Win This ROLEX!

We are so excited to announce our just-launched sweepstakes, and it’s our biggest ever! If you thought the Hermes Birkin we gave away this past January was incredible, take a look at our newest obsession: a 42mm pre-owned 18-karat gold Rolex President!

To buy this watch new, you’d have to fork over around $24,000. Want to try to win it for free? All you have to do is head over to Portero and sign up on the pop-up and you’re entered for your chance to bring home the gold. You’ll also get a special promotional code that will save you 10% off your next purchase on Portero. Good luck!

Our Big Giveaway–Revealed!

We crafted a teaser poem last week to get you excited, and then left you for a week to stew. Our partners over at FabSugar and PurseBlog also dropped some hints, and many of them guessed correctly: We’re giving away a gorgeous, coveted, pristine pre-owned Hermès Birkin!

Pictured above, this ultimate handbag (30 centimeters, black evergrain leather) is timeless, elegant and totally chic. Besides being guaranteed authentic (this is Portero Luxury, after all) this particular bag is pre-owned and in pristine condition, which means it has never been worn. Valued at $8,350, this is really the giveaway of a lifetime for a lucky handbag lover.

You might know that the Hermès Birkin is referred to as the Rolls Royce of bags–you’ve probably seen it slung over the arm of celebrities ranging from Victoria Beckham to Mary-Kate Olsen, and from Martha Stewart to Marc Jacobs. But do you know why?

Always hand-built by expert craftsmen, a Birkin’s high price tag comes from the materials and labor. Each takes weeks to create, and when they are distributed to Hermès boutiques, it is on an intentionally unpredictable schedule in low quantity. This particular model has palladium hardware (lock, keys, buckle and feet) which, unlike silver, won’t tarnish. Because of the high demand for Birkins, fakes are everywhere. Want to know some factors in determining authenticity? Here are some key markings:

–Even, consistent stitching

–“Hermès Paris, Made in France” should be gilt or blind stamped in the front face under the tap

–Craftsman’s marks and letter year of manufacture stamped in a square underside of right belt

–Interior leather zipper tag parallel with zipper hardware, not perpendicular

We are THRILLED to be bringing you this fantastic holiday giveaway, so be sure to enter now to secure your spot. Enter your email address here and you’ll automatically be signed up for the contest*. Good luck and happy holidays!

*Read the contest rules right here.

Our Big Bag Giveaway!

This holiday season, Portero is teaming up with PopSugar and The Purse Blog to bring you a bag giveaway that will really jingle your bells. Not just any old satchel, our big prize is the most iconic bag available – the kind of tote that makes a serious statement. (How many bags can you see being worn by Victoria Beckham, Martha Stewart AND Marc Jacobs?)

We’re not spilling everything just yet, so keep your eyes peeled for next Monday’s contest announcement for all the details you’ll need to enter and win.

Want a few more hints? Check out “An Ode to a Handbag” and see if you can guess what all the fuss is about. Here’s to getting lucky this holiday season!

Love,

Portero, FabSugar & The Purse Blog

Now or Never–Rolex and Cartier sale today!

Hopefully you’ve checked out the sale preview on Facebook because our first Now or Never watch sale is about to begin! Use promo code NNRC at checkout and you’ll get an extra 20% off already reduced Cartier & Rolex watch prices.

Don’t forget: The first shopper to checkout gets the watch, so don’t waste time if you see something you love. Click here to start browsing, but don’t forget, the promo code won’t be active until noon so you’ll need to wait until then to get the extra discount!

Behind the Sale: Temple St. Clair

Tomorrow’s Temple St. Clair NOW OR NEVER sale is the perfect excuse to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how and why we choose our fine jewelry for Portero.com. Our fabulous jewelry curator, Jennie, has tons of experience: She studied jewelry in college, is a Graduate Gemologist, has worked for several prominent designers, and now even designs her own collection. I sat down with Jennie to ask her a few question about the baubles in tomorrow’s sale:

1. Why is Temple St. Clair great investment jewelry?
First of all,  it’s made of 18-karat or 22-karat gold, and we all know that is a safe investment. Each piece is hand crafted with fine workmanship that is not easy to come by today, but more importantly, her gemstones are really magnificent. They are picked for their unique and rare colors and are the of the finest quality.

