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    Saks Kicks Off Sale Season 40% Off

    It’s not even Halloween but Saks Fifth Avenue is already kicking off sale season. Today, we took the rainy day to investigate the department store’s ‘Sneak Peek’ sale, which offers customers up to 40% off many designer shoes, bags and clothing.


    Our first stop was express to shoes. The markdown ranges from 25% to 40% off. We were most surprised to find a full range of beautiful lace Manolo Blahnik Hangisi shoes are 30% off. Here are the denim Hangisi heels reduced to $696 from $995.  Other standouts were Nicolas Kirkwood Beyas flats are $297 from $500 and are available in a variety of colors. Boots with a pearl on the inner heel are $570 from $945.

    We spotted these really pretty Aquazzura pearl slingbacks come to $626 from $900. The flats are $500 from $725. Jump over to see pictures of what else we found on the shoe floor. There is a small  Valentino assortment and tons of Stuart Weitzman options.

    Most of the clothing that’s on sale is 40% off. There are little racks of nearly every designer. A wool blazer from The Row is $1470 from $3670, an MSGM blazer made of a neoprene-like fabric is $540 from $900, a Balmain sweatshirt is $390 from $650 and the tank with gold buttons at the shoulder is $240 from $395. Online you will even find some Gucci deals. This lace trim dress is $1700 from $3400 and leather pants are $1750 from $3500. Click over to see pictures from inside the store.

    The sale options withing the bag section aren’t great. The best discounts are on Chloe bags. Online we found this Valentino tote reduced to $822 from $1175. Store pictures are over here.

    The discount signs get taken down on October 31 and everything goes back to full price. Presale for Black Friday should begin in about two weeks and the big sales should begin a week before Thanksgiving. See ya then!

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    Global Fashions Sample Sale

    Sample sale season is on fire and Global Fashions will be fueling the flames as it opens its doors to the public on Monday morning. Global Fashions, which is the official luxury distributor for several Italian designer brands including couture items. This is an excellent opportunity to shop for top designer items for serious markdowns.

    If you’ve been to a Global Fashions sale before you probably know the treasures that behold. We got a sneak peek while the sale was being set up and are thrilled to share what we found. Discounts range from 55% to 80% off. Men’s and women’s clothing are all 80% off. Rockstud shoes are discounted 55% off. All other shoes, sneakers boots, bags, and accessories are discounted 70% off. We have pictures and detailed pricing in the jump.

    Among the bags, we found a gold chain shoulder bag from the Love collection that comes to $825 from $2745. A butterfly embroidered backpack is $900 from $3045 and a studded clutch is $690 from $2295. (You can stalk pictures of some of our favorites over here.)

    We think that men especially appreciate this sale. There is a large selection of men’s studded sneakers that are all reduced 70% off. Most stiles retail for $800 to $900. There are also great men’s backpacks. A blue and read leather style is $1131 from $3375. Men’s coats, suits, and clothing are 80% off and worth of a serious look. Pictures and detailed pricing in the jump.

    We love all the boots available for women but sizing is a little spotty. If you see your size, grab it fast because there is no backstock. There are also lots of women’s sneakers. The best assortment is size 38.  Rockstud shoes are a little spotty but there are some great styles on the racks in limited sizes. Take note, there is a three-pair maximum n the Rockstuds. (This should be very helpful in keeping the quantities in check.) Pictures and detailed pricing in the jump.

    Global Fashions always offers a great shopping experience. There is a great designer find for most every budget. This is a sale you’re not going to want to miss. Don’t tell us we didn’t warn you.

    Global Fashions Sample Sale
    Monday, October 28 through Wednesday, October 30
    9am-6pm daily
    49 West 38th Street

    Sponsored post




    $1130 from $3375

    Men’s sneakers

    $510 from $1700

    $210 to $240 from retail $700-$800 

    $516 from $1725

    $900 from $3040

    $471 from $1570


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    Inside the Manolo Blahnik’s (Last) Sample Sale

    Today marked a very sad day. We believe that today’s Manolo Blahnik sample sale will be the last. This sale has been a bi-annual highlight of the shopping season for as long as we can remember.

