Just realized that this has not yet been posted. the north face outlet in Berkeley, CA is having their sample sale right now. The samples are all size medium (women's medium, men's medium, and youth medium).
Prices are as follows: Heavy Jackets - $90: (ski jackets, big puffy jackets, Gore-Tex, etc...usually retail $200-$350) Light Jackets - $55: (windbreakers, waterproof light jackets, heavy fleece, etc...usually retail $130-$200) All ski pants - $55: (all pants, pants with suspenders, and bibs...usually retail $130-$180) Light clothes - $20: (sweaters, light fleece, base layers...usually retail $45-$75) All Shoes - $25: (hiking, waterproof, running, etc...usually retail around $75-$100) ALL youth clothing - $20: (anything from heavy ski jackets to windbreakers to sweaters)
It started on Thursday and will continue until everything is sold (usually lasts at least 1.5-2 weeks). The staff told me that another 20 pallets of samples will be put out on the floor on Monday. This is why I am posting this now since lots of the good stuff has yet to be put out.
All the eBayers came on the first day and cleared out a lot of stuff (some people were buying $20,000+ of stuff)...they said they resell them for at least double, if not triple, what they paid here.
Since the new stuff will be put out on Monday, you'll get dibs at the good stuff without the chaos that was the first day of the sale.
A great sale to be had by all, but the ULTIMATE sale for those who need to purchase ski wear for kids. $20 for heavy Gore-tex jacket with base layer is a deal that cannot be beat.
Also check back late next week or early the following week when the sale prices become 50% off sample sale prices and then 75% off sample sale prices. For guys willing to wear bright red or white, you can usually score something nice at 50% off. Same for women willing to wear earthy brown/green tones.
MangoGT said: MoonlitHollow said: I prefer The South Butt.
Typical butt-head comment. Maybe he really does prefer South Butt. It is a company and is getting flack from North Face. Company web site: see Article about controversy: see
All the eBayers came on the first day and cleared out a lot of stuff (some people were buying $20,000+ of stuff)...they said they resell them for at least double, if not triple, what they paid here.
should be illegal !!!
ah6tyfour
Shopaholic Member
posted: Oct. 11, 2009 @ 6:39p
MISURICK said: NEWER KNEW tnf IS IN DEMAND in California ?!
I don't think you'll find a city with more people wearing North Face gear than the Bay Area. With the outlet right in Berkeley and the "hip" young professionals who spend their Saturdays at REI all in one place, the area is like a walking North Face catalog.
This is probably the only city in the world where you can witness a three-car accident on the freeway where all three cars involved are Toyota Prius and all three drivers are wearing North Face jackets. I wish I had a camera as I passed that scene....
The eBayers were filling 40-gallon trash bags with jackets as fast as they could stuff them in. Teams of three or four people ended up with 10-20 full trash bags at the register, left one person to monitor the register, and had the other people in the group continue to stuff bags full and bring them up. There were three or four of these teams and yes, it should be illegal. The store should put a limit on how many items a person can buy (10 items or $1,000 max).
But now that the eBayers have done their pillaging, the rest of us should have a much easier time finding stuff...and luckily for us, the new stuff will be up for grabs starting Monday.
ah6tyfour said: MISURICK said: NEWER KNEW tnf IS IN DEMAND in California ?!
I don't think you'll find a city with more people wearing North Face gear than the Bay Area. With the outlet right in Berkeley and the "hip" young professionals who spend their Saturdays at REI all in one place, the area is like a walking North Face catalog.
This is probably the only city in the world where you can witness a three-car accident on the freeway where all three cars involved are Toyota Prius and all three drivers are wearing North Face jackets. I wish I had a camera as I passed that scene....
The eBayers were filling 40-gallon trash bags with jackets as fast as they could stuff them in. Teams of three or four people ended up with 10-20 full trash bags at the register, left one person to monitor the register, and had the other people in the group continue to stuff bags full and bring them up. There were three or four of these teams and yes, it should be illegal. The store should put a limit on how many items a person can buy (10 items or $1,000 max).
