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We make podcasts and newsletters that connect people with the cities they love.

City Cast Pittsburgh

If you, like me, are always looking for a good deal, you might’ve heard of 

, the mysterious discount warehouses popping up around our region. With 

 going for about $60, it may seem like a dream come true or the most confusing of all scams. The truth is a lot more complicated.

MAC.BID is not a scam, despite some of the 

 on its Better Business Bureau’s page. (It does have an A- rating!) However, it isn’t a traditional business. MAC.BID is a liquidator, which means it buys overstocked or returned goods at a massive discount and then resells them. T.J. Maxx is also a liquidator, except they buy overstocked designer items — not returned items. 

Here's where things can get tricky. Sometimes people send back an item because they don’t like the color; other times it’s because the item is broken. MAC.BID puts the onus on the consumer to figure that out.

On the website, select the locations you’re willing to drive to for a pickup. In the Pittsburgh area, there are warehouses in Robinson, Butler, Monroeville, and the Pittsburgh Mills mall. From there, search for items that you would like, but make sure to pay attention to the classification system: like "new," "open box," and "damaged."

If an item is classified as “open box” or “damaged,” inspect it at the warehouse before bidding or purchasing (They don’t provide refunds on those items!). If you buy something classified as “like new,” you can get a refund if it’s damaged, but you 

 flag it to the staff before leaving the store.

You have three days after you win the online auction to pick up your item — or else it is considered abandoned and you lose the item and your money.

There's a lot of rules, but the upside? There are amazing deals to be found, and it's more sustainable than buying new items. The City Cast Pittsburgh team (and friends) have snagged everything from foldable bikes to floating shelves at a major discount.

Pro Tip: Don't use MAC.BID to find a specific brand or model. They’ll have a lot of mixers but might not have the KitchenAid of your dreams.

A lot of perfectly-good items get returned, like this

 I picked up for 90% off retail at MAC.BID. Americans returned about 

 in that 2022 alone, according to the National Retail Federation. 

The process of retrieving a returned item, checking its quality, and putting it back on shelves (figuratively or virtually) is complicated and costly. So a lot of returned items don’t end up being resold by their original retailer, and places like MAC.BID buy truckloads full of pallets with returned products at a huge discount. They get these items at such a big markdown that they still profit if you buy a $100+ vacuum for $2!

Liquidators are popping up around the country as a business model. MAC.BID is just our local version of this larger trend. It’s complicated and a little confusing, but 

The mysterious discount warehouses around Pittsburgh with shockingly good deals. Is it too good to be true?

Is MAC.BID a Scam?

How To Find Deals at MAC.BID in Pittsburgh

What Pittsburghers have been wondering. We break down why things in Pittsburgh are the way they are and how they work.

Pittsburgh, Explained

Need a new look? Here’s where to get some new-to-you threads while shopping sustainably in Pittsburgh.

Every corner of Boheme is filled with a different small business selling handmade and secondhand goods. Browse vendors like 

Sam’s Vintage carries styles from the 60s to Y2K, with casual outfits and party looks alike.

Looking for a safe space to explore your identity and personal style? You’ll find a variety of styles and sizes in the “curated maximalism” of this independent, woman-owned storefront.

Thriftique sells new and gently used clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry, and accessories — with sales supporting the National Council of Jewish Women Pittsburgh Section.

If you’re looking for vintage denim jeans or jackets, this is your shop. Plus, they have T-shirts and hats to complete the look!

You might find your next wardrobe piece at Phoenix Boutique or even sell something of your own — they split 50-50 with consignors.

This shop has been dealing secondhand finds with great prices for nearly three decades. Stop in, and if you like what you see, consider donating to help them 

Want to wear a faded Pirates T-shirt with vintage denim? Or maybe with a flowy skirt or a sturdy Carhartt jacket? Twisted Vintage has 80s, 90s, and Y2K clothes galore!

Luxury is affordable when you can buy, sell, or trade designer items at Clothes Minded. If they like your stuff, you can get 30% of the resale value in cash or 45% in store credit on the spot.

Worn-in sweatshirts and T-shirts just feel cozier, right? Fifty One Ten has a ton of options, including all of your favorite Pittsburgh gear. Plus, they have dresses, skirts, and jumpsuits!

Cleaning out your closet? See if Avalon Exchange might pay you for some of your items — and browse their racks for something new to you!

Walk down the stairs and into the basement to find a massive curation of unisex clothing. The store is extra fun because everything is organized by color!

