Dagne Dover's Sample Sales / Warehouse Sales: An Overview

Dagne Dover typically holds 1-2 online Sample Sales every year. Sample Sale items are steeply discounted and include (to my knowledge) a mix of "second-quality" items, returns, and excess stock. To quote the disclaimer on their website regarding Sample Sale items, "items may have one or more of the following: color variations, scuffs, scratches, dents, bent handles, zipper issues, snap issues, creasing, loose threads, or other imperfections."

Some general tips for shopping the Sample Sales:

• Quantities are extremely limited for many items (especially out-of-stock seasonal colors), so don't wait to complete the checkout process!
• Sample Sale items are final sale and cannot be exchanged
• DD doesn't allow additional discounts on Sample Sale items (with the exception of gift cards, gift cards earned from the old Rewards program,  and Dagne Rewards points).
• If you are a new customer who intends to use the $20 off offer on a non-Sample Sale item, complete that purchase first before purchasing from the Sample Sale (where no additional discounts are allowed)—otherwise, you will no longer qualify for the new customer discount!
• Check the Sample Sale page often for additional and/or restocked items!
• The Sample Sales have gone by a couple of other names: the Warehouse Sale, the Second Quality Sale, and the Refresh Sale.

I've purchased fifteen items through Dagne Dover's Sample Sales and have only had one "bad" experience, and that particular experience is absolutely not the norm—more on that one later. All of the other items I've purchased during past Sample Sales arrived in good to new condition; any flaws were purely cosmetic.

I pulled some pictures of past "flawed" 2018 Sample Sale purchases from my phone to include for reference.

Part One of the Great 2018 Sample Sale Haul

Base slouching—I wasn't thrilled with this, but it's a common issue with the Ava bags

Stubborn smudge/discoloration next to logo

Slight pilling

I was able to remove most of the gunk!

Uneven stitching

Teeny tiny blemish and a slight crease near the emblem—otherwise in fantastic condition!

The other two Elle Clutches were also Sample Sale buys and arrived with no flaws

The dud

The previously mentioned "dud" was a heavily-used Small Hunter in Quartz from the 2018 Sample Sale. I cleaned it up and kept it because the color was so hard to find, but I have yet to bring myself to use it. In the highly unlikely event you receive something in a similar condition, let DD's Customer Service know! 

Out of the twelve Sample Sale items I currently own, I'd say five were in 'new' cosmetic condition, three were in 'great' cosmetic condition, three were in 'good' cosmetic condition, and one (the Small Hunter) was in 'poor' cosmetic condition. I also have three 2020 Sample Sale purchases on the way and will update this post once they arrive!

Update 2/12/2020:  It's been nearly two weeks since the most recent sale started and many customer's orders (mine included) have yet to be shipped. DD sent out an email after Week #1 announcing an additional seven-day delay due to an influx of orders.  Past Sample Sale purchases shipped same/next day in my experience.

Update 2/15/2020: I've seen multiple comments on social media indicating customers are receiving the wrong items—some of the issues include right size/wrong color, right color/wrong size, right color/wrong item, etc (although it sounds like the items they did receive are generally in great condition!). Many orders placed on or around 1/30/2020 still have yet to be shipped.

Update 3/23/2020: I forgot to update this post with my 2020 purchases! I ended up placing three orders during the Sample Sale—two on January 30th and one on February 8th. The first January 30th order (Ace Fanny) arrived on February 18th, the February 8th order (Large Lola) arrived on February 20th, and the second January 30th order (Medium Weston/XS Landon in Dune) arrived on March 4th. DD stated in an order update email that all Sample Sale orders would be fulfilled by February 20th, and although I did receive tracking information for the latter order that day, it took over a week for the package to actually leave their facility. (The items themselves were all in great condition with no signs of wear whatsoever, though, so no complaints there!)

Update 2/24/2021: I ordered a bunch of Scout and Parker pouches in SS18 colors from the "Refresh Sale" today! I'll let you know how those look when they arrive.

Were you happy with your Sample Sale purchase(s)? Please consider sharing your experiences below!