This is my PSA to all of you to head over to the Smythson website to pick up iconic Smythson notebooks on sale. Smythson has a sale twice a year- winter and summer. And it’s really the only time to pull the trigger on these very expensive notebooks and other leather goods.
I’ve written before about my love for Smythson products. But wow, they can get expensive. So I look for any chance to get a discount on these pricey, lovely items. Of course, there is always eBay. I’ve never seen any fakes on eBay- probably because there aren’t enough people interested in Smythson to make it worthwhile to fake! And of course, there’s the secondary market, like The RealReal, and that’s where the real bargains are to be had (since TRR doesn’t always know what they’ve got :))
But the most reliable source for Smythson notebooks on sale is the biannual sales at Smythson itself. And I’ve learned a few things over the past couple of years of carefully stalking the sales seasons….
If you spot an incredible bargain, don’t wait!
On Christmas Day, Smythson posted a limited amount of Portobello notebooks (roughly between A5 and A4 size) for $108. I put a couple in my shopping cart, thinking I had time to think about it. Bad idea! They were gone by Christmas evening, and it doesn’t look like Smythson is planning to restock them. But I’ve learned my lesson for next year!
Make notes about sales timing and reductions
From my notes from last winter’s sale, I know that Smythson will eventually go to 40% off from 30% just about now (which they did!) and the sale will last well into February. When I see the “limited quantity” notice (which I am usually quite suspicious about), I pull the trigger. Smythson seems to be pretty honest about the fact that they truly are running low.
And if I do miss something in the winter sale, I don’t get too upset- there will be more Smythson notebooks on sale in the late May timeframe.
You’re unlikely to get the classic colors
For notebooks at least, the navy/black/camel colors just never seem to go on sale. So you’ll likely see the seasonal colors at 40% off. And sometimes that’s ok. I picked up some bright pink Portobello notebooks last year that I still love. But this winter, the pickings are slim- silver and a rather dull pink called wisteria. I might take a pass and see how the summer seasonal colors shape up.
Be smart about compromises in the name of a good price
The color of a notebook is one thing- I can live with dull pink or shocking green for morning pages, in order to save 40%. But for a wallet? Or a handbag? No way. I’m not compromising on color, style, size or functionality for something that I’ll literally use multiple times a day. That’s why it’s so amusing for me to page through the handbag sale section of a site like Net-a-porter. The colors, odd shapes, etc that people will apparently put up with to save 25%! It’s pretty astounding and not smart, in my opinion.
So get out there and take a look at the Smythson sale. There will likely be one additional increase in the % off, right at the last 2 weeks of the sale. But by then, all those silver notebooks may be gone 🙂
