NYC is vast and if you love to shop, it is hard to know where to begin. If you dont get here often, we do recommend certain key stops on your own, such as the flagship Bloomingdales on Lexington and 59th or perhaps pop into Century 21 on 64th and Broadway, for bargains. Of course, with loads of time, if you are an “explorer” you can spend an entire day in each neighborhood.

But for those of you who like  a little more handholding, need/wish to get alot out of a shorter amount of time, or want to do things others cannot do, we suggest a Shop Gotham NYC shopping tour. We offer 5 regularly scheduled fascinating programs each a week plus bountiful options for privates (you and a pal or 2) and larger groups.

For details and fees, please visit : www.shopgotham.com 

Shop Gotham’s weekly Deal: 15% off the Wed. April 27th Garment Center “insider” shopping tour. More bucks for the stuff in your shopping bag!  Special access to wholesale designer showrooms and a hot sample sale or 2.

for all the fab. details,visit: www.shopgotham.com

NYC loves this season for a lot of reasons:  the cherry trees blooming at Central Park, the sidewalk cafes re-appearing on the streets, the opportunity to wear peep-toed shoes!  But for those who consider shopping a way of life, spring also means SAMPLE SALES!!

April and May feature some of the best sample sales from some of the hottest designers.  Take a Garment Center Insider Tour to get to some of the following sales.   BUT the highlight of the tour will be going behind the scenes and into  some of New York’s top private designer showrooms.   Sign up today!

April 25-30 Fred Perry

April 27-29 Vivienne Tam

April 27-29 Aeffe USA

April 28-30 Paul Smith

May 3-5 Furla

May 9-27 Charlotte Ronson, Odd Molly, Bloch

May 10-12 Rachel Roy/Pink Tartan

May 18-22 Theory

Also coming this spring:  Tory Burch, J. Crew, Lewis Cho and more!  Stay tuned…

Expect to see Boho Chic, eccentric colors, crochet sweaters, and long layering pieces (as well as other great autumn trends) this fall as the Garment Center Sample Sales begin to really heat up for the Holiday season. Of course the REAL bonus to going into the private showrooms include the lack of crowds and the abundance of items that others won’t have the opportunity to get their hands on.  To get more information about our Garment Center Tours please visit http://www.shopgotham.com/daily-new-york-shopping-tours.php and take a look at our EXCLUSIVE Cheap and Chic Tours http://www.shopgotham.com/special-seasonal-tours.php taking place for a limited time only!!

This Holiday Season enjoy great New York City designer sample sales in the garment center with Shop Gotham. Last year we scored insider shopping tour deals with chic designers such as Nanette Lepore, Oscar De La Renta, Tory Burch, Philip Lim, Derek Lam, Vince, Milly, Tibi, Stuart Weitzman, and Delman Shoes.  Please visit www.shopgotham.com in order to find that great holiday gift for someone special or just spoil yourself during the holiday season! Make sure to check out the extra Monday afternoon tours happening in November and December. Happy Shopping!

Subscribe to Shop Gotham New York Shopping News:(1 issue per month) and we will send you our semi-annual NYC Resource List of the best fashion odds & ends (such as the VERY best stores for bras, special size shoes, plus size fashion) –www.shopgotham.com)

WHAT EXACTLY IS A SAMPLE SALE? Once upon a time, Sample Sales were the place to buy one-of-a kind items created by a designer for the purpose of selling his/her line each season to retailers. Some items never even went to production, making them oh-so-coveted. Typically these sample items were size 4-8, depending on what the designer determined as his/her “model” size.

Today (circa 2009) Sample Sales are synomous with OVERSTOCK – the goods left over after all the stores have made their purchases.  Which means that real people can shop these sales too, as ALL the sizes a designer produces can typically be found. Often, but not always, there are also those coveted sample pieces which were never produced (and sometimes past seasons’ items as well). Expect savings of 50-70% below retail.

WHY CAN WE BUY ITEMS “In Season” WHEN THEY ARE STILL IN THE STORES? The fashion industry sells their items 2 seasons ahead to the retailers.  When spring arrives (for instance) and you are ready to buy your wardrobe,  designers are busy selling their goods to the stores for the Fall.  Hence, if they have overstock, there is nowhere for it to go except to off-price stores, outlets and into the consumer’s hands directly via Sample Sales.  Although Sample Sales have become more and more abundant in recent years,(they are especially good in a failing economy) they are still frequented primarily by those who live and work in their respective areas, not the masses of shoppers. This is why the stores selling the same items at full price do not publicly object to their existence.

WHAT TO EXPECT? Some sample sales are truly amazing: abundant stock, well organized, ample dressing rooms and huge discounts. Some have none of these good qualities. Some will be designers with great name recognition and cache (in NYC this week one can find Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg and Lauren Moffet). Some for lesser known names, but for those” in-the-know”, these can offer the most unique and valuable finds.  These days, one can patch together a list online of  many sample sales (but certainly not all) .  But how does one vet out which sales are worthwhile? How to know if the sale restocks every day or if everything “good” will be gone after the 1st day.  What if you don’t know your way around NYC and its plethora of neighborhoods? This folks is one of the many reasons to take one of Shop Gotham’s shopping tours (forgive the blatant self-promotion). You are paying for our knowledge as well as an awfully good time.

check out: www. shopgotham.com to see what’s doing in the New York City shopping scene