2. Tell us a little bit more about the gemstones Temple uses in her jewelry.
She uses a wide variety of semiprecious and precious stones. For example, there is a green tourmaline bracelet with flawless stones with ideal color and a one-of-a-kind 22-karat gold cross with intense blue aquamarines. These pieces are indicative of the careful selection process used in creating each piece of Temple St. Clair jewelry.

3. What are some of your favorite pieces in the sale? Why?
The green tourmaline bracelet, aquamarine cross and black opal ring because they just make you want to stare at them. These are not piecesyou can find in a mall jewelry store!

4. Where can you wear this jewelry?                                                                                                                The pieces are great because you can really wear them from day into evening and make a t-shirt and jeans look fantastic, or add some magic to a cocktail dress.

5. Any last thoughts?                                                                                                                                                A lot of items in this particular sale are one-of-a-kind or were produced in limited quantities. These pieces function as not only accessories that give the wearer some extra sparkle, but also as vessels to hold the most beautiful stones out there. Truly an investment for the wallet and the wearers beauty.

Make sure you’re registered for Portero‘s emails to get a promo code for an EXTRA 10% OFF tomorrow’s sale. Shop from 10-5 PM ET only–this is your last chance!

Shop Hermès scarves–Now or Never!

Didn’t get the message about our Hermes scarf sale? Hurry, they’re going fast! We’re almost sold out, but we want to give you a chance to shop our remaining selection of Hermès scarves at up to 70% off retail prices. Click here to shop now–prices go back up at 5pm and there is still a great group of coveted scarves to snatch up.

Want to make sure you’re on the list for our next Now or Never sale? Click here to subscribe to Portero.com for information on all of our special events.

Now or Never Sale tomorrow: Hermès Scarves!

If you get excited about quick sales filled with collectible luxury goods, you’re going to love our new Now or Never sales! Our first one launches tomorrow at noon EST and will be stocked with an amazing collection of rare and gorgeous Hermès scarves. Even better–we’ll be pricing these silk beauties to sell with some scarves as much as 70% off of retail.

Want to get in on the action? You have to be a registered Portero member to receive the private link for the sale. Either register on Portero.com (upper left corner) or submit your email address by signing up for our $1,000 Shopping Spree on the home page. Once registered, you’ll receive an email tomorrow before the sale starts at noon. You’ll have just 5 hours to shop our scarves at already reduced ‘Now or Never’ sale prices. After the sale ends, the extra discount will be removed.

Want a preview of the sale? Become a fan on Facebook to see a sample of what we’ll be offering.

NEW: Portero’s Affiliate Program

Do you have a website read by luxury-savvy shoppers? Want to make money just by hooking your community up with authentic luxury merchandise at great prices? You might be the perfect candidate for Portero’s new Affiliate program.

Fill out our short application form to start the process. We’re very excited to launch this new program, and to celebrate, we have an introductory bonus offer: Earn an extra $15/order if you generate $5,000+ in sales each month in October and November.

Have more questions? Email affiliates@portero.com. Happy weekend!

Weekend Warrior: Spend and Save!

Good news as you’re heading into the weekend: We’ve cooked up a brand new promotion that will let you save even more on your favorite luxury goods. Here’s the gist: For the next five days, buy any product* on the site from $1,000-$1,999 and save 5%, or splurge on something $2,000 and above and get 10% off.**

Sounds pretty simple, right? TGIF, indeed!

**Discount automatically applied at checkout. Valid for one time usage per person. Cannot be combined with any other offer. *Hermes Birkin bags are excluded from this promotion. Free Shipping and Insurance is automatically included for all qualifying orders over $1,000.