And when I say dating myself: I mean in the “omg how old am I” sense, not the “dinner and a movie” sense.
Moving on. Waaaaay back in the day, when I still used floppy disks and a cassette-tape answering machine, I used to go to Kate Spade sample sales. This must have been in about 1993 or 1994, because the Kate Spade brand was just taking off. It was only bags, not all this other stuff they sell now. (And with each successive sale I went to over the course of a couple of years, the crowds got crazier and the prices got higher.)
Anyway, that first sale was the best one ever. I walked out with 7 or 8 bags (some for me, some bought on behalf of friends, some for gifts) and I don’t think I even spent $100. I got at least three of the classic, short-handled, rectangular purses–a black nylon, a brown suede, and a cotton plaid. I got a small, drawstring evening bag. I got a larger black bag with longer handles. I could have died happy that night.
These days, I am a lousy bargain shopper. I am all about convenience and I am usually happy to pay for it. I wish I could be a good thrifter like these amazing women. Instead, I keep my old, out-of-style Kate Spades in my closet, remembering the thrill of that first sample sale and waiting for those boxy shapes to come back into fashion.
Thanks, PBN, for inspring me to take this little walk down memory lane!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
How about I cheer your day up if you’re such a lousy bargain shopper?
The gal who won my gas card can’t use it (no BP in her area) and she chose another number (9) and that was YOU.
Shoot me an email with your snail mail and I’ll give you $25 worth of free gasoline!
See? Your shopping experience is getting better already!
Sample sale sounds so sophisticated.
I don’t have any nice purses because I can’t get my stuff to fit inside them. I will pretend I have classy vintage Kate Spades in my closet too!
You should pull out the Kate Spades and rock them proudly. Maybe you will start a fashion trend.
Oh I’d be using a Kate Spade…don’t care if it’s in style or not.
LOL – I was never a sample sale person – can’t deal with the crowds!
OOooh, Kate Spade bags! Those never show up at the Goodwill store I shop at
Ah yes, it’s been quite a long time since I’ve been able to shop anywhere else but Target. Maybe after I get the kids through college…
Okay, first of all, your opener had me laughing out loud. Second, how lucky are you? $25 of gasoline-yeah Mayberry. And third, I’d be rotating the Kate bags all year long. What the heck, it’s not Manhattan!
Okay, first of all, your opener had me laughing out loud. Second, how lucky are you? $25 of gasoline-yeah Mayberry. And third, I’d be rotating the Kate bags all year long. What the heck, it’s not Manhattan!
Thrift is as thrift does. You never know when you will find something good. (and when you do, we’ll save you a guest post slot over at DYBTN).