Buy Luxe For Less – 5 Stellar Sites To Bookmark

I’ve always been a deal-hunter. That’s one of the reasons I love Points and Miles collecting; the insane amount of travel you can get for free makes me a little giddy. I’m an equal-opportunity deal-hunter, though: a dollar saved is a dollar earned. Online bargains, sample sales, garage sales…I love ’em all. My all-time favorite score was a pair of Hans Wegner rope chairs for $30 at a garage sale.

There are tons of deal sites out there, but the following five are the ones I currently cruise most frequently. I find that the quality is high, the selection is large, and the prices are right, especially if you can catch a sale. My philosophy is to buy quality at a discount – I never pay full price. I find that the pieces I pick up on luxury sites are pieces I keep for a very long time, if not forever. I’d rather spend a little more on a long-term-commitment item than purchase the same cheapie piece new each season. (FYI – some of the links below are mine…thanks for using them!)

1. Gilt. This is my go-to site for luxury staples: bags, dresses, shoes, blouses, and nice jewelry pieces. I like to shop Gilt because it’s well-curated and very easy to navigate. The vibe is “high-end boutique that just happens to be having an amazing sale.” Gilt also carries goods for men, kids, and home; there are also sections for food/wine, travel, and city, although I don’t shop those as much.

My most recent Gilt purchase was this Unzipped Metallic Shopper from Joy Gryson. This bag ended up being the source of bag envy for several of my friends, who then managed to coerce me to send future “bag alert” texts immediately if I ever see anything similarly fabulous.

2. Bluefly. This is where I shop for denim and basic tees. They frequently have excellent sales, so definitely wait for one of these before you fill your cart. I regularly find premium denim for around $40/pair, and tees for $15-$20. This is a good site to shop if you know exactly what you are looking for; otherwise it can be a little overwhelming.

My most recent Bluefly score was this pair of AG Farrah jeans for $40:

3. Ebay. This site is an oldie but a goodie. I shop ebay when I want to find a piece that gets better with age, like a vintage Coach bag. I also love their selection of Mid Century Modern light fixtures (is that random?). Ebay can also be a treasure trove of “open box” items (stuff that can’t be sold in the store, but that is still perfectly good).

My most recent ebay purchase was an “open box” leather ipad cover for $17.

And yes, I also scooped up a vintage Coach “Stewardess” bag. So yummy:

 

4. One King’s Lane. I’m embarrassed to admit that this is a recent discovery for me. The site offers designer goods for the home – furniture, accessories, gifts, and more. If you are a design addict, stay away from this site, because it is like a drug. Really, just don’t look.

I really wanted to get some K shams for our bed, but Josh nixed the idea. Still secretly eyeing them, though.

 

5. Fab. This site describes itself as “daily design for everyone.” I would say that sums it up nicely. It’s a big site, and there’s a lot going on: kind of like a visit to a design warehouse sale. I typically scan their daily email and probably click through 2-3 times a week. It’s a good site for gifts, because they tend to have sales that are pretty targeted to specific interests.

Case in point: the last thing I bought on Fab was a boxer umbrella for my friend Hottie. She loved it.

As usual, with all of these sites, don’t forget to start at a rebate site like TopCashBack or Evreward to stack even more savings on top of the great discounts you find.

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