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So I end up on a lot of PR mailing lists, and normally I view them as an annoying and unfortunate side effect to having a successful blog.
That said… whoever put me on the mailing list for the U.S. Marshall's Office: thank you. Directly from the press release I just received:
Hundreds of items, including designer shoes, purses, and clothing, formerly belonging to convicted embezzler Sujata “Sue” Sachdeva are being sold via an online auction by the U.S. Marshals Service through November. The property, which includes brands such as Armani, Manolo Blahnik, Brooks Brothers, Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Donna Karan, LAM and Louis Vuitton, was seized and forfeited in connection with the criminal prosecution of Sachdeva, who was convicted of embezzling $34 million from the Milwaukee-based company, Koss Corp. Auctions will run continuously through November, with the current sale of 101 lots ending Nov. 10, at www.txauction.com. Nearly all of the items are new, many with tags.
I just wasted 35 minutes looking through the lot, and there are a ton of great finds in there. Lots include things such as four Blahnik shoes (pictured above), currently priced at $265 for all four pairs (size 8.5). The auction ends November 10th at 2:01 PM CT — so ladies, stalk what you want and get in there.
Salit-a-gator
Sounds like a great bargain, but buying things I know were previously owned by criminals gives me the heebie-jeebies. I don’t feel the same was about buying vintagae or from a consignment shop. The anonymity of the previous owner makes me feel more comfortable I guess. Sounds silly, but I just can’t get over it.
Lourine
Plus, I would guess that used shoes smell (mine do).
Why would I pay any MONEY even for expensive shoes that someone with bunions wore before me?
I saw some great Alexander MacQueen’s at the Met last summer, and those would be worth buying, but NOT wearing.
If I wore any of those to work, all the men would think I was very loose and easy, and they would be all over me in a heart beat!
MissJackson
Do you have a sister named Ellen, by chance?
1L-1
Was thinking the same thing! Sounds an awful lot like her…
MsZ
Would it make you feel better to know that the proceeds are likely going to go towards restitution to the victim?
Anon
I read about this case. She had bought so much stuff that she was renting space to put it in. My guess is that many of these items were never worn.
Jenny
Whoa, there’s underwear and a girdle on auction. And someone made a bid!
another anon
I saw that too! If anyone here needs any further deterrence from embezzling, just remember, the U.S. Marshalls *will* auction off your panties!
cfm
seems kind of tacky for some reason.
Noner
Tacky that the Marshals are auctioning off assets to help recover some of the embezzled funds? Would it be less tacky if it was property and not shoes?
cfm
more tacky to bid on it, I’m fine with Marshals auctioning the assets. I just feel I don’t know, icky, if I were to own her shoes.
MissJackson
Maybe this makes me a crazy weirdo, but I think it would be a fun story. (I watch a lot of ID Discovery; I may be unusually fascinated by crime)
Jas
I’d not only buy them, I’d probably tell anyone who would listen where I got them.Maybe I’m just strange, though, because I don’t mind estate sales either, even though the original owner is dead.
Bunkster
I totally agree. The story would be awesome.
But I don’t wear size 8.5 shoes.
Mir
I also totally agree. Unfortunately, I’d have to cut off some toes to fit into an 8.5, otherwise I’d be sorely tempted by the Justice Shoes!
(and I just wasted 20 minutes clicking through other auctions as well. what fun!)
Em
Not just you, I’m a size 8.5 and I kind of desperately want some just so I can tell people where I got them.
Bonnie
It would be an awesome story and the shoes are in my size. I’m surprised at how high some of the bids have gone.
non
Seems rather patriotic to bid on those shoes. :) Helping bring justice and all that. Justice Shoes!
L
Like Ted’s Justice Khakis in How I Met Your Mother!
I watch a lot of tv.
cfm
ha I stand corrected – love the sound of justice shoes!
BD
What size are these shoes? :-)
I have no moral compunctions here.
Anon
8.5
ML
Hey all,
I know this has been mentioned frequently, but can people give their thoughts on Banana republic suits? I have a few pairs of pants, but not a full suit and am contemplating buying a jacket/pants/skirt combo. Are they a good value for the money? Wear well?
Thanks in advance!
L
I have had very good luck with my BR suits. They seem to wear better than other BR clothes I have. I have always bought mine on sale though (which happens often). Also, I haven’t had to buy a new suit in a couple of years, so the quality might have changed.