    Despite its popularity, the Manolo Blahnik staff always treated customers with a warm and cozy place to wait and true sample sale prices. As the Manolo Blahnik brand readies to change US operations, we celebrated in the best way possible– sample sale shopping!

    Early birds first arrived at the Warwick Hotel starting before dawn. Ticket numbers were handed out at 6:30am. For the first time, shoppers were given priority numbers to those who arrived the earliest. The sale officially opened at 8:30am to VIP shoppers, who reportedly bomb dived and quickly accumulated any embellished style shoe. By 10:30am all the Lurum-Hangisi-Nadira selection were captured and stashed aways in large plastic bags and under tables.

    Prices started at an unbelievable $100, which means no tax. The earliest shoppers were treated to oodles of $300 Lurums, $250 Hangisi and $250 Nadira style shoes. All BBs and basic style shoes were only $100 and there were a plethora of options. You can see the full price list in the jump. For the first time, the sale had a number of small novelty items, including towels ($30), candles ($10), and stationary.

    The best selection of shoes, as always, was size 37. Even at noon, boxes of size 37s were neatly stacked on standby for restocking. On all size ables there was an assortment of BB heels in almost every color and heel height. We also spotted lots of sandals and boots. We have some great haul pictures in the jump and some ‘no line-online’ shopping options above too.

    With all the crowds, checking out was the most tedious component of the sale. Most shoppers waited 30 to 60 minutes to pay for their shoes. All the crowds died down by mid-afternoon and the sale was extended until 6:30pm. We have a feeling that TheRealReal will be flooded with Manolos in the next week. Keep your eyes peeled.

    We usually prefer the end-of-season sale at the Manolo boutique but the rock-bottom ticket price of $100, makes the sample sale impossible to dispute. We are told that the 54th Street boutique will close at the end of the year. We anticipate that there will be one more boutique sale before the current ownership kicks out their heels.

    As we morn another loss of a great New York institution, the Madison Avenue Spy team would like to thank everyone at Manolo for all the wonderful memories and amazing shoes. Decades from now we will still discuss the amazing experience of shopping at a Manolo Blahnik sample sale. Cheers!

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    Hermés Sample Sale: Everything You Need to Know

    The NYC Hermés sample sale kicked off to a small number of VIP invited guests, on Wednesday afternoon. The sale opens to the public on Thursday morning and is expected to draw huge crowds.

    Wednesday’s VIP invites were limited to about 200 shoppers who were admitted to the sale at 12pm. Most early shoppers reported waiting for about 30 minutes. One shopper said: The entire trip, from arrival to checkout, was two hours.

    That will not be the case once the sale opens to the public. Sample sale shoppers are reporting that they will arrive at 2am in hopes of being the first customers to gain entrance in the morning.

    Today’s VIP shoppers say that the sale was “okay“. Accessories are 50% off and are limited to a total of three units and just one from each category–leathers, enamels, Rivals, Hapis, Clic Clacs etc. Shoes are 50% off. There are no Oran sandals but there are jumping boots but only in the Moka color. Besides that, there are very few classics.

    Cashmere and silks are 50% off. There is a limit of two cashmere items and four silk items. There is a four tie limit. All ready to wear is 60% off. At the last sale, clothing was reduced by 80%. There are no housewares at the sale but there are some winter accessories such as gloves, hats and heavy cashmere scarves. (Click for pics.)

    Keep in mind, purchases made at a Hermes sample sale do not come with boxes. All items are marked with the letter “s” symbolizing that they were purchased at a sale. You can click here to compare notes with the Summer sale in NJ.

    For the opening day of the public sale, shoppers began arriving at 11pm the night before. By 7am there were 100 people on the line. By the afternoon the crowds thinned out tremendously and at 4pm there was no line at all. After work, the lines began to swell again and numbers stopped being distributed at 5pm.

    Attendees said that the line inside to shop the jewelry was reportedly very long and each shopper was only given 10 minutes to make their selections. Some people reported making out very well while others weren’t so impressed. We noticed that men seemed to make out a lot better at the sale then women.

    Unless you’re a die-hard, we would suggest watching from the sidelines. It seems as if that late afternoon lull — before the after-work rush– is the best time to attend the sale. We will continually update this post as pictures and intelligence become available.

