Advice From the Experts -- How to Buy a Luxury Gift

St. Louis MO

24 October, 2021

3:42 PM

Description

With the holiday season just around the corner, it is time to start compiling the list of gifts you want to give your friends and family members, and what better place to start than The Vault Luxury Resale in Brentwood, a suburb of St. Louis. With years of resale experience under their belts "Upscale Resale Queen" Sue McCarthy and her two daughters Laura McCarthy Maurice, and Diana McCarthy Ford, are eager to help you find gifts for others – and yourself – at a variety of prices. They have a stellar reputation for helping to dress women, men, and children from head-to-toe so that they feel like a million bucks, but without breaking their budget. After purchasing one or more items from Sue, her daughters, and staff – in person or online – you will understand the importance of exemplary customer service, and how that one or two special pieces of clothing or accessories can transform any wardrobe. Sue McCarthy and her staff of female fashionistas meticulously select and purchase designer clothing, handbags, shoes, jewelry, and other accessories that are sold at the 7,000-square-foot brick-and-mortar store in Brentwood and the online business Vault Luxury Resale, constantly offering exciting new merchandise for work, home, and play. There are abundant high-quality selections for women, men, and children, and include such designer brands from the closets of celebrities and socialites including, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Gucci, Hermes, Stella McCarthy, Ralph Lauren, Eileen Fisher, Michael Kors, Coach, Kate Spade, Fendi, and more. This is all possible because Vault Luxury Resale has a roster of 15,000 suppliers from around the U.S. and the globe, and McCarthy and her hard-working team process more than 500 items a day. Some 30 percent of the items that are sold still have original price tags, which shows that they have never been worn. This thriving family business moves a massive amount of merchandise, so shoppers always find something new and fabulous at The Vault. Diana McCarthy Ford, who works with her mom and sister at The Vault, proudly explains that the brick-and-mortar store, online store, and Facebook Live videos are truly unique. She also appreciates the importance that her mom has placed on philanthropy, helping other entrepreneurs, and strong community involvement. "It's really like Christmas every day here because you never know what's going to walk in the door. We recently bought a Christian Dior belt bag that is not even in the used market it is so new so that was exciting." She explains. "Like all families sometimes we disagree, but we truly love and respect one another. That's always the important part!" "If it's high fashion, high quality, high style, and au courant, we buy it. We are the reigning queens of upscale resale," Sue McCarthy explains. "The Vault is a shopper's dream, a fashionista's delight, and a girl's best friend. It is an ideal gift purchasing location. And because of this, we are phenomenally successful." What is your favorite aspect of the holidays? Sue McCarthy: We love when holiday gifts are purchased from our store because we know what it's like to be the recipient of a luxury gift. Whether it's a sweater, a handbag, or a piece of jewelry when you unwrap a gift that's a luxury piece it is the happiness factor times ten. We love that we bring that kind of joy to people both the gift giver and the receiver. The holidays are around the corner, so why is The Vault a great place to shop? Sue McCarthy: We have unique, hard-to-find luxury pieces as well as the highly sought-after luxury pieces, all in excellent, like-new condition and at huge savings from what you would pay retail. Shopping sustainably is super on-trend and luxury gifts are at the top of most peoples' holiday wish lists. We ship anywhere and we take great care in our packaging so if we're sending it to the gift recipient just let us know and we'll make sure it arrives like a gift. Please talk about upcoming special events. We love to support local entrepreneurs during the holidays. On November 6th, from 10 am - 4 pm (central time) we are hosting our Annual Holiday Gift Grab Vendor Bazaar with live music by local musicians from The Big Deal, a hot chocolate bar, and other holiday treats and we have invited seven local Entrepreneurs to set up tables in our store and sell their items. On December 4th, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (central time) we are hosting a Holiday Pop-Up Shop featuring local (St. Louis area) designers Daphne Benzaquen & J. Margaret Weaver. What are a few special items that can be found