This weekend, I decided to head over to Chelsea for the legendary Barney’s warehouse sale (warning: sound in the link!). Twice a year, Barney’s opens up its warehouse and sells off previous season merchandise at ridiculously reduced prices. I wanted to avoid it during the first few days because I’d heard stories of women fighting over clothes, trying things on in the aisles and just general psychotic shopping behaviors. So, since the sale started over a week ago, I figured this weekend would be semi-safe.

Not so! When we first entered, we were behind two young eastern European women who cattily commented on our tattoos when they thought we couldn’t hear them. After that, one proceeded to shove her bag in front of my fiance at the bag check area so she could… shop 3 seconds earlier than him? and the other elbowed me out of her way in the shoe section. There were a slew of shoe hoarders that grabbed 10 or more pairs at a time, and the scene in the clothing area… well, let’s just say I didn’t want to go in there unarmed. (However, there were women trying things on in the aisles due to the lack of dressing rooms, so… voyeurs, run on over there.) I did manage to pick up a pair of shoes for a friend that she’d been lusting after since she saw them in the regular Barney’s store. They were over 75% off. So maybe it was worth it.

The sale continues until Sept. 3. The warehouse is at 255 W. 17th Street between 7th and 8th Ave.