Today, destiny brings us face to face with one of New York City's most serious bargain hunts—the Hermès sample sale on 18th Street in Chelsea. Racked is reporting live from the scene all morning. Buckle up.
9:30am: The line is crazy— much worse than last year. I'd say there are a couple hundred people here. The sale is mid-block on 18th Street, and line goes all the way down 18th, wraps around the corner, and goes halfway up the block on Sixth Avenue. It's longer than any line I've ever seen at the Barneys Warehouse Sale. I didn't expect this at all— it's much crazier than the sale last March.
9:40am: In the last ten minutes, thirty more people have gotten in line behind me. Decent number of well-dressed men here.
9:47am: The back of the line now extends up Sixth Avenue all the way to 19th Street.
9:52am: Bags in front of me in line: Celine, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Bottega Veneta. The line now wraps down 19th Street—never seen it this bad.
10:04am: There's a girl handing out membership cards for Gilt, the online sample sale site.
10:11am: Two guys in button-downs walking to the end of the line. One: "Guess we should have taken a cab." The other: "We should have gotten here last night.
10:15am: And we're moving! There's a man in a black sweatshirt next to me trying to cut the line. I'm predicting a fight.
10:28am: Oh look, another girl working the line for another sample sale.
10:35am: The first shoppers just emerged with bags. Ladies in front of me had a little freak-out. The line-cutter, by the way, seems to have made it into line behind me.
10:38am: Line-cutter update: He just dropped his Starbucks and splashed an older lady. No manners.
10:51am: The line-cutter saga ends: He left. Guess he was sick of waiting.
