Sample, Sale, Greatness! Weekly Roundup

There are tons of sales to take advantage of this weekend. Whether you're looking for dresses or shoes, bags, tees, or jewelry - we've got a sale for you!

If you're looking for a great deal on vintage duds, the folks at Mintage (1714 Commercial Drive) are throwing yet another back alley sale! I was at the last one, and walked away with two garbage bags full of clothes for about $35! This time, the sale is even better! Fill up a bag with as much as you can, for just $5 a bag! Sale is one day only, August 25th, 10am-5pm, in the back alley behind the shop. My advice is to get there as early as you can for the best selection.

Read on for more sale listings - from Jorg & Olif, The Petri Dish, Riot, Kalena Shoes, Portobello West, Sugarlime and more. If you know of a sale that we've missed here, please leave us a comment and share your tips!

Head over to Main St for two great sales. First, the Jorg & Olif Accessory Sale. Stop by Lark(2315 Main St) now to get 25% off Citibags, Basil Panniers, Picnic Coolers and Basil Bike Bags by the Dutch master bicycle makers. Perfect for bikers and non-cyclists alike, these brightly colored satchels and carryalls will definitely perk up your day. The Citibag is waterproof, with a detachable shoulder strap, a carry handle, external cellphone umbrella pockets, and best of all - at 14 x 14 x 5, it fits most standard size laptops! If you're not from Vancouver but still want to check out the sale, contact Rob and Jane directly to arrange delivery (604.877.1850 or email jen@jorgandolif.com).

This next listing is a sad announcement for me. Jackie Dives, proprietor of The Petri Dish, is closing up shop. Her current location was temporary, the lease is up, and she hasn't found a new space to move in to. A while ago I interviewed Jackie, and found her to be an intelligent, ambitious, talented and genuinely sweet person. I'll be sad to see her close her doors.

From now until the closure, all Damned Dollie t-shirts and Mirage notebooks will be 50% off, and all limited edition t-shirts by Nathalee Paolinelli will be buy one get the second for half price! After September 1st, The Petri Dish will be online only. You will be able to find Jackie's greeting cards at a few places around Vancouver - including Paper-Ya on Granville Island, The Vancouver Art Gallery and Rath Art Supplies at 8th and Main. She may be popping up at some Christmas Craft Fairs as well, make sure you get on her mailing list to find out when and where.

Back over on Commercial Drive, Riot is having a great end-of-season sale, with a special promotion for fall! I was there a couple of weeks ago to buy a birthday present for a friend, and found some great stuff (including a pair of bright red patent suspenders for myself). All s/s 07 styles are currently marked down 50-70%! You can find tops, bottoms and dresses starting at around $10-20. If you're an early fall shopper like myself, you'll be happy to know that if you purchase at least $100 of stuff from their new fall collections, you'll receive a Rustic bath & body product for free! Rustic products are 100% locally made using all natural ingredients.

While you're there, don't forget to check out Kalena Shoes, makers of gorgeous Italian leather footwear for guys and girls - where you'll find up to 70% off almost everything in the store!

If you're downtown on Granville St, almost every shop is having a end-of-summer sale! I was wandering around and saw the following stores with sale notices up in their windows: Fluevog shoes - up to 60% off; Spank and Gsus - s/s styles on sale now; BEDO - up to 70% off s/s styles. I'm sure there are more sales to be had, if you stroll around a bit.

Don't forget, Portobello West is this Sunday from 12-7- the last market of the summer! Located at the Rocky Mountaineer Station, this indoor market features the best of Vancouver's local fashion, jewelry and accessory designers, as well as some great local artists and vintage booths. One of my favorite vendors is Mel, from Sassy Vintage - every time I stop by her booth, I always know I'm going to walk away with something fabulous. The first time I met her I ended up with a Ports 1961 lace dress and a vintage leather satchel, the next time I found a great Fendi scarf for just $10! There will be free shuttle buses running from Main St. Skytrain to the market every 20 minutes, so you have no excuse not to go!

This is Portobello's first anniversary, and the market will be extra-special this month. They'll be awarding their Graduate Award, designed to give one fashion school graduate all they need to launch their first collection, "including one year at Portobello West fashion and art market, a website, a professional photo shoot by Blue Lava Studios, PR support by gtwo PR and a membership and starter kit of ecofriendly fabrics from SYKA Textiles." The finalists are : Ora designs from Helen LeFeaux; Shaina Webb Designs from the Art Institute; Bad Apple Fashions and Freja Designs, both from Kwantlen College.

Last but not least, the Sugarlime Wine and Cheese Show will be held on August 25th from 1-4pm at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel (900 Canada Place Way). It's not a sample sale, but you will be able to shop from their extensive collection of jewelry (over 1000 items!) Most of these pieces can only be purchased at their shoes, so don't miss it! Prices range from $25-300. Admittance is free, but you have to RSVP in advance. Click here today to RSVP. This sale appears compliments of Ilovesamplesales.com, where you can find sample sale listings for Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, LA and New York!

Photo: The Fab 5 necklace, by Sugarlime - $55.