Searching for a vintage belt buckle? Need a period outfit for a costume party? Or maybe you want to sell your great aunt’s old wardrobe? Eons buys and sells vintage clothing and accessories for men and women from the 1880's through the 1980's.

Vintage bags, silk scarves, dresses, and leather jackets — there is a range of styles to find here.

This shop carries styles from 1860 to 1970. But if you want to browse, you’ll have to make an appointment!

Zeds is a hub for vintage T-shirts, sweatshirts, and sneakers. You can even find reinvented Pittsburgh gear here.

Mix a retro piece with your modern wardrobe with something from Highway Robbery Vintage, which specializes in apparel and accessories for men and women from the 1950's to early 1990's.

Outdoor enthusiasts and gym rats can find their next workout fit at ReActive — without lululemon prices.

This consignment shop resells new and lightly used men’s, women’s, unisex, and children's clothing. And at the end of each season, the shop donates all remaining items and/or profits to a charity.

Bring your own bag and go treasure hunting! All of your money spent will go back to the community. Got food to share? Drop it in their 

Skip the fast fashion, and find a look from the 1920s to the 1990s at Vintage 416.

Stop in B-Sides Vintage to shop their rack of 80s-Y2K Levi’s jeans, plus a comfy T-shirt to go with them.

With a couch, dining table, and gallery wall, Monarch Studios makes you feel like you’re shopping right in someone’s home closet. The shop is undergoing construction but will reopen soon.

Feeling nostalgic for the robo Penguins logo? Or maybe you’re dying to find an old Three Rivers Stadium shirt? This is THE spot for your retro Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates gear.

Where to get some new-to-you threads while shopping sustainably in Pittsburgh.

The Best Thrift Shops in Pittsburgh

The Best Thrift Shops for Clothes in Pittsburgh

Find the best of everything that Pittsburgh has to offer.

Pittsburgh’s Best

Pittsburgh's Best

, from relieving stress to boosting creativity to purifying the air. So what better time than this spring to enrich your home and spaces with some fabulous flora? Below are some of the best shops in town to grab that greenery.

Along with curating a ton of resources on caring for houseplants, hosting events, and running a store loaded with popular shrubs, this cooperative also sells cider!

 about this shop — they boast a store of full-sun plants from cacti to succulents. You’ll also find handmade ceramics, gardening tools, and a consultant to help with your big plant projects.

For the adventurous plant parent, you can buy one of their mystery boxes, including one that is pet-friendly. This shop also hosts free events and a DIY plant bar.

Browse seeds, potted plants, soils, pots, tools, and more at this shop’s various locations. Are you more of an indoor plant person? They also have decorative plants like succulents, cacti, bonsai, and air plants.

For sisters Raynise and TaRay Kelly, gardening is more than a seasonal hobby — it's a means of self-sufficiency, opportunity, and food access far beyond their bursting home nursery in Mount Oliver. You can search their catalog of crops online.

🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh stopped by the Soil Sisters’ home base and left with a 

 looking to cultivate their own green thumbs.

Want to start a garden but don’t have all of the tools? This shop is a tool-lending library and garden materials depot focused on reducing barriers to growing food. For a sliding-scale annual membership fee, you can access free garden tool rentals and bulk materials like organic compost, mulch, and soil amendments.

🎧 Claire Matway from Grow Pittsburgh gave us all the 

tips and tricks to starting a backyard garden

Save the date! This nursery reopens on April 19. Here you’ll find plants, flowers, gardening supplies, and landscaping services. Their multi-use green space also hosts workshops, community events, and 

Plants have vast health benefits, from relieving stress to boosting creativity to purifying the air. Check out some of the best places to grab that greenery in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh’s Best Plant and Garden Shops

Need help producing a neighborhood-focused festival? Applications are now open for the 2024 Community Festival Program Grant. The program will award 30 grants of up to $1,000 in reimbursements for events hosted by community-based non-profits from June 1 through October 31.

Applicant must be a non-profit, tax-exempt, Pittsburgh community-based organization;

The organization must have been in existence for at least three years;

The festival must be free and open to the public, and to the benefit of the community;

The festival may take place over more than one day, however, priority will be focused on one-day events.

The program will award 30 grants of up to $1,000 in reimbursements for events hosted by community-based non-profits.

Apply for Pittsburgh’s 2024 Community Festival Program Grant

Make Pittsburgh better, one neighbor at a time. Find volunteering opportunities, ways to get involved and give back, and more.

Help Your Pittsburgh Neighbors

Help Your Neighbors

Welcome to your Hey Pittsburgh bulletin board: A virtual space to share volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, workshops, and other ways to help your neighbors.

