Live, love, Costco: Couple searches the globe for warehouse treasures

David Schwartz saw it at a Costco in Taiwan. He couldn't believe it. A 1.75 liter of Glenmorangie Scotch, and it was only $55! He figured the price could be double that anywhere else, maybe more. What a deal! And he only had to travel internationally to find it.

"Basically, I left David unsupervised for about five minutes, I walk back over ... and I see this large bottle in the cart," David's wife Susan said. "I look at my husband, who knows we have carry-on luggage, and I said, 'Wow, that's a pretty big bottle of booze you got there. How to you plan to get that home?'"

The solution was simple: Buy a whole new suitcase to carry the bottle of scotch all the way back to their home in New York City. It actually worked out for the best. This way, they could stuff the bag with even more Costco deals.

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For any other couple, this all might seem a bit odd. But for David and Susan Schwartz, it's part of their obsession with Costco. It was also, sort of, their job at the time, doing research. The Issaquah-based company has inspired generations of shopping fans, including the Schwartzes. The couple turned this fandom into their new book, "The Joy of Costco: A Treasure Hunt from A to Z." The book's release aligns with the 40th anniversary of the first Costco.

The couple stopped for a chat with Seattle Now before their appearance Thursday at Seattle's University Bookstore.

"We became that couple that goes to Costcos whenever we go on vacation," David said. "Some people go to national parks, some people go to major league baseball stadiums. We go to Costcos."

They visited more than 200 Costcos in the United States and across the globe. They even flew to New Zealand just to visit the single Costco location in that country. Along the way, they made a few observations and picked up a few facts about the company. Like how Costco sells more than half of the world's cashews, and far more hot dogs than at all U.S. baseball stadiums combined. David noted that "40% of the items at any given warehouse are regionally or locally sourced."

"In Anchorage, they sell reindeer sausage. In Taiwan, they sell rotisserie chicken with the head on, because that's they way the Taiwanese like their chicken," he said. "It's that kind of thing that makes the experience really interesting ... we went to New Orleans, they had a huge bucket of shrimp boil."

"We've been to 14 countries around the world, and tomorrow we are going to the last two of the 46 states that have a Costco," Susan added. "Wherever we travel, we send home boxes filled with stuff, like, 'Oh my God, we don't have this at home.'"

"It's an interesting way to learn about a place you're visiting, because you can walk into a Costco and find out what the demographics are (locally)," she said. "We went to Sidney, Australia, the food court had this wonderful Indian butter chicken pie and clam chowder in a bread bowl, and you realize what the population must be like."

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While a lot of people can say they are part of the Costco fan club, the Schwartzes can say they wrote the book on Costco fervor. They argue there is a reason behind the love of the company, and it's not just about prices, although low prices definitely help.

"One thing people talked about over and over again is the food court," David said. "You can go shopping with your family ... you can go on the weekend and make an outing of it, and you can sit down at the food court and feed the whole family for less than $20. There are very few places where you can do that."

"The fans like us, we realize it's a commitment to quality and pricing," Susan said. "And you feel like you can trust them."

Costco shopping tips from the Schwartzes' global journey

• The Death Star. Look for a little asterisk on the upper right corner of a price tag. This is called "the Death Star." It means that item is going to be discontinued permanently, or temporarily. So, if you like it, get it before it's gone.
• Buy seasonal items earlier than you would expect. Susan said, "If you're going to buy back-to-school items, don't do that at the end of the summer. Do that after the Fourth of July. By the time school is starting, Costco is on to Halloween."
• Do the full rounds at the store. Fans call walking down every aisle "the horseshoe" or "the race track." This way, you can find interesting and unique products that might not be found anywhere else. David says this takes them about 45 minutes. Susan, however, insists it takes them 2-3 hours.

Hear more from the Schwartzes worldwide Costco adventures on this episode of Seattle Now.