Pick Up Where Madoff Left Off

We have all heard Bernie Madoff stories ad nauseum. People losing their entire savings, charities closing, multi-million dollar homes going on the market in desperation. Well, here's another way to look at it. Someone's got to buy that stuff that's going to be in auctions, sales, consignment stores and pawn shops. Recently I heard of someone who is planning a girl's trip to Palm Beach for a weekend tour of the better known pawn and consignment shops for the express plan to pick up some Chanel and shiny baubles on the cheap. They're figuring there has got to be a boatload of good stuff just for the picking. They are probably right.
As you all know, I'm not buying much of anything (part of the frugal plan and also just don't have any money). I am heartened, though, to find that someone somewhere is still thinking about shopping for luxury items. Yesterday in the New York Times there was an article about a realtor who is giving up her Rolls and driver because it just doesn't look right in these times. She will still pay the $3,000/month lease and will probably just garage it for the next year until the lease is up. I'm not sure what the actual moral to this story is, though. That she willingly pays $3,000 month for a vehicle she will never own plus a driver's salary? That she will continue to pay for it and not use it because of appearances? That it's ok to garage the Rolls and take the driver off of the payroll thereby taking away his livelihood when she can obviously still pay for it? That anyone thinks this hard about how other people judge how you spend your money? Something to ponder.
So, all of you who haven't gotten enough of labels and things to show off, head on down to Palm Beach and partake of some David Yurman and D&G poaching while the season is still open. Better hurry because you know these girls aren't the only ones thinking about it.