Accidental Bargains!

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A story popped up on the net this week about the website of the luxury goods company, Balenciaga.

It was the stuff some dreams are made of (Well, my dreams. Can't vouch for yours..) The term "accidental discount" is music to any shopper's eager bargain-hunting ears, and when it's coupled with a company that make amazing handbags… you know it's gotta be good!

You see, Balenciaga's website went kind of psycho. For just one day, bags that used to be thousands of dollars, were down to just hundreds (I know, still not a bargain for some of us, but you get the picture!) Apparently as the news spread, women were texting each other with emoticons of unsurpassed excitement and joy - as they raced to their devices to pick up a luxury (and presumably, previously unobtainable) accidental bargain!

Well, that is until the company realised what was happening and shut down the website for 24 hours and cancelled all the erroneous (says who?!) orders. Blugh!

Not nice Balenciaga! Imagine the appalling precedent good will you would have installed in women around the world if you had honoured these orders that were simply taking advantage of your mistake?

Oh, okay, further research has shown that they did release this little statement: “Because Balenciaga values their patronage, clients who have been affected by the error will be reimbursed for their purchases and will be issued a gift certificate that will be redeemable at Balenciaga retail locations within the United States. Balenciaga customer service will contact each person individually with information on the gift certificate process.”

But still….

So I started thinking, what other items of pure loveliness could do with being accidentally discounted?

I thought I'd start with three random items.

The Watch: It's called the Arceau Ecuyere (whatever the heck that means) and is made by Hermes (that's pronounced her-may, if you were wondering). Any watch can tell the time. But this Hermes timepiece takes that practical notion to an entirely new level of gorgeousness! There's a touch of whimsey in those slanted numerals. Oh and of course there's the usual diamonds. Sparkle! The red alligator band keeps it real, don't you think?

Not real is the price tag. I'm embarrassed to say how much it really costs. Suffice to say if they took off about $19,550, I might consider saving up for one.

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A Rug. Why not? They can make all the difference in a living area feeling cosy and pulled together, or devoid of character and bitsy. However, I have found over the years that there is a BIG difference between cheap and generic rugs, and the designer variety where no costs have been cut on on the quality and feel and the design, colour and visual appeal.
Yes, I am saying that most cheap rugs are ugly and will fall apart. It's a decorating fact.

So, a new rug. Custom made is best, so that it perfectly fits your space. (Read this Houzz story for more info on choosing the right sized rug) The experts tell us that the front edges of your furniture should overhang the rug, or even sit entirely on the rug. Most off the rack (?) rugs are not that big. So my custom made rug of choice with a strong design and colour (neutrals begone!), a vintage feel and a floral theme is this one designed by Julie Paterson of ClothFabric. It's called Rough Rose, and it is beautiful!

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And if you have the stupendous rug then you need some decent furniture to put on it.
I choose this! Thank you accidental bargain fairy! If this dropped in price from US$12,400 to oh, say  $400, I'd be most grateful.

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Enough already?? I'm kind of excited at the possibilities here. I think the accidental bargains theme could keep me going for many years, possibly forever.

So tell me, if you could have something beautiful and unobtainable at an accidental bargain price, what would it be????

Mother's Day is fast approaching. Gift giving guide coming soon!