Counting Down to Angels

"Living vicariously through you" is something you guys often chirp to me.  Except I never know why people would want to live vicariously through a hair-brained, Monster Munch-muncher with fat fingers.  Still, if you insist, the vicarious living continues on Saturday as the Angels Sale is finally upon us and the online press has gone loopy and I'll be doing some reportage...

I did say there would be a Style Bubble reader meet up at the sale but plans have changed slightly and I will be there early at the start of the sale to document everything on video, so to the sale early birds, please say hi and deign to answer my inane unprofessional journalistic questions.

Don't worry, I'm not rifling the boxes before you guys as the sale is strictly democratic... no rifling/browsing until 9am!

Some finer details have emerged about the sale, best explained by this diagram...

...and this YouTube video...

Also the ground rules are numerous so best to check out the site to know all...
-CASH only.
-All bags and mobile phones must be left in cloakroom.
-The cloakroom is limited in space so they actually advise not to bring bags at all, which I think is a little unfeasible...cash in pockets perhaps?
-Stock will not be replenished through the day so get there early.
-No Under 12's (sorry to any young Tavi-type fashionphiles).

Also also, there's some weird fuck-up with the Bakerloo line (what else is new...) so I'd advise people to come in via the overland train to North Wembley...

**EDIT** Apologies!  The Bakerloo line is working fine on Saturday!  But for some people, it still might be easier to go to Euston and take the overland train to North Wembley (in the direction of Watford Junction)...there's both a tube and a National Rail stop called North Wembley which are right next to each other...

Comments

[alicepleasance]

Again, that sounds so great....wish I can be there :-( I can't wait for your reportage!!

[jeanie]

i cant even begin to explain my joy

[Cynthia]

I'm an American who is lucky enough to still be on my semester abroad in London on that day... if I come out with anything it'll be the first time I've ever bought anything vintage :].

[kirsty lee]

cheers for the transport tip off. i'll probably be there early doors too. not sure how to convince the boyfriend that getting up at 7am on a saturday is a good idea.... but we'll see.

i've been stalking the site for days, planning how i can arrive with just a fistful of cash and even going to the extent of figuring out the cubic cm to pence ratio for each of the bags to make sure i could get the most stuff.... should i be admitting this?

anyway, probably see you on saturday.

[Alicia/InstantVintage]

So.Jealous.

[a la mode]

I'm so excited! I'm going to be there, I've heard its going to be as crazy as when primark was rumoured to have sales..... oh god

[Mouse]

IS there an overground train to North Wembley? Staring at a train map, scratching my head. Also, on the Angels site map, there's a standard tube symbol by North Wembley, and an orange one as well...what's that about?

[L]

Hmm? Bakerloo looks like it should be fine on Saturday. It's partially closed Sunday.

[pretty face]

Oooooh I really want to go but it is going to be so crowded and I am SUCH an old lady (for a teenager anyway).

[Brigadeiro]

Sounds so amazing & fun (yet for me, could be stressful, I sometimes get overwhelmed when faced with too many clothes, haha). Have fun!
xx

[Hanna]

LOL@ figuring out the cubic cm to pence ratio. would love to hear your forumla for that :) I really want to go but studying in Manchester at the moment. damn it.

[Saskia]

you guys in the UK are so lucky. damn i'm jealous.

[Lou]

Im so excited about this but pretty nervous about the crowds [Im majorly shy and quiet and easily pushed about :(]

Im not sure what time to get there to be one of the first lucky people let in...is it just wishful thinking if I plan for 8:30ish? to queue I mean?

Good luck to everyone going...hope you all manage to snap up some goodies!

[Ivania(Love-Aesthetics)]

what a brilliant sale system!!
and that video is sooo funny

[susie_bubble]

My mistake! Bakerloo line is working afterall...for some ppl it might be easier to get to Euston though and take the train heading for Watford Junction that stops at North Wembley...there is both a tube stop called North Wembley and a National Rail train station....

[Lauren]

Ahhhh I can't wait for this! I've been counting down! I'm scared of how busy it will be though? haha.

x x x

[KD]

I can't wait to see the spoils!

I'm terrified. Are they implementing a crowd control system where bunches of people are let in at a time?

[EJ]

I'm trying not to think about this too much as I think I might cry with jealousy otherwise. I'm placating myself with the thought that I'd probably be too lazy to drag my carcass down there early enough to get anything decent. Sigh.

[elisabeth]

oh my gosh!why is it that when i do live in london there is nothing on, but now that im back up in the midlands, all the good sales start to happen :(
soooo jealous

[Val]

Ahh! I really wish I could go. Too bad I live on the other side of the big puddle :( Have fun though.

I've tagged you by the way! :) (the 6 unimportant things that make you happy).

