Where Sale

I actually got the chance to go to the San Francisco Blue Dot Boutique Sale last weekend. Initially, I thought I would miss it because my baby was due on 8/22, but, he’s late!

Turns out this was a great break for me, since I took advantage and went to the sale with my mother, who is visiting. I was able to do some “recon” on the sale and also pick up a number of items we really needed in our family at stellar prices.

As I expected, there were great boutiques represented at the sale, offering a range of discounted items from jewelry to designer clothing and shoes to children and baby clothes and accouterments. Since, as I’ve already mentioned, I’m unbelievably pregnant, we skipped looking at clothing for me (shyuh!!!) and focused on the baby / children offerings.

Before I give my “review” of the sale, I’ll mention this disclaimer: one of my initial hesitations about the sale was the “entry” fee for pre-sale hours of $25. The regular sale hours entry fee was $15. Because I run this site, both my mother and I were given a “guest pass” entry during the pre-sale time, which would have cost $50. I honestly would not have come to the sale during the preview hours had we not received the passes, but I can say that, based on experience at the sale and the deals I got, I WILL DEFINITELY PAY THE $25 PREVIEW ENTRY FEE AT FUTURE BLUE DOT BOUTIQUE EVENTS.

Now for my review…

NOT A BIG EARLY BIRD CROWD

Unlike at other big warehouse sale events I’ve been to, there wasn’t a huge line of folks waiting to get in during the first rush and choose from the greatest amount of merchandise. This was interesting to me because I know this sale was pretty well advertised and I wonder why it didn’t draw a larger crowd. Perhaps as the day wore on it got popping more - I hope so, as I really want this sale to succeed in future years and draw in even more vendors - it’s a great idea.

IS PREVIEW TICKET COST WORTH IT?

YES!!!!!!!!!!

Because of the lack of a thronging crowd, one might think that it would be a waste to spend an extra $10 a head to get in to the event early. This would be a GRAVE MISTAKE. Unlike other larger warehouse sales that deal with unloading large quantities of overstock from distribution centers, the Blue Dot Boutique sale features a number of small, local boutiques that are looking to unload extra merchandise that comes from a much smaller selection. This means that quantities are limited, so the early bird gets the worm. It’s not like at the Athleta Warehouse sale, where there are dozens of the same pair of pants in the same size sitting in a pile. At the Blue Dot Boutique sale, there may be only one particular outfit in a certain size… once it’s gone, it’s gone baby, gone!

HOW WERE THE PRICES?

In a nutshell: the prices were fantastic. Again, as compared with sales focusing on larger businesses, the prices were higher at this sale - it’s not like I saw shirts flying out the door for $5 a pop that had been priced at $65 originally. But, again, these are not volume businesses that are being represented. The median discount range I saw at each boutique booth was from 40-80% off retail. Seriously nothing to sneeze at!!!

Here’s a breakdown of my “haul:”

I scooped up about 8 pairs of toddler and baby shoes priced from $8 - $10 at two different booths - one from the Mill Valley Baby and Kids Company, the other from San Anselmo’s Dixie Park. These were on brands of shoes like Pedipeds and See Kai Run, which are normally priced around $28 - $36.

In addition, at the Ciao Ragazzi booth, I got a set of Hatley toddler raincoat (listed for $37, I paid $20) and boots (listed at $34, bought at $10 — impulse buy, but SO CUTE) that was about 55% off.

Finally, in the score of the century, at the Goodnight Moon booth I found two quilts for my daughter’s “big girl bed” that were originally priced between $150 - $230 (they’re adorable, look hand crafted, unbelievably sweet) for TWENTY DOLLARS EACH. Apparently, the store had a massive overstock of bedding and was therefore really motivated to unload these fantastic items.

The quilts are the prime example of the benefit of getting into the sale early. There were only a few available and we picked up two of them right off the bat, leaving just one extra for some other lucky sale-goer. Had we waited until the “regular” store hours, it’s very likely these gorgeous pieces would have already been on their way to their new home.

IN SUMMARY:

The sale was fun, there was a great range of products to check out and we were able to pick up a number of items we really needed - much higher quality than we could normally afford - at unbelievable prices. If I had purchased everything we got at regular retail, my total would have easily been greater than $600. Instead, I spent about $150. If you add in the cost of the early-entry tickets (again, read the disclaimer - I didn’t pay that this year, but will next year!!!) for two people, this would have made my total about $200. That’s a $400 cost avoidance on thing we really need and will use over the next several years (the shoes are in ranging sizes).

Hello!!! This is easily one of the top 10 famous sales out there. It’s bi-annual and happens on different dates according to each coastal location (NY or LA).

Here’s the deal, as Paul, over at the Women’s Co-Op in SF, was kind enough to illuminate to me:

Each summer and winter, Barneys holds clearance sales at its various store locations. These sales go on for a month to a month and a half and can include discounts up to 60% off (though that’s rare). After the in-store sales are over, everything else gets shipped off to the two warehouse sale locations (again, in case you weren’t paying attention - NY, LA) and gets marked down from 50-75% off.

The warehouse sales usually run relatively concurrently, but there’s usually a slight date difference. As the warehouse sales progress, the markdowns increase, culminating in a 90% markdown on most merchandise by the end.

As I’ve stated before, are you going to be walking out with muy barato crapo? Umm… No. You’re still going to be shelling out easily $100 per item, but these are items that had previously been priced sometimes in the thousands of dollars.

Other Links of interest:

Unofficial Barneys Warehouse Sale Survival Guide

NY Mag’s Take on Barneys Warehouse Sale Tactics

Think there’s little difference between a warehouse sale and a sample sale? Umm… better check that! There’s a HUGE difference between the two and, if you want to save yourself some time and frustration, it’s better to get education now.

This great article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution outlines the differences between the two types of sales. I’m going to directly quote from it (extensively) because it’s already two years old and could easily be moved or deleted anytime.

Sample sale

• Definition: High-end designers and fashion houses sell sample items to the public at a deep discount. These sales frequently occur in cities with large fashion communities, such as New York, Los Angeles, or London, said Kathryn Finney, creator of the Budget Fashionista online shopping guide.

• Pros: High end designer clothing and accessories discounted 20 percent to 80 percent.

• Cons: Sample sizes are made for models, so clothes sizes typically range from 2 to 6. Shoes range from 10 to 12. Some items may be damaged or worn, and the merchandise is often out of season. But in sunny Atlanta, shoppers can buy spring and summer clothing at the end of the season and wear it for a month or two, Ripley said.

• Before you go: Leave your child, big coat, arthritis, credit cards or shopping bags at home, said Finney. They’ll only slow you down.

Warehouse sale

• Definition: Designers or stores give hefty discounts on overstocked items from the past or current season. It’s one last chance for stores to clear the floor for new items.

• Pros: Warehouse sales offer more size choices and include in-season clothing.

• Cons: Communal dressing rooms are typical.

• Before you go: Murdock said it’s important to arrive early and be patient. She added that it’s best to grab all the items you want, then head for the fitting room. Modest shoppers should wear bike shorts or exercise clothes for quick changes.

So, the final skinny? Bottom line? Know your bottom line with regards to your size in specific designer lines. Of course, this is irrelevant for sample sales on things like bags or purses, etc.