The only guide you have to read about Vera Bradley Outlet Sale in Fort Wayne Part 2

Let the Shopping Euphoria Commence!

1. Once you're through the entrance, you'll immediately be given a slick pink plastic bag for shopping.
   
   You can take as many as you want and you can come back up to the front for more. They do hurt your hands when they get full. I've tied two bags together with a third to lug over my shoulder, one bag on front and one bag in the back. Once you're at the check out, the Vera Bradley cashiers and baggers will transfer your items to white Vera Bradley plastic bags. They're a little more durable, but don't drag them.Vera fan Leslie Rittenhouse adds the following tip, “One thing I always do to make it easier on myself is find a large travel bag that I want and use that to put items in. It's so much easier to handle that on your shoulder than the pink bags. I usually try to grab a Miller, Grand Traveler, Duffle...sometimes I grab 2. And the rolling luggage or wheeled duffle are awesome. Once you bag is full take a minute pack the stuff in the rolling item and then refill your bag. Huge saver if you have arthritis or joint problems in your hands or shoulders!

2. The sale room has rows of long tables that are marked with colored balloons and numbers.
   
   There tends to be some organization, with school supplies/stationary items in one corner, wallets and cosmetics in another, special edition items in another. Don't expect there to be one row of all just cross bodies or shoulder bags. For example, the Hipsters could be in one row and the Little Hipsters in another. There are table stands saying what the items are and their prices. If they are marked down, the new prices will be written on those signs. There is a center stage with a radio station and a Vera announcer. They are constantly announcing where items are, any markdowns, and tips.

3. If you can, first have a person keep a spot somewhere where you are at least allowed to stand, if not sit, to sort through your goodies. Ideally this spot would be next to a bin on the side. The fire marshal is understandingly very strict and there will be areas marked off with yellow lines on the floor to show you where you can sort. These areas are limited and highly competitive. You can't bring merchandise in the bathrooms.

4. Then my personal strategy once inside is to take a lap through the aisles and check every cart at the end of the tables. Shoppers discard items they don't want into these carts. Once the carts are full, a worker takes the cart, sorts, and puts stuff back where they belong. You can find real gems there! Don't take the carts to shop, they will take the cart and everything you've put in it. There are also larger bins on the sides for the same purpose. Check them for treasures! I then note what are on the tables. I will also pick up on tables in that initial lap what seems to be hot or in few quantity. Vera fan Dee Cutter adds the following tip, “ALWAYS LOOK UNDER THE TABLES. That's where they get the stock to re-stock the tables. One woman told me she found an entire box of the VERY RARE camera bags under the table!!”

5. Once the initial lap is done, regroup at your sorting spot. Strategize and compare with your group. Knowing what's a great price on the sheet, I'll shop those next. If there seems to be a lot of something or higher priced, I'll wait to shop those later when they are discounted further. I will keep my eye on those.

6. I personally do not like to shop for others who can't come to the sale, especially if they have never attended and don't know what to expect. There is a 99.9% chance you will not find the latest pattern in the latest style at the sale. If you do shop for others, I would tell them to not be picky. Have a list written down of what they want and their price ranges. If you're shipping items back, be sure to include that in your price to them. And don't forget about sales tax! I would also add a little padding to help offset your travel expenses at the very least. You're doing them a big favor!

7. There are concessions and bathrooms inside the sale area. There is also a nut vendor there selling glazed nuts. Wow, the smell is amazing! You'll never forget it. There is also medical staff on hand to assist. If you're a nursing mom, you can take your baby into the medical room to nurse.

8. There are several groups of workers at the sale.
   There are the red jacketed gentlemen who help usher, give directions, and monitor the sorting areas. They are employed by the Coliseum and generally do not have information about the details of the sale. The sale workers are divided into two groups, the temporary sale workers, and the Vera Bradley employees. You will be able to distinguish them by the type of pattern on their aprons. Temporary workers have one pattern and employees another. The patterns vary by sale, and I have seen the higher-ups wear a different pattern than the other Vera Bradley employees. A keen eye will see that they are generally not dressed to work the sale. ;) The Vera Bradley employees tend to be in the check out area and special sale sections (like foundation items or sunglasses). The temporary workers tend to be the stock people.

9. Be sure to look over your bags for any flaws before purchasing them. Remember, this sale is also for seconds. I remember when Yellow Bird was a current pattern and Vera had recently taken production to China. There were a lot of bags there with the pattern upside down. I've seen major flaws, like two fronts of a Vera sewn together, to minor stitching flaws. If you do find new items, they were either used for photo props or have flaws.

10. Vera Bradley also has outlet stores, so factory exclusive items from the outlet stores will be mixed in with the regular items from the corporate stores. Keep an eye to avoid disappointment after purchase, especially with the nylon-lined versus fabric-lined bags. There are no returns or exchanges, both at the sale and in the store with items bought from the outlet sale.

11. Don't be picky on pattern placement. Don't waste your time and lose out on a good deal while looking for perfect placement. You'll have time to check again while waiting to check out. You can discard right up until handing the bag to the cashier.
    

Checking Out the Check Out

12. There are two rooms, one for the sale, and one for checking out. You can't easily check the line to check out while shopping. At the end of each session the check out line can get really long, it can snake into the sale room. Vera employees anticipate this and are very organized to keep the line from descending into chaos. After every session, the tables are restocked for the next one.

13. The check out line is like waiting for an amusement park ride, and the wait can be longer. You wind through the barriers to get to the cashiers. There are seats placed at the end of each row for those who need to sit. If you have a person in your group who can't walk through the line, they can wait at the side until it's your turn to go to a check out. There are two long rows of cashiers, and about 5-6 additional ones on the far side. Once you get to the cashiers, there will be a worker to guide you to which one you should go. Again, check the bin as you place your items on the table for any additional gems. Be kind to the workers and help sort your goodies. This will make check out easier and faster. Have your payment, ID, and registration ready to present to the cashier. Your pink bags will be tossed and your items will be put in new white Vera Bradley plastic bags.

14. At the outlet sale, Vera Bradley accepts Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, and cash. You can't use checks nor gift cards.

15. If you need to ship your items home, Vera has you covered. Once you check out, as you head to the exit, the post office has a table and will help you ship home. No need to find a post office! They will have packing supplies.