By Nadine Kam

Photos by Nadine Kam
The scene at about 8:15 a.m. at the Sandal Tree Cheap Shoe Sale.

Whew! Finally at home at 2 p.m. after a morning of crowds and lines, starting with Sandal Tree’s 8 a.m. “Cheap Shoe Sale.”

It was all very leisurely for me because I can’t fit normal shoes, being a Cinderella size 3, so I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to buy anything. Very sad, but in a way a good thing, because if I spent on shoes what I spend on handbags, it would be disastrous.

It was even more leisurely because I forgot I had reset my alarm clock from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., so I was lying around thinking I had lots of time to get there.

Of course when I got there the rush was on, and yes, there was plenty of stock available, from sizes 5 to 11, with some casual children’s footwear and men’s shoes too. My guess is that there were more than 300 shoppers and plenty of shoes for all.

Comments overheard at the event:”I woke up so early, at 3 o’clock.”
“I wish there were more smaller sizes.”
“I got plenty of Christmas presents.”I saw a small-looking pair of bronze shoes in a box labeled “Mismatched,” but as I was about to reach for it a woman snapped, “That’s mine! I guess I better take off the sign.”

Shopping pros grab first, sort later.

The pros carried big shopping bags to stash their finds before sorting. Others carried armloads of sandals, valued from about $75 to $800 retail, all from a year old to current styles. Each pair went for $10.

No word as to whether there will be another sale like it next year. While it’s great for bargain hunters, the store’s aim, of course, is to bring in such tempting wares that shoppers will be willing to pay full price!

The aftermath: Purses and beach bags went first.

From there it was on to the Aracadia benefit jewelry sale at Central Union Church. That was actually the only line I stood in because I have good memories of a vintage seed pearl brooch I found there two years ago. I missed last year’s sale because I was out of town.

That sale was supposed to start at 10, but a lot of women around me were complaining that they were on time but there were already people inside.

Score! at the Arcadia sale.

Once you made it through the outdoor line, there were four more lines inside, for jewelry categorized by price: $4, $6 to $8, $10 to $98, and $100 and up. Decisions, decisions. I headed for the $100 and up tables first, but didn’t look too hard. I realized I had forgotten my checkbook, only had $100 on me, and they don’t take charge cards. There was a lot of Ming’s pearl jewelry.

Moved on to the $10 to $98 line, but glancing over at the $6 to $8 table, there was some stuff that looked intriguing, so I went over there. Picked up a few pieces of costume jewelry. Nothing I really needed; $22 gone. Got back to the pricier line. Weirdo that I am, I picked up a gold-tone “barrel of monkeys” necklace for $14. How could I resist! I worried what my boyfriend might think, but he liked it. No wonder I like him! Also picked up a 10K antique diamond ring for $30, the diamonds being mostly invisible to the naked eye.

I had $6 left, so what the hell … I went over to the cheapo table and picked up an owl pin (I love owls and birds, such that the highlight of any “Harry Potter” film, for me, is when the owls appear) made of feathers for $4, and they knocked $2 off a broken brooch, which I figure I can just sew onto some garment.

Overheard:
“We came on time; next year we know better.”
“I want to spend up to $100.”
“I hope there’ll be something left when we get in.”

Converse All-Stars get a tokidoki makeover by Simone Legno.

Finally, headed to LeSportsac at Ala Moana Center, where Simone Legno was autographing tokidoki gear for his fans. Super nice guy and so accommodating, posing for photos with every fan who wanted one! First there was a huge line of cars for parking. Retailers are worried that shoppers may not spend this holiday season, but the crowds suggest the same madness as usual, though Hawaii may have more shopaholics per capita than elsewhere. Cindy Fracchia, regional sales manager for LeSportsac, who’s based in San Francisco, said the company has done similar events in that city, but the S.F. crowd can’t compare to Honolulu’s.

Kyllie Kinerney, 9, shows a wallet and LeSportsac bag signed by Simone Legno.

The line outside the store was double the length of his last visit, and when I saw it, they had already set a cut-off point halfway around the building. A lucky few in the back of the line had umbrellas to shield them from the sun. It was super hot and the line was moving slowly, because inside, Legno takes time with each fan, drawing each a little picture on their merchandise. This time, fans were limited to two pieces each to keep the line moving. Glad I wasn’t there for signing. Just documenting.

Catch my videos of Legno in action at http://blogs.starbulletin.com/fashiontribe/fans-enjoy-a-tokidoki-moment/

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 17th, 2007 at 3:15 pm and is filed under Pop, Shoes, Jewels, Shop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.