New York City is synonymous with shopping. As frivolous as it may be, it can provide incredible satisfaction and often can be therapeutic. A goal is set to buy a pair of black pants because "that's what I need," and by the end of a full day of shopping, I end up with not only the black pants I set out for, but another pair in brown and pink, along with an amazing coral necklace, hot pink stilettos, and a new purse. It's unbelievable, the power of merchandising.
Every day I receive an e-mail from "Daily Candy" which outlines upcoming things going on in the City. It ranges from new restaurants opening, store sales, concerts, etc. Occasionally they send out an e-mail listing all of the sample sales. A sample sale is when a store sells merchandise at wholesale prices because there's no middle man. It's mostly overstock from previous seasons. Usually they are located in discreet places whose location is disclosed only a few days before the event. Women can be vicious at these things; catty, jealous, and ruthless women attend these events trying to get there first in order to obtain the best colors and sizes. It's war. I attended one the other day for a small company called Mella, which sells sandals, bags, and belts in all different styles and colors. We traveled to dingy mid-town onto a desolate side street into a deserted office building. The elevator was makeshift, so we took the stairs. There were abandoned apartments, grimy bathrooms; we thought we were at the wrong address. And then we reached the 6th floor, where women of all different shapes, sizes, and styles were crammed into this narrow hallway. The line went back and forth and at one point continued down the stairs. They only let 2 people in at a time. We waited and waited, all to get into this 2x4 room with boxes of flip flops strewn all over. I rummaged and scraped to find the perfect pair. It really was nothing special, and all I purchased was one pair for $5. When the woman cashed me out, she was appalled that I waited all that time for just one pair. Apparently people were buying 20 at a time. I don't know what I would ever do with that many flip flops. The moral of the story is: in New York City, women will do anything for a good deal when shopping.
