Where Sale

When: 12/23/08 - 1/31/09
Where: 850 4th Street, San Rafael, CA and 1556 Mt. Diablo BLVD, Walnut Creek, CA
Link: http://www.liquideventsales.com

Description:

This is an ongoing holiday sale that has been extended past Christmas & the end of Hanukkah because of its popularity. I haven’t been by the store locations yet, but heard that one of the sale items are these beautiful jewelry boxes for cheap, cheap, cheap!

Liquid Events always comes up with extra great ways to make their sales fun, and this is no exception - one of their “hooks” is that the are running $1 days every day, where one item is $1 only until it sells out that day.

Further Links:

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When: Fri, Nov 7 (10 - 7) - Sun, Nov 9, 2008 (10-5 Sat & Sun)
Where: 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, CA (at the Marin Civic Center)
Link: http://www.liquideventsales.com

Description:

Man, oh, man! This is a FANTASTIC sale. Liquid Events does a phenomenal job of hosting great sales - good quality merchandise at unbelievably reduced prices.

They are the MODEL of what a great warehouse sale should be!!! In addition, Liquid Events sales are part of the reason I started this site.

This sale is called the “Get in the Season” sale and offers a focus on specialty and holiday gifts. Some of the companies / brands represented are:

• RedEnvelope
• KN Karen Neuburger
• TravelSmith
• Indigenous
• Roost
• Blissliving Home
• Elsa L.

I guarantee that if you have a need for gifts or clothing, you will not be disappointed by the sale. Prices are often further reduced on Sunday afternoon, but the pickings are slimmer and the check-out lines longer.

Last spring, I attended a Liquid Events sale at the same location. It was GREAT. Not only was there a fabulous selection at unbeatable prices, but the line for the cash registers ran relatively quickly.

The changing room is one big area, so if you’re shy about being seen in your undies, wear a long shirt you can change under. Also remember to wear shoes that slip on and off easily for quicker change-outs.

Have fun!

Further Links:

Sign up for the mailing list and get an early-access pass: http://www.liquideventsales.com/VIP/accesspassMC.html

When: Saturday, November 1, 2008 - closing
Where: 15 Crescent Drive, Pleasant Hill, CA (925) 687-9956

Description:

They’re advertising price drops of 75% off and they just announced the sale. The store is closing, so it’s as supplies last. With a name like “Furniture 4 Less,” it might be “crappy, tacky furniture 4 less,” but if you live nearby, check it out. Sometimes poorly named businesses actually carry really nice stuff. The same is true in the opposite direction

When: Sunday, October 5, 2008
Where: Cabrillo College parking garage, 6500 Soquel Dr., Aptos, CA 95003
Link: http://www.seconds-sale.com/

Description:

Again, it’s a disappointment that I was unable to get this sale posted in time. This is a bi-annual sale on really nice hand-crafted pottery and glass works. Will post again for the next sale!

When: Sat, Aug 30 & Sun, Aug 31, 2008 10 AM - 5 PM
Where: 2351 Lincoln Ave, Hayward, CA
Link: http://www.gaoutlet.com

Description:

My, oh my! My heart skipped a beat when I saw the announcement email for this event come into my inbox! This liquidation sale is being sponsored by Liquid Events, which put on the phenomenal sale that started the idea for this site last spring.

Based off of my previous experience with Liquid Events, this sale is very promising!!!

Too bad I’m not in the market for appliances right now!

The Gourmet Appliance Outlet sale promises discounts ranging from 25 - 75% below wholesale. Not bad. Hopefully this will be a regular, annual sale and we can go next year!

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: Saturday, August 23, 2008 10 AM - 4 PM
Where: 1137 57th Avenue, Oakland, CA 510-534-7141
Link: http://www.concreteworks.com

Description:

Do you have a fetish for the concrete form? Or, does the notion of anything made from concrete make you think of the a college dorm style bookshelf made from two concrete blocks and a slab of wood? Either way, this is a great event to go to.

If you belong to the former group, this sale offers the opportunity to scoop up rare pieces that are functional art at a smidgen of the usual price.

If you belong to the latter group, come to the event anyway and be prepared to have your eyes pop at the realization of how gorgeous concrete can be.

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: Sat, Aug 16 - Sun, Aug 17, 2008 10-4
Where: The Westin St. Francis Hotel, California Ballroom, 335 Powell St, San Francisco, CA
Link:http://www.thewarehousesale.com

Description:

This is a special “lowest prices ever blow out” sale from “The Warehouse Sale.” Admission is free w/ an RSVP, or $5 at the door. On Saturday, all jeans are $65 each or 5 for $250 ($50 a pop for those of you who, like me, do math on their fingers), Sunday offers prices at $60 a pair  / 6 for $250 (roughly $42 a pop) — not bad for jeans that usually run in the hundreds.

Here’s my usual spiel on this sale:

Do you have a yen for designer jeans, but a bank account that’s running more on the Levi’s*** end of the price range? The Warehouse Sale events specialize in bringing high-end jeans to bargain hunters. They hold events around the country throughout the year and there’s one coming up in the Bay Area in a few weeks!

As with everything I’ve posted about so far… I haven’t actually been to one of these events, so it’s kind of a blind posting. Go at your own risk. Lord knows if I wasn’t a size god-knows-what (READ NOTE BELOW REGARDING SIZING) and 8 1/2 months pregnant, I’d be there in a flash. This particular event is labeled as a “Clearance Sale,” and I’m fairly sure that means the prices will be further marked down. Mebbe I’ll even call them tomorrow to find out for sure and update this posting.

IS IT WORTH IT?
Online reviews and articles about The Warehouse Sale events are mixed. For the most part, people are satisfied with the value, but the selection is limited and it’s not like you’re strolling out with $10 jeans that used to be $300. Think more like $70-100 for jeans that used to be $300. Still pretty cool if you’re willing to cough it up.

From what I’ve read, it’s best to make reservations ahead of time, which you can do by signing up at TWS website, and this also avoids the $5 admission fee.

ARE YOU READY?
For a big sale, always go prepared. In this case, the folks at TWS have been kind enough to outline an FAQs section on their site that covers some important info, such as whether or not they have private changing areas (they don’t). Check the FAQs out here.

A NOTE ON SIZING:
Keep in mind that they specialize in selling SAMPLES, so their size ranges on jeans are limited to size 23 - 32 for women and 28-40 for men. They also carry a brand called “Frankie B” that has sizes 0-10 (women’s)

***I actually think the price of Levi’s are even pretty exorbitant, but, a girl’s gotta wear something, right? I remember when buying a pair of jeans seemed like a fairly nonchalant purchase, but nowadays it’s a regular investment!

FURTHER INFO:
Great article: http://www.lasnark.com/the-warehouse-sale-la-convention-center

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!