A Goodwill “boutique” shop

Goodwill hunting converts my shopophobia into compulsive shopping.  

Way before I became a Depressionista, I reaped couture bargains at Goodwill's "boutique" in Manhattan's Chelsea district. 

Olive green leather slacks, brand new, price tag $999 -- but there I paid 30 bucks. What a booty for my bootie.

I latched onto a Ralph Lauren couture woolen skirt for $10. Who's to know, or care, that I got it at Goodwill instead of Bergdorf Goodman as its label says? I snatched up an exquisite black and white silk suit by Teri Jon for $60, way less than one-tenth of its retail price.

And pry your eyes from the merchandise for a moment to admire the walls' murals painted by students from the nearby Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

These bargains aren't for women only. Men's suits have come from Brooks Brothers, Paul Stuart, and Italian designers. One man paid $80 for an Italian suit that would cost between $2,000 and $2,500. Whata lotta lira.

But here's its greatest Goodwill bargain I know of: one of the first Polaroid cameras in its original case, complete with literature and its sticky-goo stick (you're too young to understand), for $9. "I'm hanging onto it. Maybe it'll put my children through college," said the proud owner -- unfortunately, not I.

I view Goodwill treasure hunting as acquisition therapy, and shopping with impunity. Almost 85 percent of the money goes toward crucial community projects, according to Goodwill Industries.

And the rare times I don't find a treasure, I console myself with bargain blossoms at the wholesale flower market which begins a block away on 26th Street along Sixth Avenue. Eucalyptus, perhaps? The best and freshest greens, for a fraction of retail prices, are at U.S. Evergreens Inc, 805 Sixth Avenue, 212-741-5300. Oops, I've spilled another "City Secret".