at The Vault? Sue McCarthy: We curate the most amazing collections of Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Bottega Veneta. We also get a lot of really unique Kate Spade, Coach, and Michael Kors. For example, as of the writing of this article, we currently have the highly sought-after Chanel Medium Double Flap Shoulder Bag and the Chanel Vintage Colorblock Quilted Double Flap Bag. These items don't last long because everyone wants them. Any others that you want to mention? Sue McCarthy: We have the highly sought-after Louis Vuitton Bumbag Belt. Our collections extend far beyond handbags and include Chanel loafers and boots, iconic Chanel necklaces, Louis Vuitton bracelets, and belts, and we usually have gorgeous Hermes scarves and jewelry. How is this year special? (Compared to last year during the pandemic?) Sue McCarthy: This year has been amazing. Customers have been visiting our store in full force and also shopping online. We launched a website during the Pandemic and sales online have grown tremendously as well as our in-store traffic and sales. We've also introduced interactive Facebook Live Videos that our customers love, our viewership and sales on the Facebook Lives are just incredible. It's really been a fun year. I think everyone is excited to be out and be social again and shopping is a great form of entertainment. When you couple the fun factor with luxury goods, well, it's a great combination. "Good, better, best." How did this become the working ethos for you? Sue McCarthy: It was my father's motto. "Good, better, best. Never let it rest until the good is the better and the better is the best. That kept me moving forward, always. I was never satisfied with being good. I went from being poor, defenseless, and subject to the whims of others to being my own boss, the owner of successful businesses that I take immense pride in. What led you to launch one of the nation's finest upscale retail boutiques? Sue McCarthy: I've always had my own business. From the time I was a child, I never could afford to pay full price. One day I stepped into a consignment shop after being used to rummage sales, looked around and I thought I can do this and I can do it well. It doesn't have to be dark and unorganized. I knew I wanted to make it a place where people want to shop as opposed to having to shop. I spoke to the woman who ran the store and worked for her for one day, and in that time, I learned all of the things I did not want to do. I always thought "outside the box" and that's what you have to do. The small mom and pop stores can be fixed on it should be done, but the huge chains are successful because they think a different way. You were a star on Resale Royalty produced by celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe. How much fun did you have on the show? Sue McCarthy: It was wonderful. It opened up doors that we would never have been privy to. The good news is that we met a lot of celebrities. Everything you saw on the show was real; we didn't fake any drama or closets. We were the realist reality show you ever saw. I am proud we could show my industry, my family, and my city is a really good light. But we were still running a business. So, we worked eight hours in our store and then film until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. The girls and I would fight to look out for one another saying, 'you go home, no you go home.' We tried to save each other the drama; our product was the star of the show. Was it important to teach these values to your two daughters? Sue McCarthy: Heavens yes. When my girls were ages 12 and 15, they would find a woman or an elderly man in our neighborhood, and my girls would go and clean their house and do errands for them a few times a week. They were raised to understand that part of living in this world is giving back. That's the way I was raised, as well. I have been incredibly blessed with two wonderful daughters and four teenage grandsons. So, what is the genuine recipe for success? Sue McCarthy: It is quite simple. We find out what people want and give it to them with honesty and integrity, all at a fair price. For in-store and curbside pickup at The Vault go to: Address: 2325 S Brentwood Blvd, Brentwood, MO. 63144 Phone: (314) 736-6511 Please share your website and social media handles: Vault Luxury Resale Website: Website Facebook: The Vault Luxury Resale https://www.facebook.com/thevaultluxuryresale Instagram: The Vault Luxury Resale @TheVaultLuxuryResale https://www.instagram.com/thevaultluxuryresale/ Instagram: Diana Ford @DianaFordShopGirl https://www.instagram.com/dianafordshopgirl/ Instagram: Laura Maurice @laurammaurice https://www.instagram.com/laurammaurice/