Professional line-standers outside at a Theory store sample sale in NYC|@sold_inc|X
People in the New York City area are paying professional line-standers to hold a spot for buying everything, from Broadway tickets to sample sales at high-end luxury brands like The Row, Prada, Jimmy Choo, Theory, and more.
Sample sale discounts can be as steep as 90%. To gain early access, some shoppers pay line-standers as much as $800 or $25 an hour through services like Same Ole Line Dudes or TaskRabbit.
Recently, The Row’s sample sale has had several line-standers from Same Ole Line Dude. The company founder, Robert Samuel, said that 61 of the first 80 spots in the line were reserved for his staff.
Videos of the tent-lined sidewalk outside The Row’s sale went viral, drawing criticism on social media, with one commenter comparing it to a homeless encampment. In response, event organizers banned tents and chairs.
Despite the backlash, demand remains high. Samuel also noted that fall is peak season for sample sales and that he doubled his team of 35 workers to meet his growing clientele.