PE Esq
I have a jacket/skirt/pant combo I got at the outlet that has fared well. I think BR are good mid-level suits, I don’t have a vast suit experience though, all my suits are BR, BB, Anne Klien or express. If BR fits your figure well and it’s in your budget, I’d def recommend getting one.
J
I think they’re pretty good – comparable to J. Crew and Ann Taylor. Since BR often has sales, it’s worth the money.
Mrs. U.S. Marshal, Esq.
I got one about five years ago that was my go-to suit and I wore it to death. I replaced it a year or so ago, and the new one is awful. The seams are stitched wrong so the pants and jacket pull in odd ways, the left lapel won’t stay folded to the point I have to pin it down, and loose threads keep popping out at the seams. It could be a fluke, but I’ve noticed a real decrease in the quality of everything else I’ve bought at BR lately, and I don’t even bother looking in there anymore.
Fane Fairfax
I have one BR suit that is my go-to suit for those times that I need to look polished and professional, yet nondescript. I originally bought it because my managing partner swears by BR suits and she can afford much, much better (and she is not one to be frugal in the clothing department). She likes BR suits because they travel very well. I don’t travel as often or have that much need of a suit when I do, but on the one overseas outing the suit and I took, the suit looked perfectly polished after 10 minutes of hanging in a steamy bathroom while I showered, it took a little more time and effort to get me looking presentable.
Hel-lo
They’re not Brooks Brothers, but pretty standard and more affordable. Go for it.
(The quality used to be better, but it’s not terrible now.)
ML
Thanks for the advice! I feel like it’s hard to find a good, affordable, three piece navy suit, and they have one that looks pretty decent. But sounds like maybe I should wait for a good sale. Thanks again!
Mere
I have four BR suits, and I have been fairly happy with them.
You might also consider Ann Taylor. It is currently having a 40% off sale (code FRIENDS), and you can also get 20% off of that with the code ATCARES. I just bought the navy pinstripe suit for $260 (arriving tomorrow!).
Bonnie
You can’t use both unfortunately; I just tried.
Mere
Oops! I bought mine during the 40% off suits sale AT had through Tuesday, and I just assumed this promotion would work the same way. Sorry!
b23
Wow, fun! The prices are too high for me, but I enjoyed looking around on the website.
AIMS
Man, now I really wish I wore 8.5 shoes…..
GRA
Unfortunately, I do. This could be dangerous!
pinkrobot
I wear 38s in those type of shoes. wonder if I could swing a 39, probably not :/
SunnyD
I may become addicted to this auction website! Love some of the jewlery. Now I just need to find someone who wants to buy it for me…
Mrs. U.S. Marshal, Esq.
Normally I don’t mind that I’m prohibited from bidding on USMS-seized goods at auction (because really, how many pimped out drug dealer yachts does one need?) but I cried a little inside seeing those shoes. I’ll just have to explain to DH that it’s his fault I had to pay full price for my next pair of Manolos.
AtlantaAttorney
LMFAO.
kmm
Love it!
Baby weight
Clearly needed to work harder at shedding the baby weight. Looks like this woman was exactly my pre-pregnancy size.
Anon
She did?
MissJackson
I was surprised when I googled her picture (I recall hearing about this story, but I didn’t recall what Ms. Sachdeva actually looked like). A lot of the auction clothing is my size (8ish, depending on designer), but I wouldn’t have guessed that was her size from the pictures. All reports indicate that she bought things in multiples and in various sizes so who knows whether this stuff is actually “her size” or not.
V
I’m a size 39. I’m kind of loving those red Escada boots . . . hmm . . .
src
Just sent notice of the sale to a friend with size 8.5 feet. It was a tricky email to write.
Anonymous
After being in law for about two years , I’m tempted to leave and would like some input from the hive. For background, I’m 29 and am in my first job for a very small county government. There are only two attorneys in the office and no support staff, not even a secretary/receptionist. Basically, I completely run the office and my boss goes into court. Generally, I enjoy most aspects of the job and I am also given a lot of freedom, flexibility and responsibility. But there are downsides: I am severely underpaid (can barely afford my monthly bills despite living frugally in a small town), have no opportunity to move up or be promoted, and my boss refuses to learn any computer skills despite my repeated requests and offering to help him learn. I’m not exaggerating when I say he does not know how to even use Microsoft Word; his incompetence means that I am given a lot of tasks that could otherwise be shared. I also rarely get real time in the courtroom, but admittedly I’m not comfortable there. This has made me hesitant to apply to other jobs for which I might be at least considered.