[Val]

Ahh! I really wish I could go. Too bad I live on the other side of the big puddle :( Have fun though.

I've tagged you by the way! :) (the 6 unimportant things that make you happy).

[Songy]

I'm one of those who live vicariously through you whenever you're out and about during fashion weeks. :) happy shopping.

[shelly moore]

any thoughts on me purchasing this? anyone..the red one. going to a holiday party and thought it would be cool...suggesstions fashionistas!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=160301597665&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

[Tavi]

Haha, I wish I could go but I guess I'm too young. OH, and there's the SLIGHT detail about London being overseas, but you know...
Sending good shopping vibes your way, can't wait to see what you get!

[Karlström]

This does not concern the subjcet, but I thought I'd recommend this little advent calendar (as it's got style, just like you):
http://www.sofiakarlstrom.com/advent

It's been referred as "a bit gothic" and "unusual".

Cheers!

[Dressed and Pressed]

Can't make it. Bah! Will have to watch your report while going a lovely shade of envy green, instead.

[mr]

ah can't make it, but good luck to all those who can, there's too many good sales on just now dammit!

[Y]

I AM GOING TO CRY :(

Why why WHY must I have to go on holiday to Spain tomorrow!!!!!

[sarah edwina rose]

I already have a rising sense of panic! I imagine it's gonna be chaos with tug of war over dresses etc

[Natty]

I'll be there - hoping that it is well organised enough that there will not be a scrum but I have briefed my boyf in case we get separated on what he should be filling his plastic bag with!

[rollergirl]

Oh I so wanted to go to this but it wasn't to be. I've been poorly and am dosed up on industrial-strength painkillers which make me dopey, sleepy and grumpy all at once! Not a good combo for sale shopping :(

[V]

i went. it was so shit, waited for 4 hours and there was NOTHING.

[V]

http://balmainbazaar.blogspot.com/2008/12/angels-sale.html

[Alice]

Oh I feel so sorry for the poster above! I got a 45 minute tube to wembley park with my friend, stepped out of the station to get a bus and then bumped into some dejected looking people coming back towards us... they told s there was a four hour wait so we went straight back! Total bummer......

[Lou]

Gutted. Waited 4 hours and spent £30 for...nothing. You'd find better stuff at a jumble sale in a little church hall.

All of the good stuff went a week ago when the VIP's were treated to a private sale. Shame no one bother to tell the thousands of people who patiently waited in the queue and handed over hard earnt money in good faith today.

I really feel like Ive been stitched up...the Angels team will be laughing all the way to the bank.

[cat]

The angels sale was fantastic if you got there early we were the first crowd to go in. We started queing 7:30 and it was amazing jewellery books magazines wow clothes blah blah not great smelly and torn. Only quibble a certain miss bubble turned up at 8 and was given the vip treatment straight to the front no queuing. I really feel for those of you above but it's not angels you should be cross at it's people who think they are better than the rest of us and think it's ok to skip to the front. Miss Bubble very disapointed.

[susie_bubble]

A full report is on its way tomorrow BUT a few words...

I had no idea there would be so many people there.... and neither did they apparently.... there was one point when they thought nobody would turn up that early....

Cat: Just to say....that I was there to report on the sale hence the camera and my priority wasn't to go and buy stuff but to report on it as I had seeded the information out in the first place both on Dazed Digital and here (due to personal interest in the concept of the sale...)
I DID go in but was NOT allowed to touch the stuff or go through the boxes until 9am...

Turns out they started letting ppl in at 8.45am and ppl just went mad.... my priority was again to film the proceedings but I was actually bummed that they didn't organise the sale properly so that there was a big opening at the beginning and instead it just went wild early...

I had no idea there was a VIP sale.... was that a rumour? There were quite a few of those going round... I hadn't a clue. If that is the case, then I'm bummed too...

You will see from my post tomorrow that I didn't fare as well as you might think... so if any of you had grievances about the quality, those who got in early might not have had a better experience either...

If you saw me at the sale, you might have seen that I wasn't going mental rifling through everything...again my priority was reporting on it as a London shopping event/phenomenon...

So sorry if you felt we were getting VIP treatment... it wasn't the case... the chairman of the Angels intended for it to be a PUBLIC sale that was meant for the public so whilst I'm confused at these rumous of a VIP sale, I also think he stuck to his mantra by not holding a preview evening for press, a press day or allowing press to get to the stuff early.

It is true that I didn't have to queue... I'll admit that was a perk... a perk that most of you would have happily accepted if you too were offered it, I'd hazard a guess... call it a perk of writing about things and let's not pretend that press DON'T get certain privileges

[Kabes]

I saw you there Susie Bubble in the 50s room! Felt a bit starstruck so didn't say anything, but you didn't appear to be rifling through boxes at all. It was crazy, I had to keep pausing because I was so tired after being up at 5.

