Above The Fray: A Gargantuan Gucci Rush At DSW

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Yesterday evening, we witnessed a feeding frenzy?actually two feeding frenzies if you count the pigeons decimating some garbage we walked by in the West Village. The main event however is DSW's "surprise" shipment of Gucci at 60% off retail and its attraction of a stampede of shoppers gnashing their teeth and rending their garments to get at it.

Officially, the sale on Gucci (almost) everything begins today, but the boxes of G-covered goods were opened yesterday to DSW's "premiere" shoppers, even though no distinction was made once you arrived at the store. Actually, we had almost forgotten about it in the midst of the McQueen sale flurry, until an eagle-eyed reader whipped us back into our right mind with this email:

Inside are handbags, shoes, canvas weekender & messenger bags, bkack briefcases, luggage & dopp kits, wallets, key fobs & cases, eyeglass holders, older ipod cases, drawer liners ($29), teddy bears, baby and dog items, agendas, ID holders, scarves, cosmetic bags, small signature logo totes, fanny packs for 60% off. Even "G" ice cube trays! Wallets $49 - 99, Agendas $199, Bags $149 - $799, 30 day return policy with receipt. Boxes of merch being brought out from the back and they will be fully restocked for tomorrow.

Christmas has literally come early for many as we witnessed a sea of arms crooked under the weight of any number of bags while other arms searched and sorted through boxes of wallets and Gucci cell phone charms. There is plenty of everything for both men and women?but no clothing aside from scarves and hats.

To each his own here; Gucci is not at the top of our list and so instead of joining the box-diggers, we floated around the sale and snapped a comprehensive gallery of images. We recommend checking out the photos to familiarize yourself with the sale; once you're in there, the crowds will be too heavy and patience too stretched to do any leisurely browsing. Good luck and let us know what you've scored in the comments!

Note about safety: Do not bring children or pets to the sale. The aisles are extremely small and there are many flying limbs and bags. Your dog will be stepped on and your child possibly elbowed in the face; you have been warned.
· Secret Shipment Revealed! [Racked]
· DSW's Secret Shipment [Madison Ave Spy]