Unrelated to my specific job but more to law in general, I feel really strangled by the state licensure. I cannot afford to take another bar exam on my salary but want to move out of my current state and closer to my family.
I have considered shifting to a law-related field that would require me to go back to two years of school for a Master’s. I would be highly employable in the other field after the Master’s. On a personal note, I was sharing all of this with my oldest friend who is not a lawyer. She asked (in a judgmental way, not a nice way) why I wanted to leave a field if I had spent so much time in school, she said I tend to want a new career every year, I think the grass is greener on the other side, and basically implied that I have no follow-through. For background, my undergraduate is in a humanities field, I took one year to work, and then went to law school. Her comments hurt my feelings but perhaps she is right; am I jumping ship too soon? Should I be determined to see this out for a few more years before I change careers? On the other hand, I feel like law is a job for me and doesn’t necessarily use my strengths and interests to the extent that the other field would.
I’d like some input from anyone who’s changed fields, thought about changing but stuck it out, or anything else that might help me make an informed decision.
Nicki G
I would def apply to jobs in your home state, and state your connections to the area. If something works out, the new position may either 1) pay your bar exam fees or 2)pay more, thus enabling you to afford the fees. If you can’t afford it, I see no reason to sign up for another bar exam without a job offer.
I did find it odd that you didn’t want to pay for a bar exam, but would go to 2 more years of school. I don’t know what this “highly employable” degree is, but it seems like every field is saturated right now.
So I definitely wouldn’t jump the legal ship yet. Research legal fields you’re interested, and work on an article in a field you’d want to work in. having something published will help in your search. 2 years of grad school is an expensive time consuming commitment.
I do agree you should look to get out of your current position, as you’re responsible for a lot of menial tasks and there does not seem to be much potential for moving up.
Hel-lo
So you are two years out, and have been in the same small office for 2 years?
I think whether you want to leave the practice of law is a really big decision. But if I were you, I wouldn’t decide that huge question until I had tried practicing law in some other office.
It sounds like you’re the associate, but you are being treated like the support staff. You probably don’t even know what practicing law is like, because it sounds like you haven’t been doing it. When your boss dictates, do you have to type everything up? That’s not practicing law. It’s being a secretary. (Which is fine if that’s what you want to do. But it’s not what you went to law school for.)
I’d give your legal career another chance… in another job.
J
I think you should apply for a new legal job. You mention you’re hesitant to apply for jobs for which you might be considered because you’re not comfortable in the courtroom. It is completely normal for a second-year attorney to be uncomfortable in the courtroom; you become comfortable as you practice. Employers will not expect you to be a trial whiz at your current level of experience.
I also think that you should apply for jobs in your home state. Not all jobs require licensing in the state (for instance, jobs with only federal litigation may not require a state license), and you can always take the bar exam after you get a new job if you need it.
I think your friend’s comments are right. You would be jumping ship too soon. You haven’t even been a lawyer for the amount of time you spent in law school! Your current job sounds like a bad fit, but that doesn’t mean that the profession as a whole is a bad fit as well.
V
I started in a small firm with, shall we say, a less-than-wonderful managing partner who loved to yell, crappy pay and a billable expectation beyond those of firms that paid twice as much. After one year, I hated going to work, was generally miserable and felt like law school was a career and financial mistake. I started looking at other options, including going back to school, but I also started interviewing at other firms and ended up accepting a position at a bigger firm where the pay the was much better (though the hours were not) and the partners were much more pleasant to work for. Four years later, I am still loving my job with the bigger firm (frankly, this is in part because a bigger paycheck buys my forgiveness for a lot of the annoying/frustrating aspects of my current job). My point is, I strongly recommend that you try to find a job with a different organization before you ditch the law altogether. You may find that the problem was just this job and not really your career, alternatively, you may find that you really don’t want to be a lawyer after all, but at least then you know it is the career and not just that particular job.
Amelia
Looks like the same person “nycfashionista” is the high bidder on every single auction. Seems weird.
Amelia
Never mind! Seems so obvious now. :P
Bridget
?
Anon
Forget the shoes. I want me some of those sarees!