I finally did it.  My friend Julie.com told me I needed to go for several years but I just couldn't do it.

I finally did it.  My friend Julie.com told me I needed to go for several years but I just couldn't do it.  I have the same reaction when I shop at Loehmans, or any other big discounted sale. I hate those things. I once went to a major department store for their annual shoe sale and nearly got clocked by a high heeled boot being thrown across the room by the trillions of shoe scavengers who were fighting over everything.
Today, however, I went for the big one.  I actually got up at 6:00AM to be one of the first in line for the Annual Barney's Warehouse Sale.  I did it with Julie.com and our daughters for their birthdays. (Right!)  I steeled myself for the onslaught of insane shoppers. We got there and waited in line for a half hour.  We weren't that far from the door which Julie.com said was a great advantage.  When the doors opened, people actually walked in and didn't do the usual stampede.  However once in the door,
it was each man/woman/child for themselves.   I tried to take in the enormity of it all but didn't have time.  People start by grabbing enormous plastic bags and begin shoveling things in. 
Julie.com has a great strategy for these things.  First, you prepare for the day by wearing leggings, a tank top and flip flops.  No time to mess with the dressing rooms you gotta just try everything on over your clothes, or so I was told.  There were actually women of all shapes and sizes stripping down to their underwear all over the place and didn't give a shit who was around.  Pretty impressive.
Then there was the shopping strategy: "You do the bags first, then the shoes and then the clothes" she informed me. I nodded and followed her like a scared puppy.  Our daughters took off for the shoes and I think we saw them again about 2 hours later.  I, like others, found myself literally DRAGGING this enormous bag of stuff on the floor like everyone else.  Insane.  After you just can't take it anymore, you find a wall of the room and dump your shit on the floor and then start trying on and eliminating.  Really, its a whole routine my friend has and I have to say, it worked pretty well!
People then start hovering over your castoffs like they are starving to death.  One woman offered my friend $500 for a designer bag she was holding.  Its a feeding frenzy.  At that point  I was exhausted,  I had to pee and was starving.  I looked at my watch and it was noon. we had been there for 4 hours.  
By the time you get to the check out you have whittled things down to what is affordable and that's when I realized that it isn't so much about what you buy, but the hunt.  For me?  I think that it should hold me over for a while.  But at least I will have had the cultural experience along with a new pair of shoes!