Sale is, indeed, a lovely word!
It is, indeed.
A wonderful word.
And sometimes, one needs to be a bit strategic in the way one approaches such matters.
Around a quarter of a century ago, I spotted a set of Lagostina (an exceptional Italian brand) stainless steel saucepans, four of them, - including a superlative sauté pan which I still use a few times a week - in a then recently opened (and a casualty of one of the recent recessions, as it is now, alas, shut) place that stocked interesting and good quality products.
Now, at the time, I had never heard of Lagostina, but, as it transpired, neither had anyone else, and the shop never subsequently stocked the brand. Firstly, they looked gorgeous, and my mother remarked on how well made they were, with commendably heavy bottoms, and commented especially favourably on the sauté pan.
Their collective price - bear in mind that this was the very late 1990s and this was a set - was an eye watering £399. I sighed, and watched and waited. And visited that shop regularly, to keep a close eye on those saucepans that had captured my heart.
Many, many, many months later, during the following January sale, their price had been reduced to £199, and - that was the moment I did debate with myself as to whether I should buy them then, or hold out, in the hope that they would be further reduced (but run the risk that someone else would spot them and buy them, first).
They were: When the price fell to £99, I could hardly contain myself, and they have been with me ever since.
Likewise, if I am in need of a (particular) Le Creuset piece, I will always keep an eye on summer and winter sales.
