May

5

Shopping New York — Native New Yorker Style (Part 3: Sample Sales)

Filed Under Shopping 

 

sample-sale-photo1Most people who live outside of a major fashion city like NY or LA have limited knowledge of sample sales, where manufacturers sell off their overages and close-outs at a fraction of their retail prices.  For many, I think, the media has best publicized the phenomenon in those images of Wedding Gown Sales, where brides-to-be storm the racks, knocking each other over and sometimes coming to blows in pursuit of the perfect gown at a deeply discounted price.

 

Is that what a sample sale is really like? In a word, or two, very often.  Not all sales include the fisticuffs and name-calling, but at some, I think the manufacturer sets it up like that merely for the entertainment value.  However, in reality, those plain brown paper or blue plastic shopping bags carried throughout New York’s Garment District often signal the very best values out there.

 

Unfortunately, my recent trip to New York was not on a good Sample Sale day.  I did find one great sale on Agnes B,agnes-b-prices (check out these prices — the discounts are somewhat typical) but nothing was cut for my size 12 American body.  But for those who are planning a trip to New York,  here are some tips. 

 

First, give yourself a full day with comfortable shoes, lots of cash (some places, but not all, take credit cards and checks), and nice underwear, as you may find yourself undressing in an open dressing room, or even on the sales floor!

 

Next, check the internet.  Search sample sales at www.DailyCandy.com, search sample sales and the city you’re in on Google, and sign up at www.soifferhaskin.com for emails as sales come up.  By following these steps you will have a starting point. Take one of the west side subway lines to 34th Street.

 

Once you arrive in the garment center, things should take off on their own. Walk up Broadway from 34th to 40th Street, then across to 7th Avenue, and then down 7th.  If there are any sales going on that day, you will find circulars taped to lampposts, and guys giving them out on the street.  Ask anyone you see with the above-mentioned shopping bags if there are any sample sales going on, and walk along the side streets too — it’s common for people to enter the smaller office buildings and ask the lobby personnel for leads.  

 

Although many of the sales, especially the higher-end ones, may have the merchandise actually sorted by size or style, you need to be prepared: many have things hanging on racks in no particular order.  After all, it’s the thrill of the chase.

 

Be bold, be determined and be nice, even when you have to stand up for yourself.  (“I’m sorry, that dress is mine — PLEASE get your dirty paws off it.”)  You should come out with some really incredible buys.  (One of my all-time faves was a purple silk Tahari suit, absolutely beautiful, which was never put into the line; therefore a one-of-a-kind Tahari Original, for under $100!). 

 

Of course, if it’s a quiet day, you can head over to 32nd Street, which has the best selection of dollar stores I think in the country.  Or if all else fails, there’s always Macy’s.

 

Now, the market is finally realizing that not everyone has access to these sales, and in the past few months I have discovered a number of sites that do online sample sales for shoppers everywhere.  My next post will highlight a few of these where you can sign up and shop wherever you are, and take advantage of the highly discounted prices. 

 

For more tips on Shopping NY like a New Yorker, please check out my posts on Chinatown and Street Vendors.

TheTopSecret

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