Today's selection includes two bucolic pieces of Asian folk art made from jade and shell and a two-foot black leather horse. Hurry while supplies last. It all seems humdrum enough until you notice the cartons of Cheez-It stacked in one corner, defying any known principles of merchandise organization. Anyone who has been to Bargain Circus is primed to expect the unexpected. Certain things, like dill pickles, seem to pop up everywhere.
Veterans walk unfazed down aisles loaded with brands seemingly chosen for their eccentricity.
If confusion sets in, you can always refer to the handpainted red and black signs emblazoned on the walls. Though such embellishments add to Bargain Circus' charm, it's the eclectic selection of goods and guilt-inducing low prices that draw a rich mix of Angelenos. The customer base is a melange of Orthodox Jews, Russians, Armenians and Westside connoisseurs, and the wallet-friendly policy seems to inspire a relaxed, congenial atmosphere. What she can't find here, she gets at Jergensen's in Beverly Hills. While unlikely treasures line every aisle, it is the area behind the registers that best showcases Bargain Circus' anarchic spirit.