But now that the eBayers have done their pillaging, the rest of us should have a much easier time finding stuff...and luckily for us, the new stuff will be up for grabs starting Monday.
funny ! w/TNF - Chicago might compete!
dragonroot
Member
posted: Oct. 12, 2009 @ 12:19a
I wish I were there
ah6tyfour said: MISURICK said: NEWER KNEW tnf IS IN DEMAND in California ?!
I don't think you'll find a city with more people wearing North Face gear than the Bay Area. With the outlet right in Berkeley and the "hip" young professionals who spend their Saturdays at REI all in one place, the area is like a walking North Face catalog.
This is probably the only city in the world where you can witness a three-car accident on the freeway where all three cars involved are Toyota Prius and all three drivers are wearing North Face jackets. I wish I had a camera as I passed that scene....
The eBayers were filling 40-gallon trash bags with jackets as fast as they could stuff them in. Teams of three or four people ended up with 10-20 full trash bags at the register, left one person to monitor the register, and had the other people in the group continue to stuff bags full and bring them up. There were three or four of these teams and yes, it should be illegal. The store should put a limit on how many items a person can buy (10 items or $1,000 max).
But now that the eBayers have done their pillaging, the rest of us should have a much easier time finding stuff...and luckily for us, the new stuff will be up for grabs starting Monday.
glad850
New Member
posted: Oct. 12, 2009 @ 2:58a
All size MEDIUM right? No size SMALL on sell this time? What a pity!
ah6tyfour said: Hi everyone,
Just realized that this has not yet been posted. the north face outlet in Berkeley, CA is having their sample sale right now. The samples are all size medium (women's medium, men's medium, and youth medium).
ah6tyfour said: MISURICK said: NEWER KNEW tnf IS IN DEMAND in California ?!
I don't think you'll find a city with more people wearing North Face gear than the Bay Area. With the outlet right in Berkeley and the "hip" young professionals who spend their Saturdays at REI all in one place, the area is like a walking North Face catalog.
This is probably the only city in the world where you can witness a three-car accident on the freeway where all three cars involved are Toyota Prius and all three drivers are wearing North Face jackets. I wish I had a camera as I passed that scene....
The eBayers were filling 40-gallon trash bags with jackets as fast as they could stuff them in. Teams of three or four people ended up with 10-20 full trash bags at the register, left one person to monitor the register, and had the other people in the group continue to stuff bags full and bring them up. There were three or four of these teams
Kudos to the "The South Butt" company. Way to show how ridiculous North Face fad has become.
MangoGT said: MoonlitHollow said: I prefer The South Butt.
Typical butt-head comment.
That's a typical comment of an independent thinker who does not follow the herd and pays double for something just because the "hip" people wear it. And eBayers can make money off the suckers all they want, it is a free market. Nobody needs to ration North Face jackets.
ah6tyfour
Shopaholic Member
posted: Oct. 12, 2009 @ 11:12a
glad850 said: All size MEDIUM right? No size SMALL on sell this time? What a pity!
Yes, only size medium...buy the jacket and use the money you save to eat at McDonald's every day for lunch...you'll fit your jacket by ski season =)
CoffeeEater
Greedy Member
posted: Oct. 12, 2009 @ 11:31a
aleck said: That's a typical comment of an independent thinker who does not follow the herd and pays double for something just because the "hip" people wear it. And eBayers can make money off the suckers all they want, it is a free market. Nobody needs to ration North Face jackets.
Got my fleece for 50% off plus 10% bing cb from the alltrec hot deal.
aleck said: Way to show how ridiculous North Face fad has become. Your point about TNF gear being a fad is well taken.
That said, it's hard to deny that they do in fact make fairly high quality equipment and during sales like the one posted here, you can get pretty spectacular deals. I bought my Apex Bionic softshell through one of these FW deals for ~$60 2yrs ago. I didn't particularly care about TNF so I shopped around for comparable products and turned it out was cheaper than just about anywhere else (including REI generic brand) and was among the highest quality. I wear the jacket for everyday purposes when the weather starts getting cold (like now) but I also take it when I go camping, hiking, backpacking or skiing. You shouldn't hate JUST BECAUSE it's a fad.
