NYCB sale on One Kings Lane

[Dale]

NYCB is selling memorabilia, including costumes like Darci Kistler's Diamonds tutu, on the shopping site One Kings Lane:

https://www.onekingslane.com/sales/21375

[abatt]

Why are they charging $149 for toe shoes? Doesn't the company sell toe shoes on the promenade for about $20 per pair?

[Dale]

This seems to be a special sale to raise money. I received an email about it a few days ago from NYCB. It could be they already knew some donor types who were willing to spend that in order to support the company. Most of the big-money items went pretty fast, including the Diamonds tutu and Janie Taylor's Symphony in C tutu.

[California]

Why are they charging $149 for toe shoes? Doesn't the company sell toe shoes on the promenade for about $20 per pair?

I think it's $100 (principals), $75 (soloists), $50 (corps), or something along those lines. I remember thinking I was lucky to buy a pair of Brittany Pollack's just before she was promoted to soloist. And they give you the 10% discount if you are a member of Friends (unlike ABT).

At the end of the fall 2012 season at City Center, ABT had a big basket of shoes for $20 a pair, but they seemed to be things that weren't selling otherwise.

[NinaFan]

Why are they charging $149 for toe shoes? Doesn't the company sell toe shoes on the promenade for about $20 per pair?

As California has mentioned, NYCB increased their pointe shoe prices. The prices increased well over a year ago. To boot, they only display a handful of shoes at each performance (and as in the past, they very rarely have ribbons). However, several times I have asked the sales person for specific dancer’s shoes which were not on display. They will usually check during the next act, and if they have them, they will bring them to the gift counter at the next intermission.

[Helene]

I remember in the '80's when Suzanne Farrell's signed shoes sold for $50, when the other shoes were much less, even for Principals.

For fundraisers, it isn't at all unusual to have higher prices, especially if they're relatively rare, like from a white-shoed role.

[California]

(and as in the past, they very rarely have ribbons).

I confess that I bought Brittany's mainly because she left on the ribbons, the kind with elastic insets. A year ago, I snagged a pair of Ana Sophia Scheller's with ribbons, also with elastic insets, in an unusual almost flesh-colored satin. But it's really hard to find any that leave on the ribbons nowadays. I asked the counter clerk if they had anything at all with ribbons and she brought out the Scheller shoes, so it's worth asking.

[Dale]

re: the ribbons. That's interesting because NYCB just sent out another email about the sale touting "pointe shoes with ribbons." So it must be a thing. The ribbons cost extra!

[SingerWhoMoves]

re: the ribbons. That's interesting because NYCB just sent out another email about the sale touting "pointe shoes with ribbons." So it must be a thing. The ribbons cost extra!

Many dancers cut ribbons off and re-use them!

[ViolinConcerto]

A dear friend of mine, who like me was an NYCB devotee, went to "the other side" and got a job selling toe shoes for ABT. He basically auctioned them off at each performance to the highest bidder, sometimes getting as much as several hundred dollars. At NYCB it always was volunteers who sold them, as described above, at set prices. Policy may have changed.