is a bummer, but I can hardly blame them. If I was the store owner I wouldn't just refund because someone claimed it was left out of the bag. That is one of the reasons why they have the security camera. You can imagine how many similar calls they get every week. Plus they would need your receipt to give you a refund for it or to refund your credit card, so you would need to go back in in any case. It doesn't take that long for them to go over the tape. It is on the computer. Annoying as it is to have to wait, they are legally required to take breaks after a certain amount of time working. They can actually get fired for NOT doing so. I know a fair number of the local employees, and I've seen them in a panic running to clock out for break to avoid getting there late. And, they don't really have any obligation to scan the stuff once it is off the shelf. As far as they are concerned, once it is in your basket, you are planning to buy it. I know some of them can be passive aggressive over the whole thing, believe me. I've heard the stories of the employees getting nasty about people hovering to get their markdowns. But it sounds like they were just doing their jobs and having a normal work day. It just happened to be inconvenient for you because you were shopping with a small child and wanted to get stuff marked and leave. Store 2 I went to on the way to take DS to school and they had not started on the main aisle yet. I had about 5 things in my cart and asked them if they were going to be doing them soon, and they said they were taking their break. I had to leave to get him to school and had an appointment the other direction at 10, so I could not come back till after school. So, I put the cart over in a back corner of sporting goods and hoped for the best. I was shocked, absolutely shocked, when I came back at 3:30 and found that it was not only still there, but they had marked the items in my cart!! These were cool, big Thomas sets and everything. It was pretty amazing. One store I went to today had not started marking at 1pm. They were doing price changes of full price merchandise first. I pulled everything I wanted and then asked if they would be doing it soon. They didn't know and so one offered to ask her boss if she could mark them for me. They said no. So, I bought them at the higher price and will return them at one of my close stores to re-buy them at the lower price. I bought 2 of anything I was concerned about being able to get when it was returned to the floor.

There were quite a few girl toys earlier, but they either sold out early, or were salvaged this morning before opening. I suspect at least a fair number were salvaged because an entire aisle's worth of clearance toys disappeared overnight from last night to this morning. Most notably the Littlest Pet Shop, but definitely more than that. Locally they probably had a salvage company willing to pay more for girl toys like those so they got pulled. I made out well. Though I made a judgment call between my 2 closest stores and chose well. The one I went to was the only store all day that had the Halo sets left. That and a large Erector set (which I saw full price everywhere else) that DS wanted. It was interesting how different what was left was from store to store. More than usual. Most had almost no good Ninjago spinners, but 2 were loaded with the better ones, not just skeletons. Some had Thomas wooden railway sets (nice ones), others those were full price or not around at all. Very different for me this year. Got several Legos at 50% since I didn't want to chance it. Hot Wheels Squinkies are a hidden deal at a lot of stores. Check the regular aisle.

Well, I'll be danged! SOOOO....Glad to hear it. I reckon I'll be ready to rock first thing in the morning. I mostly want the Halo sets for DS and will probably buy some Legos at 50% since they want them and Bdays are soon.

I don't believe it. I think it will be next week because they did a large number of markdowns to 50% last week.

Check the checklanes for Christmas Uno cards. The clearance onces have a holly leaf on them.

Is it the Christmas blend Starbucks Via? I didn't even look for or check it, but it isn't bad. I don't like instant, but for camping or emergencies, not bad at all. They keep bringing out more paper and ribbon at the old Pasadena store. If you are in SoCal and need it, that's your store to hit. I got all the tape today. They brought out a box with about 40 sets of 3 packs. I gave some to a few gals around me that wanted it (whatever they wanted), and bought the rest for the elementary school. The teachers go nuts when I bring stuff like that in. Just that much less they have to spend out of pocket. Not much else left. Picked up a bunch of the small square snowman plates and some napkins to use for the teacher snacks Monday. I have to bring in snacks for the whole staff and paper products too. They can use Christmas ones. :-)

this is highly variable. walmart does not clearance stuff at the same time or same price from store to store. the ninjago sets will all be the old ones (red packaging). The skeleton spinners seem to be the cheapest. Make sure the figure hasn't been removed. saw lots like that.

So funny. The last couple of years have had only a bit of paper left here, but this year there are barrels of it!