    We have pictures from inside the sale and haul images over in the jump. We will have a team of spies reporting live from the opening at the public opening of the sale. Feel free to send tips, leave comments and follow along on Instagram. You can comment on the most recent Hermes post to ask questions and share info.

    Hermes Sample Sale
    Open to the Public: Thursday, October 24 through Sunday, October 27
    9am-7pm daily
    Soiffer Haskin: 317 West 33rd Street

    Saturday 





    Friday

    Thursday

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    Inside: The Jimmy Choo Sample

    This morning, the Jimmy Choo sample sale kicked off for press and VIPs. Just before 10am, there were only about thirty people waiting in the cue for general RSVP admission but that was just a temporary situation. By 11am, the line nearly reached Sixth Avenue, almost a full city avenue.


    Inside, shoes are organized by color on racks and bags are on tables. The best deals are men’s shoes, which are all $150. Women’s shoes start at $250. Usually, anything with embellishment falls into the $325 category but they were much more generous with pricing categories this season. Most shoe styles are in the $250 price range. Boots are priced at $375. Click here to see.

    The most popular items, this season, are the sneakers. Most people had stacks of them from the early portion of the sale, which limited the options from other shoppers. Handbags weren’t attracting many shoppers but there were some well-priced standouts. An ornate hard clutch evening bag is $350. You can see pictures over this way.

    So, what will you find? Shoes are priced much more fairly than past seasons. Even the men’s selection is filled with sneaker options. Sizes start at 34 and go up to 42. Size 37 to 40 had the best selection. On the bright side, we saw the racks being replenished with back stock.

    Jimmy Choo has great new styles but we didn’t see anything from the newer collections at the sale. Maybe next season? You can click this way to see pictures of what we found at the sale. The sale runs through Friday. Even though the weather is beautiful, we would avoid waiting in line for hours. The crowds should die down by Thursday afternoon.

    Prices are usually reduced to $100 the last day. Last season, hoarders were holding bags of shoes waiting for the markdown that happened at 3pm. That’s when the fun really began!

    Jimmy Choo Sample Sale
    RSVP Link: Code: samplesale19
    Through Saturday, October 26th
    Wed 11am-8pm, Thurs & Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm
    Metropolitan Pavilion Upper Events Space, 123 West 18th Street, 2nd Floor

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    Inside the Bonpoint Sample Sale

    The Bonpint sale officially started on Tuesday but you couldn’t tell considering the hustle and bustle of this morning’s crowd. There was a short line but nothing compared to the line for Jimmy Choo, which extends to Sixth Avenue.


    Bonpoint sample sale alumni will identify this year’s sale as better than usual. There is a great mix of Summer and Winter merchandise. There are lots of beautiful sweaters, coats, and boots. Most items are reduced by 60% off the retail sticker. Most shoes, pants, socks, and tights are 70% off.

    The highlight of the sale was the small selection of Golden Goose x Bonpoint collaboration sneakers, which are reduced 60% off.  The retail prices ranged from about $395 to $525. (Pics are over here.) By the time we left many sizes were depleted but there were some in size 34 and smaller. The coat selection is also incredible. Most coats retail for about $1000 and come to $400 after the discount. Baby down buntings are about $260 from $665.

    More formal style dresses are normally priced in the $300-range and come to $120-ish. More casual dresses are about $80 from an original price of $200 at the boutique. Boy’s trousers are about $60 from $150 and the collared shirts come to $48 from $120. You can click here to see pictures we snapped from inside the Bonpoint sample sale.

    Sorting through the clothing, there is almost something for everyone– spanning from the tiniest newborns to tweens. The slimmest inventory is usually size 2, which consists only of one sparse table. Size three and up is pretty plentiful and the baby’s selection is pretty plush too for those looking under 18-months.

    The sale also includes hats, gloves, blanks, sleepsacks, and pajamas. Many shoppers were loading bags of merchandise but most were sorting through the assortment to make thoughtful purchases. We suggest that Bonpoint shoppers take a spin through. If you’re lucky you can walk downstairs and hit Jimmy Choo too.