[Selene]

Firstly - I have to say: complete waste of time, I too feel stitched up by Angels. I got there early but ended up coming away with items I never would have bought for £20. Ripped, stained, light damaged. Cheated I say! However judging by the sleeping bags at the entrance I shouldn't really complain because I didn't go hardcore/all-out. But did expect a better showing overall ... not just the dregs of the Angels warehouse. Que sera.

Secondly - I saw Susie early on and like she says, she was filming not rummaging.

[Lisa]

I think there was a press evening:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/3478864/Angels-vintage-clothing-sale.html

Don't know for sure if they were actually able to buy,but i'd imagine so, the writer sounds quite pleased about the whole thing!

I don't think we can really be pissed off with susie for queue jumping. i queued for 2 hours and found literally nothing - i swapped my £20 carrier for a book bag and grabbed a few old elles and a couple of random videos. def would have queue jumped given the opportunity!

[H.]

I can see where the critics are coming from, but I feel I did okay overall. I arrived at 8:50 and queued until almost noon before getting near the stuff. Everything was some combination of torn, stinky, damp, stained, trampled, or otherwise offputting. On the one hand that's what costumes tend to be like, on the other hand it really did seem like it was the dregs of the warehouse.

Still, in the end, my two £20 bags held 19 items, one of which needs altering to fit but isn't really desirable enough to bother. The rest are all at least potentially usable, and very interesting. I got a Lisa Ho top, a John Rocha top, a Whistles dress which looks fabulous on, a couple of intriguing dance costumes, a weird top labelled "metaphysical" by the BBC costume department, and any number of trampled yet fantastic hats.

I think I did not too badly. But I feel sorry for anyone who got in right after me, because I probably got the last of the good stuff.

[WendyB]

Cat is catty. Jealous people are always unfashionable.

[Amy]

It was great, fun and totally worth it but you had to get there early. We started queuing at 7:45 and were let in by about quarter to nine. It was manic pretty early, but I got loads of good stuff and picked up 33 things for my £30 -- about 90p an item! -- including 9 dresses (7 of which fit), 3 pairs of leggings, a cardigan, petticoat, beaded collar, a cute little bag and loads of fancy dress bits and pieces.

I went straight to the 1950s room and felt completely overwhelmed. I do regret leaving it as I had to queue for ages to get back in (I was actually standing really near you & Steve in the queue, Susie!) But I still definitely came away with lots of goods for my moneys worth. Like a lot of these things, you just had to be dedicated enough to get there stupidly early.

P.S. Love your purple Kapowwow collar in the flesh, Susie. Gorrrrrgeous! x

[Lauren]

I don't see why people are completely pissed off about it. The whole point of going was not knowing whether it was going to be complete tat or full of gems. I got some amazing stuff and I was let in at like 9.15. Angels had some awesome stuff out and judging from Susies video of the events other people were ecstatic at what they found. Angels did a bloody nice thing letting the public come and hoard their clothing so people shouldn't be moaning! I thought it rocked and other people in the queue with me were excited too.
And I saw you Susie, and you definately weren't rifling through the boxes like all the other crazy people. Don't have a go at her, she was let in early 'cause she's press!

You looked awesome there but I was too scared to come and say Hi, haha. Hope you found some things that you liked.

x x x

[Ania]

I'm also perplexed why some people are so angry about the sale. Despite getting up at the crack of dawn and queuing from 6:30am we were in good spirits; stewards were friendly and apart from few people pushing, pulling and blocking access to boxes it wasn't a complete mayhem. We didn't expect clothes to be in mint condition - it was a vintage sale and not a vintage fair after all. I bought a £50 bag and so did my boyfriend and a female friend. I bought 9 dresses, a pair of trousers, 1 skirt, an amazing 60s lace cocktail coat, a 1900 jacket, a small suede bag and a pair of cute Victorian lace ups. My friend bought about 6 vintage hats and lots of dresses and bf stocked up on jackets and had to buy an additional bag for a green army coat and WWII helmet (our new plant pot!). We'll probably spend another £10 on dyes, buttons et all, but overall it was good fun and a good exercise in vintage treasure hunting.
I'm off to mending, cleaning and dyeing.
Ps. Susie - you looked fab and as I realised recently we are 'almost' neighbours.

[rollergirl]

Hmm, that Telegraph article doesn't look to be about a 'press evening', it's simply one journo who was given a sneak preview. To the people bitching about Susie being given preferential treatment, it says right at the beginning of this post that she would be there to film the event. No point blaming Susie for everything you didn't like about the event.