to market to market to BUY IT ALL UP

This post is going to highlight the amazingness of my bargain finding ability.  Not blowing my own trumpet here.. but seriously.  Sometimes… I just cannot BELIEVE the items that simply ‘fall into my lap’ (or fall into the mailbox more realistically), or in this case that I manage to dig up on a spot of market trawling.  Persistence, sheer determination and a super strong will to succeed are the three factors which are key to the amazing finds which occurred over the weekend.  Prepare to have your mind blown…

Okay SO the remainder of the weekend was spent doing nothing of note (Bettina Liano sample sale in Prahran after working Friday, nothing much great and then lead me to adding an extra 1.5 hrs travelling time onto my day – thanks PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC, and a daytrip to a small turn which had the potential to be cute and chic but turned out to not be, watching the first football game of the season (or trying not to), walking the dog, eating hot cross buns and getting the sick bf Codral, tissues and cups of tea (yes I passed the illness onto him.  He is SO impressed. Did someone say MANFLU?) – see? Totally a non-noteworthy Saturday). BUT then…. came MARKET SUNDAY MADNESS.  Drumroll please…

The most amazing Sunday ever started at a non-so-amazing 5:30am.  Usually when faced with a pre-six am start groaning, resentment and repeated hitting of snooze occurs.. but NO.  Not on a market day.  I sprang out of bed (scaring the dog on the way – sorry Biff), whooshed through shower/hair/getting ready, jumped into my pre-selected outfit from the night before (which consisted of Katemoss for Topshop quilted jacket (the new ebay purchase), Bettina Liano lace boyfriend singlet (the only decent thing from the sample sale on Friday night), Nudie denim jeans and washed grey leather vintage brogues (forgot I had these – super cute and perfect for marketing – check them out in today’s outfit below).  Woofed down breakfast and then grabbed my oversized straw and leather tote, which is perfect for fitting maximum purchases and looks snazzier than a million plastic bags hanging off my arms (but gets quite a bit heavier mind you.  Last time I got a massage the therapist polietily informed me that my right side was ‘severely overdeveloped’ (EXACT words!!) and to STOP carrying oversized bags immeadiately.  Oops.).  Okay – I was all set.

1.5 hours later down the highway in the dark I arrived in the early morning after-rain glow of Melbourne town.  There was absolutely no traffic so made it to Camberwell in record time.. 7:45 exactly.  Apart from when I have been a stallholder, this was the earliest I had been there (even when I lived 10 mins away in Armadale), so I was pretty chuffed with this.  Coffeed and ATM’d up – I was ready.  I was on the hunt for the ex PR manager from Lee/Wrangler’s stall, being the hit twitter tip I received on Friday and one of the sole motivators for wanting to get these so early.  Heading along my usual route, I spotted two girls pulling stuff out of boxes and a small mob gathering around them.  This was it!  Turns out they had run out of racks, so these poor lovelies had no choice but to pile their goodies in small mountains on one lonely table.  I watched in fascination for the next fifteen minutes as they laid their wares in front of me… it was like my own personal shopping heaven! Lee jeans, Wrangler cut offs and sample knits – they had it all.  Bought – actually nothing.  I wasn’t sold on anything in particular so decided to keep moving… and vowed to return if there was no worthy finds.  Here are some pics of the rather gloomy action:

 

So… halfway through the market and my carry all was already filled to capacity.  I had snapped up a Sass and Bide beaded long sleeve tee for $25 (never worn the girl claimed.. tried to bargain her down but she was steadfast.  Good casual cool top – a look I don’t do very well so I am proud of this buy); a Tibi black crepe beaded crop jacket (UM have googled this baby and found it was for sale on Net-A-Porter for $300GBP – guess who paid $20??) and from the same stall a French Sandro tweed cropped jacket with chain detail on the sleeves (love love LOVE this – makes me so so French and chic and Olivia – and again – only $20).  This girl was a buyer from somewhere (I couldn’t figure it out) and was selling all the original samples for totes ridic prices.  I COULD have also bought a black silk Paul and Joe kimono sleeve dress ( but it was a size 3), a stunning Maje shiny linen blazer (but it had a hole cut out of the side) and any number of Tibi ponti dresses/pants/skirts.  This stall was by far the best for amazing designer labels at a fraction of the price… but being samples you really have to inspect each one from top to bottom.. nothing worse than finding a big hole in the sleeve of that AMAZING Rag and Bone blazer (note – has happened to me on numerous occasions. Sob).  So – I was pretty contented with my finds so far. Here they are:

PIC of the jacket from Net-a-Porter - FAB

Stopped off for a hot jam donut (how can you POSSIBLY resist?? They smell SOO good!) and then stumbled across THE BEST FIND YET.  In was in the undercover stalls in the middle of the market… a location which does not rate highly on my ‘usual top spots for finding fab buys’ list (it’s a mental list – if you want to know email me and I will tell you the most likely spots in which to find the best items if you are short of time). So there it was – in amongst some fairly BLAH items.  It was beige, and oversized.  My interest levels were rising.  What is that? A ‘returns will not be accepted without this tag’ tag?  NEW? And then I saw the label – Thurley.  WTF is this brand new Thurley egg shaped line n blend cocoon coat doing hiding amongst the Lovely Girl dresses and Ice pants?? I was almost too scared to ask the price.  I had a twenty left in the wallet and was mentally calculating the grocery items I could cross off my list in order to raise funds (I can totally live on tuna and apples for the week) when the lady said the most magical words – ‘that one is $42’.  WHAT????????????????????? ‘Well the $2 is for you to bargain with me’ – so ultimately I could have this for $40.  I asked her to hold whilst I raced to the ATM – no more than five minutes and $40 later it was MINE.  WOW. Here:

Not a great pic I know.

So I left the market after that – on a complete high at all  my items.  Today – I have google searched my coat and found it on sale on the Thurley website – down for $799 to $299. KACHING.

See????? TOTALLY UNBELIEVEABLE.

Total monies spent = $105.

Total to buy new = I would say PRICELESS – but if I had to say a figure I would estimate at around $2000.  BANG.

Life cannot get any better.

SO todays’ outfit incorporates the new Sandro coat.  Here:

I would love to team this one with jeans and a tee – but since I cant wear jeans to work and the fact that I don’t have a fabulous white basic tee I cannot do this right now – so this is the next best option.  SO Sandro tweed cropped jacket ($20 Camberwell market – WOW), worn over a Seed Femme ivory poly collarless shirt ($75 in store staff discount Seed Femme), over the Neon Blonde shiny black biker panelled pants ($10 eBay – new wardrobe HERO) and then the cutest grey vintage brogues that I wore to the market ($25 vintage shop in Ballarat).  These guys are super comfy and don’t make your feet look huge which is the issue I have found with other brogue-esque footwear options.  Feeling super Frenchy and chic and Olivia and FAB.

Look what got delivered today???

OH just a little pair of Sass and Bide ‘the Long Shot’ cropped distressed jeans… now these would look HOT in the tweed jacket and white tee combo…. Where can I get a fab non-sheer good quality white tee?? I am struggling BIG TIME with something that really should be OH SO simple.  Let me in on the secret!!

FINDS of the century. WOOP. Now do you believe in my powers of bargain finding??

 

FFIFY xxxx