...oh and I live in SF Bay Area.
p.s. thanks OP! Too bad they don't have more variety in sizes.
I wish I lived in Berkeley, CA! Is there anyone out there that wouldn't mind picking some stuff up for me? PM me and we can work out the details.
MrMao
New Member
posted: Oct. 13, 2009 @ 7:32a
I went on monday and they still have a lot of stuff. It's still a mad house in there but at least you don't have to wait an hour in line just to get to the cashier. All the backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags are gone.
I can attest to the quality of TNF. I bought a windproof fleece jacket 6 years ago that I still wear all the time. It still looks like the same as the day I bought it, no tears or seams coming loose, and it's still windproof!
jieant
New Member
posted: Oct. 13, 2009 @ 7:41a
Also have the sample sales promotion at Woodbury outlet, NY.
Herein is some price, maybe not exact: Heavy Jackets - $80: Light Jackets - $50: All ski pants - $50: Light clothes - $15: All Shoes - $15: ALL youth clothing - $15: Larget backpack: $50 Middle & Small backpack: $30
HoMeZ
Greedy Member
posted: Oct. 13, 2009 @ 10:02p
Thanks jieant! Do you know how much stuff they have?
ufjason said: I wish I lived in Berkeley, CA! Is there anyone out there that wouldn't mind picking some stuff up for me? PM me and we can work out the details.
no you don't !
edgalang
New Member
posted: Oct. 14, 2009 @ 2:08p
MrMao said: I went on monday and they still have a lot of stuff...All the backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags are gone.
I went on Monday with the wife, but after telling a friend about it, I went again on Tuesday to keep him company and they just kept refilling the backpack bin like crazy. I took a peek in the back store room and apperantly there are pallets that are labeled to be opened on everyday of the week.
Even though I lived in the Bay Area (mostly Berkeley) for most of my life I've never bought/owned anything related to "the north face" before. However after seeing this post and having experienced MANY missed opportunities on Fatwallet, I decided to finally listen to my friend's mantra, "If it's good enough to get on Fatwallet, you buy first, and think about it later". So with that in mind, I couldn't resist to at least pay a visit to the outlet, and I'm glad I did.
Here's what I ended up buying that I can link from the website.
After tallying everything up, together we spent $350 pre tax for items that is suppose to retail for $1,375 (including 2 Hyvent skii gloves for $15/pair that normally retails for $50). TOTAL Average ~75% off. Regardless of brand, quality for this price can't be beat!!!
THANK YOU FATWALLET (esp. ah6tyfour)!
P.S. The story regarding ebayers/team hording is true. When I was there on Monday it was a mad house with people having literally stacks of garbage bags lined up against a wall while their partners guarded them. Shocking, but impressive none the less. Capitalism at its finest LOL
lowfoo
Member
posted: Oct. 14, 2009 @ 4:18p
Just wanted to let you know that I went on Tuesday and they still have lots of stuff for sale. They only have medium sizes though. Now the question is does anyone know if they have this kind of sale every year? or is it just a one-time thing? If anyone knows please let me know Thanks!
ah6tyfour
Shopaholic Member
posted: Oct. 14, 2009 @ 4:54p
Glad you did well at the same, edgalang! I was there on Monday also! I might actually go back today....I keep finding more friends and family who would like stuff. They brought out a lot of insulated ski pants (retail $195) for $55, so I might pick up a couple of those. I also peeked behind the curtains and saw the pallets tagged to be opened on a certain day. They also had GIANT piles of windbreaker type jackets laid out on the table to be priced and put out.
lowfoo, this sale happens at least once a year if not twice. You can call them and have them add you to the outlet's e-mail list. They usually send out an email a couple days before the sale starts. But be warned, the first day of the sale is complete chaos!