This week, I’m sharing opportunities for artists, artisans, and small businesses!

The Neighborhood Flea is hosting its first ever night market at The Block Northway on March 23. 

 to sell at the 2024 Craft Vendor Fair in Aspinwall Riverfront Park on June 6.

Join Handmade Arcade on May 18 at Construction Junction for its block-party style event featuring new and emerging makers. 

 for its farmer’s market season, every Thursday from May through September at The Block Northway. 

The 55th annual A Fair in the Park will welcome 90+ fine artists and craftspeople to Mellon Park, September 6 through 8. No matter your art medium, you can 

apply with the Craftsman Guild of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh artists and artisans can set up at Handmade Arcade, the Pittsburgh Flea, I Made It! Market, and more.

5 Vendor Markets to Apply for in Pittsburgh

If you can’t be outside, you might as well be reading about it. 

presented by 3 Rivers Outdoors Co. and CC Mellor Memorial Library will kick off a new season with "The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light" by Paul Bogard and the first in-person discussion on January 31 at 6:30 p.m.

Allegheny County residents can now earn a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) for free through the Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s 

. The course is offered to students 18 to 24 at the Boyce Campus.

 dedicated to creating a community based on shared interests in art, science, and natural history. You can attend the launch party on February 8, from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Science Center’s new Titanic exhibit.

Have a local biz? The Lawrenceville market house is now 

Plus, a Pittsburgh book club for outdoors lovers, free bus driving courses, and a call for vendors.

Join the Carnegie Connectors, a New Young Professionals Group in Pittsburgh

Join the Carnegie Connectors, a New Young Professionals Group

 Brookline for its wide boulevard, shopping, hair care, public services, and food, but the South Hills neighborhood also has a long and fascinating history.

, early settlers — it’s not clear exactly who should get the credit — thought the rolling farmland and nearby streams looked a lot like the more famous Brookline, Massachusetts.

Here are a few suggestions to entertain yourself in the 21st century:

First, coffee! Get your neighborhood tour started with a cup of something cozy from 

If you’ve been following this newsletter for awhile, you know that we're breakfast sandwich connoisseurs. One of the best we’ve had is from 

. It’s served on a buttermilk biscuit with all the classic fixings. They’re also known for their french toast, fried chicken, burgers, and soup.

, a Mediterranean classic offering an in-house cafe and bakery, catering, and wholesale to customers for more than 50 years. Check out their dry goods and spices, grab some baklava, and watch fresh pita travel on the conveyor belt at the large window in the front of the store.

And a skip down the sidewalk will take you to the famous 

, which has been serving sweets for nearly 100 years — and it’s a go-to for 

 It’s changed hands many times, but new(ish) owners Michelle and Zachary Zebrowski have stayed true to the neighborhood’s love of cakes, breads, cookies, donuts, and pastries.

 started in the 1930s in Mt. Lebanon and expanded to Brookline in 2010. Flavors are a little different at every location, and you can find non-dairy and sugar-free options alongside the classics in each one.

 supplies comics, games, and role playing supplies for newbies and seasoned gamers alike. Check out their how-to guide on getting into collecting 

 offers sales and service on bicycles for the whole family. They’ll even help you get outfitted right there in the shop.

 branch in Brookline has been serving the community since 1930, and it has great natural light, comfy seating, and room for meetings.

 is a hot spot for more than just pie – it’s a great place for community events. Head there for the “

” with the Pittsburgh Vegan Expo every Monday in February through March.

Pittsburgh runners can’t forget about the annual 

Get breakfast at Oak Hill post, paczki at Party Cake Shop, and Mediterranean groceries at Pita Land.

What to do in Brookline Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Get To Know Brookline

Everything to know about Pittsburgh neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Pittsburgh Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

On East Warrington Avenue in Allentown sits a shop pouring over with colorful sober drinks – from seltzers and spirits to beers and wines. 

 is the country’s longest-standing nonalcoholic retailer, proving that Pittsburgh is more than just a 

If you’re trying out Dry January, this is where to quench your thirst.

Owner Mel Babitz will guide you through the more than 400 options to find one that fits your taste. The store is broken into two halves: flavor (beers, wines, spirits, ready-to-drink options), and “functional.”

“Functional can mean anything from caffeine in coffee and tea products, to hemp products and everything in between. A lot of them are mood enhancing, whether it's uplifting and energizing for the daytime or wind-down and relaxing for the nighttime. Some of it is prebiotic, good for gut health,” Babitz says.

Maybe not completely, but its essence is really close. Babitz says that wines and whiskeys are the hardest to mimic because of their “body” and “mouthfeel.”

