All the coats on the three racks were up for sale Tuesday because their owners failed to pay their storage charges. And they were being sold for only the amount of the storage charge that was owed. "People forget, they move," said owner Jerry Gold. "We do this every three, four or five years."
The sale comes after many reminders to the delinquent owners, including phone calls, certified letters and legal notices.
"About a half-dozen showed up to pay" before Tuesday's sale, according to Gold.
What was left was up for grabs.
"This is a very fine mink," Gold said, pulling out a full-length coat. "If we were selling it new, it would cost $3,500 to $4,000." Instead, it was for sale for $247. "You'd spend that on a leather jacket," Gold said.
Andrene DeFilippo, a sales clerk at the store for four years, pulled out another fur coat.
"Here's one, $289," she said as she modeled some of the offerings. "That's unheard of."
Meanwhile, Joan Fink had found a coat she thought her daughter — who happened to call via cell phone while she was at the store — might like.
It was put on hold. "She's coming over at lunchtime," Joan Fink said. "If she didn't have an 11 o'clock meeting, she'd run over right now."
On the other side of the sales rack, Stratford resident Melanie Ordner was perusing the goods.
"Oooh, this one's soft, mom," said her 4-year-old son, Stephen.
Ordner said her husband saw the legal notice and told her she should check out the sale.
"His mother used to be an antiques dealer," she said. "He said maybe I'll find something beautiful."
Ordner was shocked at the low prices. "These are like, $200," she said. "They're crazy, these prices."
Gold said he didn't expect more than a handful of people to come for the sale. Any coats not sold will likely be cut up and used to make new fur pieces.
But at least one customer left very satisfied.
"I'm wearing it now," Joan Fink said as she left with her new jacket on, mink side in, to keep her warm on a chilly spring day.