Where Sale

I’m putting this post up after the fact. I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to get the information up in time, but I REALLY want the info out there for people to know about. The Blue Dot sale I went to in San Francisco in August was PHENOMENAL. I will be posting about future sales of theirs and, if you live nearby, GO!!!

When: Sat, Sept 13 - Sun, Sept 14, 2008
Where: OC Expo Fairgrounds, Building 16

Link: http://www.bluedotboutiquesale.com/OC08.html

Special Service Announcement:

Remember to bring cash to this event - some vendors will only be accepting greenbacks.

There are NO DRESSING ROOMS provided, so wear something baggy, like a mu-mu, that you can use as a cover while pulling stuff on or off… or, just get crazy with your bad self and change in your underwear in front of hundreds of people… your choice.

Description:

The idea is great - bring together a collection of local, smaller boutiques and have them all off-load their out-seasoned wares at a massive warehouse sale. One gigunda event + a little charity giving + lots of promo + good prices = great sale, yes?

YES!!! This is a stellar event that’s put on three times a year around California. The discounts are STEEP, STEEP, STEEP. True, the cover, as I’ve mentioned before, is enough to make someone go “hmmm,” but after I was able to send a top-secret sale spy to the last event to do a little recon for me, I’m happy to report that the returns are GREAT. Plus, you’re supporting small, locally owned and operated businesses, so your money is ultimately going right back into the community via sales and business taxes, wages, rent, etc.

Again, remember to bring cash - some vendors will not be set up for credit card transactions. Also, please report back here via comments or email to: contact (at) wheresale (dot) com.

Thanks!

Just a reminder - if you’re in the bay area this weekend, don’t forget about the Blue Dot Boutique Warehouse Sale!!!

It’s going to be worth it!

When: Sat, Aug 23 - Sun, Aug 24, 2008
Where: Fort Mason, Herbst Pavilion, San Francisco, CA
Link: http://www.bluedotboutiquesale.com/SanFranc08.html

Description:

Remember to bring cash to this event - some vendors will only be accepting greenbacks.

There are NO DRESSING ROOMS at the sale.

When: Sun, 8/17 - Wed, 8/20, 2008
Where: online
Link: http://www.babydagny.com/Default.aspx

Description:

If you read the “About” section of this site, you’ll learn about a few sales that inspired me to start Where Sale. One inspiration that I neglected to mention were the Baby Dagny periodic sales. Last year Baby Dagny had a warehouse sale and the discounts were so steep, I was able to stock up on a number of really high quality gifts for friends with new babies.

The gifts I picked out were ones I had already wanted to buy, but they were ultimately out of my price range, especially the “gag” type gift, like the exclusive “Elvis Sleeper.” I also picked up some fantastically sweet sunhats for my daughter. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they have any more in stock right now .

Baby Dagny is a great site to find alternative presents for baby gifts in general. The idea behind the site is that it represents “mom-created” designs, thus helping mom entrepreneurs to get exposure for their products. The products are unique! For instance, I’ve found the large seat chiller to be very handy in the summer months.

The site periodically hosts extremely steep discounts, such as right now. Hurry - the sale ends Wednesday!

When: Sat, Aug 23 - Sun, Aug 24, 2008
Where: Fort Mason, Herbst Pavilion, San Francisco, CA
Link: http://www.bluedotboutiquesale.com/SanFranc08.html

Description:

Remember to bring cash to this event - some vendors will only be accepting greenbacks.

There are NO DRESSING ROOMS provided, so wear something baggy, like a mu-mu, that you can use as a cover while pulling stuff on or off… or, just get crazy with your bad self and change in your underwear in front of hundreds of people… your choice.

The idea is great - bring together a collection of local, smaller boutiques and have them all off-load their out-seasoned wares at a massive warehouse sale. One gigunda event + a little charity giving + lots of promo + good prices = great sale, yes?

Well, um… I dunno. I think I’m going to miss this sale, but I really hope to catch what other bloggers have to say about it, or get a few comments.

My main hesitation is that the sale requires an entry fee, which is not uncommon, but the fee itself seems really pricey - $25 for a 2 hour window of “VIP pre-shopping” from 10-12 on Saturday (obviously where the best deals will be with the greatest variety), then the normal “cover” for the rest of the event is $15.

(((Update To the Original Posting))) In case you don’t read comments, the folks who put the Blue Dot Boutique events together added this comment today (8/15), which is pretty clarifying:

Just to clarify, the door charge is to offset the price of the venue rental, insurance, security, utilities and advertising. We keep the booth cost very minimal for the boutiques so they can pass along the deepest discounts to the shoppers. The stores are already losing money on inventory that they sell at these prices. Also note, a portion of the door proceeds are donated to charity. In San Francisco, the charity is 7×7 Charity Partnership. In Orange County, it is Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. If you save 75% on your first purchased item….you’ve aready recouped your ticket price! Hope you’ll come check out the bargains!

