sample sales: I am from Britain, I am on telly there, giving financial advice. I came to New York with my boyfriend, Luke Brandon from Barndon Communications - he is trying to set an office here, and I was asked to several interviews for a job in TV. I like it here. It is huge and kind of ... more. And the shops! I already bought a beautiful Kate Spade bag in tan leather in Saks on Fifth Avenue, and it was a complete gift, because everybody knows that prices are really low in America! And while I had it gift wrapped, I overheard a conversation, it was like “below wholesale...”, "sample sale...”, "Earl jeans...”, "Alexander McQueen, pale blue, 80 percent off...”, "sample sale...”, "sample sale...”, and I asked the girls who talked, and they gave me a card, with an address and a list of designers, and it said that it was 60-70 per cents off, but it lasted only one day. I am dying to go there, but just wanted to ask if it's for real, and not a scam, because it is in some strange part of the city, where you can get only on a taxi. Is this true? Should I go there?|||Well, this is the Books and Authors section but lucky for you I am an American who has been to New York and knows what a sample sale is. Sample sales are used by retail businesses in order to discard excess merchandise. Sometimes these samples have been used by agencies to sell products that they will distribute to local vendors. Sample sales are often associated with the fashion industry. These sales are an opportunity to get near perfect merchandise at a fraction of the price. It is often difficult to have information on the date and time of sample sales, although there are websites which list information about sample sales in on line diaries. They are also used to draw in new clients, hoping that the new people will return to the company's store and buy more merchandise. I live in Atlanta so I can't accurately say how valid the sample sale is that you were invited to. I'm pretty sure its real but if you are apprehensive about it you should bring a friend along.