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If you're in the market for a 15-foot trampoline, a matched set of deck chairs and sun umbrella, or a slab of baby-back ribs that outweighs your toddler, this members-only chain is your mother lode. From Bundt cake pans to DVD players and from Revo biker shades to Montblanc pens, the concrete-floored warehouses are like celebrations of American acquisition on an epic scale. Food shoppers must buy in bulk, but can choose from a vast selection of baked goods (pastries, cakes, pies, and freezer items) and mass-market, packaged items (cereal, snacks, canned soups, lunch meats), as well as produce, dairy and a Cryovac'd butcher's section that rivals a Chicago stockyard. Quantities are so large that apartment dwellers had best consider available closet and pantry space before stocking up. That said, a household of roomies looking to load up on staples can't go wrong, as long as someone's got a car for transport. — Helen Zelon

You can get a one-day pass at the chain's website, but expect to pay 5-15 percent extra at checkout until you join.