Remember the Charles David Warehouse Sale I blogged about earlier this week? As a shoeblogger for Shoeblog, I felt that it was my solemn duty to do some “research” and attend the sample sale. Plus, I had to be in the area anyways to pick up my relatives from LAX. Without further ado, here’s my full report for all your shoe lovers….

At the T-intersection of Buckingham Parkway, visitors are greeted to the Charles David Warehouse with the following sign. Note: The area consists of a bunch of business centers and warehouses so don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t look like you are in a shopping/retail area.

The sale is actually in the parking lot of the warehouse. So, girls, if you are attending, you might want to bring water and/or a hat. It was quite hot out there.

The shoes were, for the most part, arranged by size. The setup is basically a U-shape with a thick center aisle for common sizes like 7s and 8s. Here’s my rudimentary drawing that shows where the shoes are.

And now the good stuff….the shoes! Overall, I felt the selection was pretty good. The sale carried shoes from the Charles David, Charles by Charles David, and Exchange by Charles David line. When I got there (around Friday, 10am), they said they would be continuously restocking the shoes until near the end of the day. From the looks of the loading dock, I think they were getting ready to replenish the Exchange line.

charles david boots

Sadly, while the sale lists handbags, I was informed they sold out on the first day of the sale. I guess the early bird really does catch the worm.

Considering that Charles David shoes can run up to $200 / pair, I thought the prices were fantastic. I felt highly incentivized to purchase in bulk, since a pair of Charles David shoes went for $45 but 2 or more pairs when for $30 a pair. For the Exchange and Charles by Charles David line, the shoes were $25 or $22.50 for 2 or more pairs.

In case you find a shoe without the matching pair, look for an area with shoes missing their solemate.

The sitting area offers you a place to get away from the sun and try on some shoes. There are also mirrors at the end of the center aisles in case you need a different view.

What I affectionately call the shoebox graveyard. All purchases from the shoe do NOT come with the box and are discarded to the graveyard.

I felt the sale was pretty well organized. The checkout line was only a minute long wait when I went. While the salespeople were not overly friendly (i.e. didn’t come up to me and see if I needed help), they were quite helpful when I had questions. I can only assume that it was their second day dealing with shoe crazed women in the sun, so I thought their attitude was very good.

Now I bet you’re wondering what I picked up. I think I fared quite well. I bought 6 pairs of shoes (not all for me) for $165!!! Some of them are probably too high for me, but I just couldn’t resist the price. Also, it’s charity dinner season, so I’ll have ample opportunity to walk around for only a few minutes before sitting down at the dinner table.

2 Purchases from the Charles by Charles David Line

and 4 shoes from Charles David. Click on the picture for a more high-res view.

So, Sol Cal Girls, have I tempted you enough? If you are interested in going, here’s the address. I’d love to hear what you bought on our forums.

1St Annual Charles David Warehouse and Sample Sale
Hours: Thursday (10/18) and Friday (/10/19) - (9am-6pm), Saturday 10/20 ( 9am-5pm).
What: All shoes, boots, and handbags are discounted up to 80%.
Location: 5731 Buckingham Parkway, Culver City, California 90230.
Payment: Cash/ CC accepted.

P.S.  Blogging might be a bit slow for me the next few days since the relatives are in town.  Fortunately, we are going shopping (window shopping for me) at Rodeo and Melrose and I promise to post picts.