*Check out my new post for What to Expect at Nov 2013 – Rebecca Minkoff’s Sample Sale!
Readers, I have a confession to make. I’ve been a bad New Yorker. This month marks my second year living in New York, yet the sample sales that I have shopped at – well, I can count on one hand!
One of the best parts of living in New York is being able to take advantage of these things! That said, I am proud to say that I finally went to the Rebecca Minkoff sample sale yesterday and came out a winner.
Rebecca Minkoff sample sales happen twice a year, usually in May and November. Just last year they expanded from just having a NY sale to having a LA location as well. You see, I’ve seen countless emails to these sample sales in my inbox for quite a few years now, but somehow never needed to go since I already owned two RM bags – a black croc embossed M.A.C. and a matte gray mini M.A.C. I just didn’t want to tempt myself.
I try to never pay full price for anything if I don’t have to and these bags were no exception. My black MAC came from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale 4 years ago for $220 (orig $295) and my mini MAC was purchased with a Refinary29 deal for $110 (orig $195).
My M.A.C. has been such a go-to bag for me that the piping on the bottom is finally starting to give out, so I knew it was time for me to finally hit the sale to see if I can find a suitable replacement…
1st Attempt – I wanted to go to the sale the first day when it opened to shop the best of the lot, so on Monday afternoon, I got there right when the sale started at Noon. I figured I could skip lunch and grab a bag instead. WRONG. By the time I got there, the line was around the block and the ladies who were in line ahead of me had been there for over an hour! There was no way I was going to get in and shop before lunch ended. Bummed, I hopped back on the subway to go finish the work day.
Note to self: don’t go to Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale on the first day or be prepared to wait 1-2 hours in line.
 |
| The long tables filled with Regular and Mini M.A.Cs, mini 5-zip and more! |
2nd Attempt – The next morning, I decided to be a bit more bold and line up 45 minutes before doors opened at 10AM. Luckily for me, there were only 6 other ladies who were on the same wavelength as me who were also in line. Score! By the time 9:45AM hit, employees of the sale started to put a sign up for “Gilt City”. Turns out Gilt City had a deal for $25 that allowed you skip the line AND get $50 in credit. Say what? That is such a ridiculously awesome deal and I’m sad that I missed out. Will look out for it the next time.
10 AM hit and we were let in. There was a mad dash towards the table with the M.A.C.s. Following suit, I became a crazy person, frantically hoarding every and any purse that I thought I could like. There was an abundance of regular and mini M.A.C.’s all spread out on one long table along with other tables with other styles. The only downside of the selection is that it didn’t come in the more neutral colors. If you wanted to find a classic black or brown M.A.C., forget about it. Digging around, I quickly realized that there were a lot of purses in the same colors in the same styles, and it was almost like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The merchandise ranged from $25 and upwards. The mini M.A.C.s were priced at $125 while the regular sized ones were $175. This is definitely the cheapest that you can get Rebecca Minkoff purses, ready to wear and even their shoes.
As I continued to wander around to the other 4 tables, I happened to stand by two employees who were unpacking a box of inventory, and it just so happened they took out ONE Midnight Blue M.A.C. along with M.A.C.s in more desirable colors than what was laying out on the tables. SCOREEEE.
Accidental Pro-tip: (Politely) watch out for employees who are bringing in more inventory to see what they come out with.
Right when I got in, I felt like the pressure was on to find the bag(s) that I’ve been eyeing for so long. So much in fact that I ended up grabbing 9 too many bags that I didn’t end up buying. Here’s some of the bags I was contemplating…
 |
| Silver Mini M.A.C. w/ gunmetal hardware, Gold Snake Print Mini M.A.C w/ gold hardware & Black Patent Mini-5-Zip |
 |
| Turquoise Punched Leather M.A.C., Mint M.A.C and 2 bags that I don’t know the name of… |
In the end, I was feeling like an indecisive mad woman, who was swayed to buy more just because of the abundance of them. As the hour went on, I had to hit up all 3 of my lifelines.
50/50 – I was able to eliminate some of my bags just by knowing what I didn’t need. From my experience, Mini M.A.Cs are just way too small of a purse for me. While it fits my phone and wallet, I want to be able to just toss junk into my purse. Therefore, bye bye anything Mini…even though you were so cute.
Ask the Audience – As time went on, everyone started asking everyone else for their opinions. Is this color too trendy? Should I get the gold or the neutral brown? Only thing is, I was a bit paranoid, because I did see a few girls eyeing the bags that I had…would anyone give me bad advice just to sabotage me!? Hello sample sale paranoia, bye bye all sense of being rational.
Finally, when I couldn’t keep myself in check anymore, and since I came to the sale alone…
Phone a Friend – I needed someone to talk me away from buying the same purse in 3 different colors, so luckily, the bff was free for a phone call (or 2….or 4… lol). Also, thank goodness she is not only rational, but not an enabler. No, you don’t need the same purse in a different colors. Yes, you can probably find another teal purse that will be good for summer. Yes, you are irrationally buying right now.
In the end, here’s what I came out with…
The Goods
 |
| Midnight Blue M.A.C. – $175 (orig. $295) – 40% off – yay!! |
 |
| Gold Snake Print M.A.C Laptop Bag – $50 (orig. $220) – over 75% off |
 |
| Pink Pebbled Kerry Pouch – $25 (orig. $75) – 66% off! |
All in all, I’m very happy with my purchase. After a lot of self-restraint, I managed to get exactly what I went for, which was a replacement for my black M.A.C.
If you’ve been coveting any Rebecca Minkoff purses, then I highly recommend this sample sale. By the time I left the sale, there was no line to get in (at around 10:45am) and there were employees who were continuously restocking, so I bet there might be more hidden gems for you to find.
One thing that I wish I did in preparation for this sale was to look on the current Rebecca Minkoff website to see which purses were from this season. For example, I saw a bunch of girls roaming around with these purses, which now I see is obviously from this season…
 |
| Wallet On A Chain in Mint |
 |
| Andie Dome in Mint |
 |
| Skylar Mini in Periwinkle |
Bottom line is, do some research before you go and set a budget for yourself so you don’t end up buying 4 of the same purses in different colors because it looks cute. ๐
————————
Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale
May 6-11, 2013
260 Fifth Ave
(between 28th & 29th Street)
New York, NY 10001
Neighborhood: Flatiron
