LYNNWOOD, Wash. — "I see a lot of stuff in the bins," said Paul Black who is peering through the window at Cheaper By The Day in Lynnwood. He and Ray Strelecki are here a few minutes before the store opens, discussing strategy while, inside, owner Seaun Richards enjoys one last moment of quiet.
"Give it two minutes, " he laughed.
When the doors open, the rush is on and the digging begins. Shoppers search through other people's rejects hoping to discover treasure. It's all part of the latest fad in liquidation, bin stores.
"A bin store is where we buy everything by the truckload," Richards said. "We buy anything from Amazon, Target, Home Depot, Office Depot, Lowes, Costco. All the big chain stores."
Richards has no idea what the trucks are bringing to his store on the only day they're closed - Thursdays.
"It's like Christmas every time," Richards said.
Prices are highest on the first day after the store has been restocked, $14 Fridays. That's when everything is still unopened. We found a waffle maker, a fog machine and a baby food processor. All $14.
Prices drop through the week. Anything still in the bins on Wednesday is a $1.50.
"I wish I would have found this concept 10 years ago," laughed Richards, who opened Cheaper By The Day, the first and largest bin store in the state, in 2020. Since then, he's learned a lot about people.
"It's all about the digging and finding," Richards said. "Finding new treasures. And they start buying stuff they don't even need but want."
"You got a sleeping bag right here for $14," said Strelecki. "If you need one, that's a great buy."
According to Strelecki finding a crazy bargain feels like an accomplishment and, besides, he's having fun.
"I get to be impulsive sometimes and you get carried away," he said. " My wife says I think I live here half the time."
The regulars all have their own strategy. Many, like Agi Van Horn, bring knives to open up the plain cardboard boxes to see what's inside. Paul Black, who's keen on electronics, checks the prices online. He found a USB universal dock in the bins.
"It's normally $55 dollars for this on Amazon," Black said. "I already have a couple."
Iana Peeve fills up her shopping cart with everything that looks interesting and then decides what she wants to buy.
"That's why it's so full!" she said pointing to her cart.
If there's a lot of the same items, most customers will wait a few days and come back on a day when the products cost $7 or $5.
There is also a section of the store where factory sealed pallets full of unopened boxes can be purchased for $750 to $1295.
"We've had people come in and tell me 'I found an Apple computer in there' and I'm like "Okay, don't tell me that!" laughed Richards.
We caught up with Strelecki has the register where he's buying six items.
"I'm getting some portable greenhouses for my wife, a cane for my mother in law, and, yes, maybe a few things for myself."
Cheaper By The Day is open every day of the week but Thursday. The store is located at 19800 44th Ave. W. in Lynnwood.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Email.