Dallas discount-shopping icon Sue Goldstein pens another winner

by Rosie Carbo

A savvy business woman and author of 70 books, Goldstein is a local legend when it comes to off the-beaten-track shopping.

Discount diva Sue Goldstein shops until she drops. But diving into a world of knock-offs, antique stores, resale and outlet stores is her favorite pasttime.

“You’ve got to have a passion for what I do. I can’t help it, I love to shop. I have always loved shopping,” said Goldstein, while leading a group of shoppers on a recent Dallas/Fort Worth shopping trip.

Goldstein, a 4-feet-10-inch giant of shopping “below the radar ” locally and nationwide, asserts: “You don’t have to be cheap to be chic, you just have to know where to shop.”

A savvy business woman and author of 70 books, including the Underground Shopper discount shopping guide, Goldstein is a local legend when it comes to off the-beaten-track shopping.

Goldstein’s books cover everything from one-of-a kind designer dresses and Italian-made shoes, to assisted living facilities and special toilets for the obese and handicapped.

In her recent shopping guidebook, The Underground Shopper: A Good Deal Is Always A Winner! she updates budget-friendly businesses, reports on new stores and reveals a money-saving high-tech device.

“My Shopping Genie is new this year. It’s the best way for people to get the best price on virtually anything. It’s easy, enjoyable, and best of all, it’s free,” Goldstein said of the online service at www.myshoppinggenie.com.

A proprietary technology, My Shopping Genie enables buyers to get the lowest price on 250 million items listed on major online shopping and auction sites, including Amazon.com, E Bay, Buy.com, Target Stores and Wal-Mart.

“With a click of the mouse, the Genie finds the best prices on everything. All you have to do is use a major search engine such as Google or Yahoo. And don’t forget, it’s all for free,” said Goldstein, 67.

A public relations and marketing genius, Goldstein has also written a column for Bottom Line magazine for the past five years. Nevertheless, her quest to save consumers money doesn’t stop with the printed word.

The dapper diva delivers colorful but sage shopping advice via an 11 am Saturday call-in shopping show on KVCE 1160AM radio in Dallas. She stages remotes from the businesses she promotes and uses giveaways to keep her listeners informed.

“I’m wearing shoes from a store Sue turned me on to years ago. In fact, all of my clothes are from places she recommended. I spent a total of $40 dollars for everything I’m wearing today. That’s knowing Sue Goldstein,” said Jack Bishop, friend and former radio colleague who is now station manager at the new KMNYAM radio in Dallas.

Who hasn’t Goldstein advised? She’s appeared on local and national television and radio shows, including but not limited to CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, NBC’s The Today Show, CNN, and the list goes on.

“When I go into these boutiques and stores, they don’t recognize me because I’m famous; they recognize me because I helped them build their businesses,” Goldstein said.

Businesses selling merchandise are included in the Underground Shopper guidebook if they adhere to specific criteria: quality, selection, service, convenience, price, uniqueness and amenities. Six stars or six diamonds means the business is one of “100 Best” and has a logo designation to match.

Meanwhile, businesses offering a service adhere to similar criteria but earn a diamond rating instead of stars. A capital D with a dollar sign next to it means “diva dollars” are in the back of the book in the form of money-saving coupons.

“You know when you walk into a ‘to die for store’ because you shout wow! It’s drop-dead gorgeous, who cares what it costs?” She designates the “wows” with a heart punctured by Cupid’s arrow.

“Sue is a very special person and a great business woman. All I can say is that I feel lucky to have her as a friend,” said Dixie Hargrove, of Dixie’s Fashion Accessories in Arlington. Her eclectic gift outlet earned a 6-star rating in the guidebook.

Whether it’s bargain hunting in Texas or across the country, Goldstein is the go-to shopping guru for myriad items, including purses, accessories, jewelry and virtually any type of merchandise and service.

Published by Dallas-based Bottom-Up Media, the 2008/2009 version of the 460- page Underground Shopper is available at Borders Books for $19.95. If purchased online at www.undergroundshopper.com the cost is $14.95 plus shipping.

Thanks to the Internet, readers can buy a current Underground Shopper guidebook for major cities, including New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Phoenix.

“Years ago, I traveled to 11 major cities to write my guidebooks, and I still update most of those cities. I have 10 major cities listed on my web site,”said Goldstein, adding that Verizon SuperPages helps Dallas shoppers find the best buys in the Metroplex.

As with previous shopping guides, Goldstein writes short, succinct paragraphs punctuated by amusing one-liners relaying “good deals” to readers. She also advocates cheaper professional services, such as medical, dental, travel, home improvements and services for pets.

Goldstein said her forays into the world of elitist Dallas shopping began at a party nearly 38 years ago. It was in the home of a Highland Park magnate that she first realized her vocation.

“I was wearing a long blue jean skirt and a ponytail. The women looked me up and down and bragged about how much they’d paid for their clothes. I knew they were lying. I told them I had paid $10 for my skirt at Andre’s. When I told them Andre’s uncle was Lou Lattimore, they wanted to hear more. I got the shopping idea right then,” said Goldstein.

Today, donned in a purple pantsuit with matching earrings and purple Cuban-heel shoes, the self-proclaimed “discount diva,” takes a break from shopping while others relate her humble beginnings.

“Sue had a driver’s license but no car. Her friend had a car but no license. Sue met her at the HP party and that’s where they teamed up. Sue offered to drive the 1959, 4-door Plymouth so they could go shop. But the car was so old that they used bungee cords to keep the doors shut,” said Bob Blair, Goldstein’s husband and business partner.

Despite the precarious transportation, the two women scoured every boutique and resale shop they drove to searching for upscale bargains in clothing and accessories.

In 1972, Goldstein and her shopping partner published the first Dallas/Fort Worth Underground Shopper. The local guidebook was so successful it made Dallas a shopping destination.

“Sue called the Dallas Morning News and told them she was an author. After the story ran in the paper, the book sold out in two days,” said Blair, 67, still amazed by the dynamic woman he married 14 years ago.

The Underground Shopper has been published and updated continuously since its inception. In fact, Goldstein founded a magazine by the same title shortly after the first guidebook’s success. The Underground Shopper magazine was intended as a supplement.

“Boutiques and stores change, and I wanted my readers to keep up. I also wanted them to know about any new stores that opened,” said Goldstein, a Mt. Clemens, Mich. native

Goldstein confessed that her instinct for bargain hunting on a grand scale goes back to her Midwestern rearing and her mother’s philosophy about shopping wisely.

“My mother really taught me how to shop. I have to give her credit. If you buy one good, quality item, you can wear it over and over again,” Goldstein said in retrospect.

In 1999, Goldstein and Blair sold the Underground Shopper magazine. But the deal went sour and all parties involved ended up in court. In 2001, Blair helped Goldstein resolve financial problems and revive the company.

“The Underground Shopper is recession proof. When times are good people love us, but when times are bad, they need us to find bargains and save,” said Blair, a former actor working as an NBC News photographer when he met Goldstein on the Internet.

“AOL had her on one of the screens, and it said ‘Ask The Diva,’ So I e-mailed her and asked ‘What am I supposed to ask you?’ I didn’t hear from her for a year. The she e-mailed me asking if I’d come work for her.”

This article was submitted by a member of the Pegasus News community.