(((Back to Original Posting)))

Don’t get me wrong - I’m presently writing out of sheer ignorance, having never been to a Blue Dot sale yet. It may be that the deals are so unbelievably fabulous that the cover charge is warranted - especially if it helps to keep a thronging mob out of the space and allow for a more relaxed atmosphere (ie, no clawing or elbowing folks to get to the last shirt in a certain size). These events are a regular feature in California, so I’ll make it a point to get to one soon and see if it lives up to the entry price. Until then, if you go, PLEASE report back (contact at wheresale dot com) on your experience to me. It would be very helpful!

Thanks!

Also, this is more than just your average “high end designer clothes for skinny chicks” sale - a number of boutiques being represented are higher-end children’s stores, so could be really cute! I’ve marked in bold the ones I know are great children’s stores in this list of participating vendors:

• canvas
• dylan
• bryan lee
• nicolette
• august
• red dot
• the firm
• iniam
• deliciouz
• bread and jam
• bryna nicole
• flaunt
• infiniti
• edge
• mcmullen
• mesh apparel
• ciao ragazzi
• helena de natalio
• jonathan-kaye
• candystore
• jeanine payer
• romi boutique
• sarah shaw
• bellies n babies
• mill valley baby & kids co
• goodnite moon
• honeys & heroes
• dixie park

When: Friday, August 22 - Sunday, August 24, 2008 -> See Times Below
Where: Sacramento Convention Center ,1400 J Street, Sacramento, CA Exhibit Hall C
Link: http://sacramento.jbfsale.com/

Description:

This is a huge, well-run consignment sale that specializes in infant, children’s and maternity clothing, as well as baby & child related “stuff” like strollers, toys, cribs, etc.

If you’re a volunteer, consignor, teacher, first time parent or grandparent, you can qualify to get into to sale during the “presale” hours on Thursday. My suspicion is that, for this sale to be really worth it, especially if you’re looking for more big ticket items, like furniture or strollers, you want to try to qualify as one of the aforementioned.

Enjoy and PLEASE report back your experiences, good and bad, so I know if I should mention other JBF events!

Thanks!

Friday, 10 - 7

Saturday, 10 - 3

Sunday, 10 - 3

When: This is an ongoing “outlet” sale
Where: Items are reviewed and purchased via the Internet, but MUST be picked up at the Design Public San Francisco offices.
Link: http://www.designpublic.com/outlet/

Description:

Nifty! Wow! These are words that initially describe what I dig about the Design Public Outlet. Most items in the outlet part of the website are marked down at least 40% off. In fact, I haven’t cruised the whole of the outlet section, but I think maybe it’s EVERYTHING that’s listed for 40% off.

Beware, this doesn’t mean you can grab stuff willy-nilly for steal-o-rama prices like, say, $11 for a lamp (that was just a random sample… the cheapest lamp presently listed at the DPO is going for $52.80, previously listed at $88). This isn’t Target, folks. It’s artisanal, crafted, beautifully designed stuff that you will most certainly NOT encounter on your next Ikea, Target, Home Depot or Caldor run.

On a side note, not unlike their products, the site is BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED - really well streamlined with the enduser in mind. It offers a number of handy ways to search their products and great search filters. Spiffy!

When: NOW!!!
Where: Online only
Link: http://olivejuicekids.com/clearance/sf/

Description:

Another fantastic find from my sister-in-law… Olive Juice is doing a fantastic warehouse sale right now. As with most of my posts so far, I’m not that familiar with this business and don’t know if they regularly host a warehouse sale, or if this is just an occassional thing, but the prices are UNBELIEVABLE for high-end, adorable children’s clothes.

Follow the link and click on the “view all” link under the “warehouse sale” section of the left hand navigation bar.

Have fun!

When: July 25-26, 2008
Where: The Works, Horizon Home, 1611 Ellsworth Industrial Drive, Atlanta, GA
Link: http://www.attheworks.net/

Description:

This is supposed to be a phenomenal sale. If I lived in the Atlanta area, I’d be clipping people in the ankles with well-aimed stroller strikes to get knock people out of the way and get first dibs at this.***

As quoted from the site:

Save up to 70% off retail at our unbelievable Children’s Boutique Sale! Save on children’s clothing, shoes, toys, room decor and accessories. Find items from some of Georgia’s top children’s boutiques all at 1 location. This sale lasts for just 2 days, so shop early because these items go fast! Parking will be available for this event, so invite your friends!

A portion of this months charity goes to Soul Food, a charity for a grandmother helping to raise numerous grandchildren in todays world.

***Strollers, btw, are allowed at the event, but not recommended.