Diva, I can only speak for my experience at the NY sales, never having been to a sale elsewhere. At those, credit cards are accepted though debit cards are NOT. You have to check your bag (and I mean purse) at a bag check so don't bring anything good that you don't want scratched up. There are no Birkins or Kellys at these sales anyway, so being ready to buy one or not, isn't a problem You are definitely on the right track if you're looking for small accessories or scarves! They're chock full of those items, and often in hard to find colors. In my experience at the NY sale, they restock the sale floor many times, almost constantly. So if you go twice, even in the same day, you'll see different things as you make the rounds.
Hope this helps!
Awwww.... thanks for the feedback, Cynthia... with my luck, I've probably missed the NY sale already, n'est ce pas?