Back from another planet

As Bethany mentioned yesterday, I went to the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. It was quite an experience!

This event was going on the week we moved here five years ago, and I had heard about it from people in Illinois, but I didn't realize what a big deal it is until after we had moved here.

People fly here from out of state, because they figure that they'll save enough money to pay for their plane tickets. Women fill multiple garbage bags with purses totes, etc. The company had to set a $2000 limit on what individual customers can buy after shoppers on the final day last year didn't have merchandise to buy.

I was fortunate to have been given a ticket for the Tuesday afternoon portion of the sale, before the actual event begins in earnest, and was among the first few hundred people into the sale. Even at that early hour, there were women who were disgruntled that 200 women would enter the Expo Hall before them. Everything was either 25, 50, or 75% off the retail prices. It was amazing to watch women moving down the aisles at top speed grabbing the desired items and shoving them into bags.

I had a good time.

I have a few Vera Bradley pieces that I've received for gifts, but a Vera Bradley sale isn't where most people who know me would expect to find me. I didn't have a particular agenda, so I was able to take my time and look around. A lot of the fun was watching the women who were almost in a panic that they might not get the piece that they wanted. I did manage to find some great Christmas presents at 50 and 75% off.

I bought a black microfiber bag that I had been looking at. Since I got it for $15 I'll enjoy it a lot more than I ever would have if I'd paid $60 for it.

I'm trying to imagine getting as worked up about a sale as these women were. Maybe it's because I don't have the collector mentality, but I really can't think of anything that I'd be that excited about getting in to buy. (Okay, maybe if it were 75% off really good cookware.)

Maybe.