I just went to Woodbury Common today. The sample sale is in a roped off section with a guard to make sure not too many people are in the area (about 10% of the floor space) at once. Signs say no returns on sample items and the inner tags are marked with permanent ink.
They have a decent selection, but almost all is in size "sample." This means about medium for both men's and women's sizes. There are a few items for kids, but mainly down slippers.
I asked if gloves (there were none) or other items would be coming out. The sales person said that the manager decides when to have additional items go to the floor, but there is no set schedule for doing it. He said more would probably be coming out later today.
Other North Face outside of the sample sale were also marked down, mostly 30-50%.
I am so jealous, I wish I was there to partake in the bounty. The closest outlet is in Orlando, FL and they're not running the sale. I'd take a trip down there just to go shopping. Oh well, it wasn't meant to be. I'm a medium too!
What I really want is a backpack! Anyone have a few spares?
shabazz
New Member
posted: Oct. 16, 2009 @ 6:56p
I just got back from the Berkeley outlet. They were still bringing out some new gear and I think there was still a fair amount to be had, depending on what you are looking for. There isn't much in the way of gore-tex or soft shells, although that's what I primarily was looking for. I did manage to pick up a Mammatus bib (list $399, got it for $55 although it may have been mismarked). Picked up an STH jacket like edgalang as well. Saw some more explosivos in red as well (EDIT: probably was Odyssey soft shell). There were lots of hyvent jackets and pants in bright colors and lots of base layer / active sports items if that's something people might be interested in. You really have to fight through the sale though, everything is a mess, no attempt has been made to organize anything. Just rows and rows of boxes filled with assorted apparel.
I wish we had a outlet close to me in Michigan, would love to get a jacket. I agree with some of the other posters about, putting a limit on what you can buy. I used to work in Mervyns (over 15 years ago), Levi's were very popular in other countries, we had to put a limit on number of pairs people could buy (10 pairs I believe), because they would come in buy them all up and ship them back overseas.
radiojunkie111
New Member
posted: Oct. 18, 2009 @ 11:28p
I went there today, except for youth sizes, everything was gone. They told me that they'll have another sale in spring next year.
MISURICK said: ufjason said: I wish I lived in Berkeley, CA! Is there anyone out there that wouldn't mind picking some stuff up for me? PM me and we can work out the details.
no you don't !
LOL, I second that!
Seriously, you don't want to live Berkeley
I have no choice but to live in Berkeley because of school
It's one of the weirdest city in the world
Berkeley is full of dirty old hippies, super-lefties, socialists, bums, hobos, crazy people, tree huggers, junkies, and goes on and on.
ah6tyfour
Shopaholic Member
posted: Oct. 18, 2009 @ 11:52p
completing said: MISURICK said: ufjason said: I wish I lived in Berkeley, CA! Is there anyone out there that wouldn't mind picking some stuff up for me? PM me and we can work out the details.
no you don't !
LOL, I second that!
Seriously, you don't want to live Berkeley
I have no choice but to live in Berkeley because of school
It's one of the weirdest city in the world
Berkeley is full of dirty old hippies, super-lefties, socialists, bums, hobos, crazy people, tree huggers, junkies, and goes on and on.
Go Bears! I agree you don't want to live in Berkeley unless you are going to school there...I moved out of Berkeley less than 10 days after graduation =)
ah6tyfour
Shopaholic Member
posted: Oct. 18, 2009 @ 11:55p
radiojunkie111 said: I went there today, except for youth sizes, everything was gone. They told me that they'll have another sale in spring next year.
Hmm...not to doubt your post, but it seems a bit weird that it would all be gone except for youth sizes considering shabazz said they were still bringing out more stuff as of the 16th (and made out pretty well! $399 bib for $55 is no pricing error...all ski pants are $55 no matter what the list price).
Usually the youth sizes are the first to go because it's $20 for anything in youth size including heavy snow jackets. And the sale usually ends with the remaining items becoming 50% and then 75% off the sample sale price.
