Relative Value

Whoo.  Sorry for the long pause.  I've been working on an entry about the ingenious way the Nordstrom preview sale works, but I haven't gotten around to finishing it off.  It's full of business mumble jumble, so I'm not sure if it's something that is of interest to the readers of this blog.  But, let me know if it is and I'll try to finish it.  At this point, I'm thinking about abandoning all together since it's gotten much too long.


Anyway, I wanted to present the topic of "relativity" in this post. For example, if you've seen Inception, you may think that reality is... well, "relative". But, since this is more of a retail blog (or a long rolling wish-list), I thought it'd be appropriate to talk about relative value. 


A good example of something that's of relative value (for most people) is a handbag. Some women pay thousands for designer handbags while others enjoy distributing their income more equally. I guess my only vice would be handbags and potentially vacations -- but only when I'm ON vacation. I'm always "practical" right before I go and then I get so swept away while there that the locals can talk me into anything. What do you guys think?  What has relatively high value to you, but not others? 


Here's an interesting story form 2006 about a Canadian who traded his red paper clip for a house (took a few trades of course).  A great story on relative value.

Or, more recently, an American traded an old cell phone for a porche.  YES.  HE DID IT.

Stationery Love

I remember scouring for travelesque wedding invitations for our semi "destination" wedding last year.  Ironically, my refusal to settle for less than "unique" resulted in my mom pulling an all-night DIY session of generic everyday wedding invites (thanks mom).

Fast forward a year: I'm deeply in love with these destination wedding invitations from Minted.com.

"A Far Away Destination" comes in three color palettes:  red, purple and teal. It also comes with a invitation backer, lined envelops, RSVP cards and thank-yous.  

The invitation (in red)

The full collection

"Destination Wedding Invitations" comes in two color palettes:  purple and navy. It also comes with a invitation backer, lined envelops, RSVP cards and thank-yous. 

The invitation (in purple)

The full collection

I love it! 

(speaking of travel, don't forget to check out Duffel)

Private Sales: The Industry

Given the success of private-sale etailers (Gilt, Hautelook, etc.), two big players are now joining in the industry.  Giants, eBay and American Express, have announced their new private-sale sites for fashion and travel.

The Fashion Vault

Like its predecessers in the industry, Ebay's The Fashion Vault offers exclusive deals for a limited number of hours on a first come first serve basis. 

What you need to know about eBay Fashion Vault

Trusted sellers and designers you know and love work closely with eBay to bring you Fashion Vault sales events. For a limited time—only 48 to 72 hours—exclusive online events celebrate the designers' work and offer you substantial discounts on brand new designer fashions.

These exclusive designs come directly from sellers who are authorized by the brand to sell their merchandise. And to make these deals even better, shipping is free.  These sales are for a limited time only and quantities are limited, so if you see something that catches your eye, act fast to make that beautiful item yours. 

Vacationist

American Express's Vacationist is only the second site to focus on the travel market.  It partners with luxury travel experts from Luxury Link and Travel + Leisure (think 13 years of luxury travel experience meeting one of the world's top travel publications).

For the sophisticated traveler, Vacationist is a members-only website featuring exclusive sales for stays at fine hotels.

Vacationist would allow you insider access to deals you simply won't find anywhere else. Deals up to 40% off. To the world’s top destinations. Sound nice? We certainly think so. Be a Vacationist.

Our exclusive sales usually last three to seven days and occur on a first come, first served basis. Every Vacationist wants the best selection of deals. The quickest Vacationist gets them. Log on early.

"Even with the economic downturn," according to matrixpartners.com, "the private-sale model is expected to make up a significant portion of the estimated $1 billion a year in online sales of luxury apparel."


What do you think?  Are you already enjoying the purveying the virtual racks of private sales online?