Nonalcoholic beer is the closest to the real deal because it has been developed since the 1970s. The Open Road carries classic brands like Corona, Stella, and Budweiser, alongside some local products, like an NA IPA by 

. (You can actually try their newest release at The Open Road’s 

“Don't be afraid to come in… We do a ton of education. We will ask things like, ‘What flavors do you like? What do you like to drink?’ and go from there. We also keep open bottles of our spirits so people can try things before they buy.”

Hear Our Dry January Tips!

Catch a buzz without the booze at Pittsburgh's nonalcoholic bottle shop.

Celebrate Dry January With The Open Road in Allentown Pittsburgh

Celebrate Dry January With The Open Road in Allentown

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Pittsburgh. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Pittsburgh Food & Drink

Food & Drink

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — you know, when you spend all your hard-earned cash on your favorite people! But since Pittsburgh’s ban on single-use plastics went into effect Oct. 14, you likely have a lot of questions on how shopping will feel different this year, like who has to comply, or what will happen to your purchases if you 

shopping plastic-free this holiday season

plastic bags aren’t good for the environment

. It can take about 1,000 years for plastic bags to degrade in a landfill, and the chemicals in plastics can be harmful to wildlife. The City of Pittsburgh said that 

 will contribute to a cleaner and healthier city for everyone.

Almost all businesses throughout the city are affected by this ban, from supermarkets to department stores, food trucks, delivery services, and others. However, dry cleaners and pharmacies do not need to comply.

What happens if you forget a reusable bag?

Ideally, you’re the kind of person who never forgets a reusable bag and lives by the tote bag credo. But you’re bound to forget your bag every once and a while. So what can you do? Many grocery stores will be offering paper bags for a minimum of 10 cents — though stores can charge more if they choose, and stores aren’t required to offer brown bags. Stores can also sell their own reusable branded bags, starting at 99 cents.

🎧 Plus, are stores ready for the change?

How to Shop During Pittsburgh’s Plastic Bag Ban

What To Know About Pittsburgh’s Plastic Bag Ban

Tips and tricks for living your best Pittsburgh life, by locals, for locals.

Pittsburgh Life Hacks

Welcome to your Hey Pittsburgh bulletin board — a virtual space to place volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, workshops, and more things that help your neighbors.

Pittsburgh is creating a Governance Committee to guide funding decisions for the new 

, and the Food Justice Committee will make recommendations to the city.

The YMCA Turkey Trot Presented by UPMC Health Plan, an annual holiday tradition, will happen on Thursday, Nov. 23. 

Sign up for a 5-mile, 5K, or 1-mile fun run

 to raise funds to help fight food insecurity in our region.

Are you an artist? The Queer Family Planning project is accepting donations for art of any medium for their upcoming auction in October. All funds raised go directly to helping LGBTQIA+ folks start or continue their parenthood journey. 

Send them a message on Instagram to donate

 to set up at upcoming events: VOktoberfest at Velum Fermentation in the South Side on Sept. 16 and a Halloween Festival at Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall on Oct. 21. 

Got a budding writer in your life? Write Pittsburgh is hosting 

Rainbow Writers (for LGBTQIA2S+ teens) — Mondays, 6-7 p.m.

Storytellers (for fiction writers) — Mondays, 7-8 p.m.

Rule Breakers (for poets) — Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m.

They’re also accepting applications for the 2023-2024 

. This year’s focus is teen burnout. Add your voice and vision to the conversation!

📌 Pin to the Hey Pittsburgh Bulletin Board!

Here's what's pinned on your virtual Pittsburgh bulletin board: vendor applications, a food justice committee, teen writing workshops, and more.

business

How To Find Deals at MAC.BID in Pittsburgh

The Best Thrift Shops for Clothes in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s Best Plant and Garden Shops

Latest articles

How To Find Deals at MAC.BID in Pittsburgh

The Best Thrift Shops for Clothes in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh’s Best Plant and Garden Shops

Apply for Pittsburgh’s 2024 Community Festival Program Grant

5 Vendor Markets to Apply for in Pittsburgh

Join the Carnegie Connectors, a New Young Professionals Group

Get To Know Brookline

Latest articles

Apply for Pittsburgh’s 2024 Community Festival Program Grant

5 Vendor Markets to Apply for in Pittsburgh

Join the Carnegie Connectors, a New Young Professionals Group

Get To Know Brookline

Celebrate Dry January With The Open Road in Allentown

What To Know About Pittsburgh’s Plastic Bag Ban

Donate Art To Help Queer Families in Pittsburgh