Mystery Man

It was 2:00 on the sunny Friday afternoon before the Saturday VIETRI Warehouse Sale when a handsome man, looking about 45 years old, in a dapper business suit entered the VIETRI central office to ask the receptionist if she could tell him exactly where the first person in line for tomorrow’s VIETRI Warehouse Sale would stand on Saturday morning.

The receptionist, in disbelief that she’d heard him correctly, asked him to repeat the question. The second time, he asked the same thing. The receptionist led him out the front door of the VIETRI building and pointed discreetly across the wide green lawn to a spot where the employees’ driveway entrance met Elizabeth Brady Road that ran in front of our #343 building.
With that, the man crisply walked to his BMW, drove just past the spot and parked on the side of the road, got out of his car and removed a tall folding chair from his trunk and set it at the exact spot to which our receptionist had pointed. As she watched him from her receptionist post, he sat in the chair and pulled out his cell phone and made a call.

I’m talking about a man who looked like he could be the local bank president or CEO of a major company.

After an hour or so, the gentleman left his seat and moved to the driver’s seat of his car, remaining there indefinitely.

Speculation ran through the company about what could be the story of this well dressed, handsome man who was parked in his car with a chair outside set first in line for our sale the next morning. Susan’s and my mother was at VIETRI that afternoon, having arrived from Rocky Mount with dozens of fresh doughnuts for our staff who would be working the sale the next morning – a tradition of several years. At 4:30 she was leaving to go home and decided to solve the mystery. With her southern charm, she stopped by the BMW in her station wagon as she departed and the gent lowered his window to speak to her.

“We’re delighted you’re here and most curious how you’re so early for our Warehouse Sale tomorrow…” she mentioned, a bit doubtful of her hypothesis.

“Yes!” he chirped back proudly. “I made a bet with my three sisters over Labor Day that I would beat them in line for the VIETRI Warehouse Sale this year," he said with a laugh.

By 6:30 p.m. that evening, the sisters had arrived too and were seen drinking a glass of wine with their brother as the last VIETRI employee left for the evening. They got special applause from our staff as they entered the Sale first the next morning!

People don’t come quite as early any more for our annual Fall Warehouse Sale. This year it is October 1, 2 and 3 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, and it’s just as full of treasures and bargains. Hope to see you here!

Click here for more details and sign up for a chance to win VIP tickets!

-Frances Gravely, VIETRI Founder