    Bonpoint Sample Sale
    Through Friday, October 25
    Wed 9am-8pm, Thurs 9am-7pm, Fri 9am-2pm
    The Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street (btwn 6th & 7th Ave), 5th FL

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    Neiman Marcus First Markdown – Contemporary

    For the fast few months, we have been tracking lots of reward shopping incentives, sale-on-sale discounts and friends and family promotions. Sale season is about to get serious as stores begin their markdowns on contemporary designer merchandise.

    Tibi


    Today, Neiman Marcus started its First Call Sale, which translates to the first markdown on contemporary labels. The sale isn’t public yet but you can use this private sale link to access the markdowns now.

    The discount is 30% to 40% off on most merchandise. Over this way, we found am Alexis crochet blouse that’s $400 from $550, a Veronica Beard blazer that’s a Balmain clone is is $490 from $650 and these mid-rise Mother jeans are $111 from $230. One of our favorite sale items are these Golden Goose Western boots that are $1100 from $1700. They are still pretty pricey but you can bet we will stay on high alert for more markdowns.

    Chances are that you’re no longer in the market for swimsuits and coversups. If you’re in the market, there are a lot of vacation friendly options. Here is a Melissa Oberdash caftan for $180 from $520, this kimono from Fuzzi is $190 from $540 and a Seafolly one-piece is $82 from $140.

    There will be some additional promotions and more merchandise added in the next few weeks. Designer merchandise officially gets markdown down on November 24. Don’t forget to check back for updates.

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    Chanel: Get Ready for a Major Price Increase

    Chanel shoppers should get ready to brace themselves for a new set of price hikes. Starting November 1 Chanel will raise prices considerably across the board. We have been told that a Large Classic Flap will go from $5600 to $6200. No need for a calculator, that’s a $600 price hike!

    You can see a full updated price list clearly by clicking on the spreadsheet image below. Please note, these prices have not been verified and we can’t promise that they are completely accurate but they will give you an idea of what to expect. (We will be sure to update the post if adjustments are needed.)

    (Click on the image for an expanded view.)

    We think it’s rather quite convenient that Chanel price increases happen almost annually right before the holiday shopping season. We strongly suggest that you execute your purchase now if you have been considering a new bag. Usually, Chanel withholds inventory this time of year. but it appears as if stores are well stocked with many popular styles.

    Since the beginning of Madison Avenue Spy, we have been tracking the prices of Chanel bags. In doing so, we have created a rich archive of pricing history. Since 2009,  the price of most style bags have increased by about 110%. You can refer to the chart above and see how prices have changed over the years. Please take the time to click on the picture and review all the information. (It took hours to compile.)

    The increasing trend of characterizing a Chanel bag a “good investment” is not at all accurate. The safest and most conservative investment is a Series EE treasury bond, which will essentially double your money in 20-years. So, your T-bill would be worth still only half as much as a new Chanel bag. On the flip side, nobody will sit and crush your T-Bill at a crowded bar in Brooklyn.

    If we look at the S&P 500, it has delivered a return of 180% in the past decade. That means if you invested your money in the S&P 500 in 2008, you could buy yourself a new Chanel bag and a wallet with the same money. We can go even further and compare a Chanel “bag” investment to Apple stock. In 10 years an investment in AAPL has gone up nearly 1000%, which means that if you took the $3200 you paid for a Jumbo classic bag in 2009 and purchased Apple it would be worth about $23,000. Now, that’s a good investment.

    We would never question the validity of a new Chanel bag but let’s all understand that it’s a luxury, not an investment. If a new Chanel bag is on your wishlist we suggest you give yourself a holiday gift now and enjoy using it for the foreseeable future. As an alternative, we pulled a variety of new and preowned Chanel bags that are all priced under $2800– the same price as a Classic Jumbo in 2009. You can buy the bag and make a meaningful financial investment.

    Below is a list of trusted Chanel sales associates at various stores:

    Saks Fifth Avenue: Marjorie 646-552-7292
    Saks (Columbus) Mojie: 614-581-3142
    Bloomingdales: Dean 646-537-5995
    Bergdorf Goodman: CJ 347-229-6159
    Barneys: Joseph 212-833-2092
    Hirschleifers: Tova 516-627-3566
    Jeffery New York: Kenya 212-206-1272

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