I'll drop by tomorrow to take a look...
[edit]Actually, I think what happened is that all the jackets are sold and what are left are the sweaters, light fleeces in adult sizes. Since they are sold for $20, the price tag says "sample youth" even though they are not. These are the items that are usually left over at the tail end of these sales and will end up selling for $10 or $5 sometime next week. So yea, this probably indicates the tail end of the sale...sorry to have doubted you radiojunkie111
inotinot
New Member
posted: Oct. 19, 2009 @ 5:19a
I WENT TODAY...i bought a north face womens scary cherry jacket and pants in weimaraner brown and a womens itsy jacket in kaffir green at the sample sale...but i bought it in medium and i need A SMALL!!!
anyone know anyone who wants one? or who can trade theirs? or...is there a way i can exchange it you think? i got there 5 minutes before closing and the pressure got to me =(
thanks,
inotinot@gmail.com
inotinot
New Member
posted: Oct. 19, 2009 @ 5:19a
i bought a north face womens scary cherry jacket and pants in weimaraner brown and a womens itsy jacket in kaffir green at the sample sale...but i bought it in medium and i need A SMALL!!!
anyone know anyone who wants one? or who can trade theirs? or...is there a way i can exchange it you think? i got there 5 minutes before closing and the pressure got to me =(
thanks,
inotinot@gmail.com
inotinot
New Member
posted: Oct. 19, 2009 @ 5:23a
if you are a woman, sized medium, i posted some on the thread of what i bought...its too big for me =( if you want them, we might be able to work something out
shabazz
New Member
posted: Oct. 19, 2009 @ 10:30a
RJ - I would be a little surprised if everything is gone. There were tons of ski pants in funky colors (bright red, bright blue, bright yellow). Also, lots of jackets and pants from the cryptic line (also in funky colors). Someone should call and ask, this isn't the type of sale you can jinx.
ah6tyfour said: radiojunkie111 said: I went there today, except for youth sizes, everything was gone. They told me that they'll have another sale in spring next year.
Hmm...not to doubt your post, but it seems a bit weird that it would all be gone except for youth sizes considering shabazz said they were still bringing out more stuff as of the 16th (and made out pretty well! $399 bib for $55 is no pricing error...all ski pants are $55 no matter what the list price).
Usually the youth sizes are the first to go because it's $20 for anything in youth size including heavy snow jackets. And the sale usually ends with the remaining items becoming 50% and then 75% off the sample sale price.
I'll drop by tomorrow to take a look...
[edit]Actually, I think what happened is that all the jackets are sold and what are left are the sweaters, light fleeces in adult sizes. Since they are sold for $20, the price tag says "sample youth" even though they are not. These are the items that are usually left over at the tail end of these sales and will end up selling for $10 or $5 sometime next week. So yea, this probably indicates the tail end of the sale...sorry to have doubted you radiojunkie111
inotinot said: if you are a woman, sized medium, i posted some on the thread of what i bought...its too big for me =( if you want them, we might be able to work something out
keep in mind - ! - layering !!!
SantaLink
Senior Member
posted: Oct. 19, 2009 @ 11:05a
I went yesterday, but everything there was only medium size. I got a jacket for $90 (original: $279).
Skipping 2 Messages...
shabazz
New Member
posted: Oct. 20, 2009 @ 8:42p
Thanks for the update. Did you notice any Men's Astor jackets per chance?
ah6tyfour said: Just checked out the sale. It's down to one table covered in stuff, but still plenty of stuff left. There are some jackets left and some insulated vests. And there are LOTS of ski pants. Lots of Freedom Insulated ($160) and Surf & Turf ($199). Most of the stuff are the brighter colors now, but still plenty of pants in white (for women) and browns, earthy greens, etc. They also brought out a few 6-person tents, but they had no pricetag on them so I don't know how much they go for at the sale.
I asked the staff person and she said that everything they had for the sale is now on the table...so we're nearing the tail end.
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