Any places in Manhattan to get good deals on carry-on pullman luggage? You see them in those sleazy camera/souvenir shops, wondering if there are deals to be had there or maybe in Chinatown?

I wouldn't buy luggage on the street. I would recommend Century 21, Filene's Basement or TJ Max for discounted luggage in Manhattan.

Depends on what you are looking for. Yes, you can get cheap stuff on Canal St and on 14th st, where they sell HUNGE, I mean HUGE suitcases for cheap. The primary customers of those giant valises are Puerto Ricans and Dominicans you travel back & forth from NY to thrier home countries, for months at a time, and feel they need one HUGE bag to carry all their stuff.
I for one would much rather carry 2 medium size bags, than 1 giant one.
(Sorry for the tirade)

For better quality suitcases, you can try the national chain discounts like TJMaxx & Filenes Basement, both which have store in Manhattan.

NY-based discount stores to consider would be Syms & Century 21; both have very good values, and both are in the financial district adjacent to gorund zero.

I guess MFNYC & I think alike!

Apologies for my typos!

I got a nice piece at Tumi on sale.

Thanks for the Tumi tip but maybe I should clarify, I'm looking for something on the cheap. A 22" pullman from Tumi is $400. I'd never pay that much for a bag to leave it in someone else's hands to throw around. Maybe I'm just cheap...

Cheap is relative. I purchased an Atlantic expandable 22" carry-on from Syms in NJ but something of comparabel quality is likely available at their NYC store or at Century 21 etc.

IMHO Atlantic is really well made and uses rollerblade wheels rather than the chepo wheels. I paid about $40-50 but on 8th Ave between 34th and 40th Street a cheapo 22" roll-on can likely be had for about $20. If long term reliability and quality aren't an issue it's worth looking at. On Canal Street you may even find Luis Vuitton knock-offs in a 22" roll-on style. More than $20 but way cheaper than the real thing. Once again.... buyer beware but if you're looking for style over quality and working on a budget it's worth investigating.

Actually, the sale prices are decent for quality. I paid $89 for a Weekender that was normally $295.

$40-50 is fine. I have a large Atlantic pullman that I like The problem I found in general, is getting a small Atlantic bag for a good price NOT in a multi-peice set. I'll check out Syms, thanks.

I bought a 22" or 24" carry-on and also a big wheeled expandable at Syms. Both the Atlantic brand and not sold in a set. I believe I paid about $120 for the two.

Additional stores for inexpensive pieces of luggage are Odd Job and Conways with multiple locations in Manhattan. Both have liberal return policies if you are not satisfied. Large pullmans on wheels (28") run about $40. Smaller run from $15 to $30. No particular brands, but adequate for most travel needs. I would think that Kmart also carries luggage.

On the corner of 30th and 6th (maybe broadway), there is a store that is always selling luggage outside. You can't miss it since all of the luggage takes over the sidewalk.

I recommend TJ Maxx. I got my wheeled suitcases there very cheap. They are both TravelPro, which is the brand that I see most flight attendants and pilots using. I'm very happy with them!

I would not recommend Canal Street or Odd Jobs...the wheeled suitcases I got from those two places (while they were super-cheap at $20) were not so great. One fell apart after 2 trips, and the other one had such a short handle that it kept banging into my heels so I eventually chucked it.

FYI_there's a Syms midtown on 54th just west of Park.

Here's another recommendation for TravelPro. You can go to their website, determine which bag(s) you want, then shop the web for the best prices.

No bag is a good deal if anything falls apart or breaks...

I heard that airlines in the US now allow suitcases to weigh 50 lbs. or you have to pay extra. The free limit on international flights is still 70 lbs. because of international treaties.

Therefore, a very large bag may be too heavy if full with luggage.

On 14th str. bet. 5th and 7-8th ave are quite a few places with GREAT deals on luggage.
Quality wise, yeap, they're not too sturdy. On the other hand, I paid $200 on an American Tourister that fell apart on my second trip - and by then the warranty was over.