Another super sale of Italian goods Frette, this time.  Super fine and super-superior white goods as well as table linens and assorted home accessories are all for sale, at up to 70% off retail...which is good, because Frette doesn't come cheap under normal circumstances.  Here is a chance, though, to snap up some of those lovely, over-the-top, high-count sheet sets and fluffy, plush towels, not to mention a box of $100 soaps or some of those silky, clingy dressing gowns that look like they should be in a Merchant/Ivory costume drama.  The sale is at Soiffer Haskin, 317 West 33rd Street, just west of Eighth Avenue (which you probably know by heart now).  Credit cards only, and as usual, no strollers, no children under 12.  Starts tomorrow, Saturday, and continues through Wednesday, the 12^th.    Hours:  9 a.m. to 6:30 daily, except Wednesday, when they will close up shop at 5 p.m.

Sure there are lots of big party rental places, but most of them cater to elite party planners who throw those huge bashes you read about in the society columns. But County Chair really wants your business -- people who just need a little "stuff" for an at-home fete. Prices are reasonable (there is no off-putting $500 minimum -- it?s $85 in the Big Apple) and the selection of goods is broad: silver, glasses, old-fashioned samovars, linens (in 80 colors and prints), ballroom and folding chairs, serving pieces, and, of course, dishes -- even kosher ones. The fanciest china is "Gold Grande" (white, bordered with gold), which rents for $8.50 for a dozen plates; the simplest is "Blanc" (plain white) at $7 a dozen. Ballroom chairs are $6.50 each and available in nearly two dozen colors and styles, and folding chairs are a mere $2.35 each.

Larisa Shlahet counts among her loyal clients "Sex and the City's" Cynthia Nixon and corporate biggies like HBO, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and the Corcoran Group. They all know a good thing when they see (and smell) it, and Shlahet manages to provide a very good thing: solid value at a good price. Because she doesn't maintain a storefront shop, she can create not only exquisite floral arrangements, but also deliver price-conscious style -- and she's got quite an artful eye and a polished flair for design. Her jobs span smallish dinner parties to large-scale events, and her $100 arrangements look more like what you'd get from a "fancy" florist for much more than that. (Her minimum job is $300.) She loves to mix fruits and vegetables in with her bouquets as well. At holiday time, she might surround an arrangement of red blossoms with candy canes, or immerse green limes in a clear-glass vase below the water line, among the stems. By appointment only. 212-877-8733; www.larisadesigns.com (This article originally appeared in the 10/05 issue of Manhattan Living.)

Nancy Koltes Linens are among the finest.  (If you know her charming little NoLita shop, then you already know what treasures her linens are.)  So, here's your chance to snag some, at maybe 80% off retail…O.K., so not every style in every color in every size is going to be available, but there will be plenty from which to choose—sheet sets, duvet covers, towels, home accessories, and loungewear, in a variety of Jacquards, sateens, percales, and prints.  You already know the usual drill for those Soiffer Haskin sales:  No strollers, no kids, no cash, no checks (credit cards only).  Today, tomorrow, and Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at 317 W. 33 St. (between 8th and 9th Aves.)

Here’s another top-flight sale from Soiffer-Haskin. This time it’s Christofle, that French maker and purveyor of to-die-over silver, flatware, crystal, porcelain, hollowware -- and even jewelry. All suitable for gifts. Got any June weddings popping up? Well if so, here’s a great opportunity to find a fab present, at a huge savings. As we always advise: Go early, buy what you absolutely MUST have, and eyeball whatever else you want...then return the last day, and pray that those items are still there, 'cause if they are, chances are they will marked down further. You know the deal: Credit cards only, no kids, no strollers. 317 W. 33rd St. (just west of Eighth Ave.); Wednesday and Thursday, May 30th and 31st, from 9am to 6:30pm. and Friday, June 1st, 9am to 5pm.

Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 @ 01:48 PM | 4945 replies View/Post Feedback

Browse: Gifts | Home Accessories | Luxury Goods | Sales/Sample Sales | Tabletop

(1) Lenox Warehouse Sale

Do you love Lenox? If so, get out to Cranbury, New Jersey, for the Lenox Warehouse sale. Expect to find selected patterns, seconds, overstocked and discontinued items, slightly irregular items, and special products. There is dinnerware (both fine and casual), crystal stemware, and flatware, as well as giftware and assorted tabletop items. The sale starts May 26th (this Saturday) and runs for nearly a month, until June 24th. Open daily, Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 8pm and Sundays from 11am to 6pm (Memorial Day, from 9am to 6pm). It takes place at 53 Commerce Drive (Route 535); take the New Jersey Turnpike to exit 8A, and follow the signs for Cranbury via Route 535 South. (800-587-7444)

(2) Lamberston Truex

Lambertson Truex is the maker of fine leather accessories -- handbags, gloves, belts, and so on -- all sold at places like Bergdorf’s. The sale is currently on (with values up to 80% off the original retail) and ends Thursday, the 24th, open from 9am to 5pm. 230 W. 17th St. btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves., 6th flr., 212-604-9494

(3) Valentino, Prada, Cavalli and more
Perennial favorites Valentino, Fendi, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, and Prada are among the offerings at this sale, today and tomorrow. Look for values up to 75% off retail. From 10am to 7pm, at the Surrey Hotel, 20 E. 76 St. btw. Fifth & Madison Aves.; ask the concierge for directions to the sale. 917-330-9318

O.K., get out the plastic again -- you will not want to miss this sale.  Both Baccarat and Asprey are cutting prices and now is your chance to stock up on lavish gifts, find luxe clothing, or dress the house in the finery of crowned heads of state.