Holy Missoni!

Missoni for Target

Missoni Madness broke out in Target stores (and online) all over the country today, bringing about total chaos and insanity!

Missoni is an Italian fashion house that was founded by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni in 1953, and is now largely run by their children; Vittorio, Luca and Angela. I actually first heard of the designer collections of Missoni while reading about an episode of Fringe (the Missoni’s grandaugher, Jennifer Missoni, was a guest star in one of the episodes). Missoni designs are often characterized by bold colors, geometric patterns, stripes, zigzags and large graphic floral prints. And this was no exception when the designer’s line for Target was revealed this morning.

Every few months or so, Target debuts a famous designer line created just for Target shoppers. Big name designs with a much smaller pricetag. These designer lines are usually found in the women’s clothing department as part of Target’s GO International sets, and almost always sell out FAST. Occasionally, these designer lines branch out into other departments throughout the store (home decor, sporting goods, etc.), and when this happens, the product sells even faster! Some designers that have produced such lines for Target include John Derian, Liberty of London, Calypso St. Barth and, most recently, Missoni.

Prior to the release of Missoni for Target, the Liberty of London for Target collection probably produced the biggest buzz, with product flying off the shelves within minutes of the store opening. But Missoni for Target took these designer launches to a whole new level reminiscent of Black Friday. There were traffic jams, lines, unruly guests fighting for their chance to purchase these limited edition items, and angry guests yelling at employees when the product began to run out. And the internet was no different. So many shoppers flocked to Target.com that the site actually crashed for the majority of the day. Target’s Facebook and Twitter pages where full of ranting and raving by unhappy guests that missed their opportunity.

And what tends to happen when items are in high demand but are limited in quantity? People turn around and sell their recent purchases, sometimes doubling or even tripling the money they originally paid. And that is exactly what happened in this case. Right now, if you were to type “eBay” into your Google search engine, the first result you would see is the link to the eBay homepage. But the second result is the link to Missoni items selling on eBay. And WOAH, what a markup! Just take a look:

Missoni for Target Jar Candles

The candles shown above are sold at Target for $12.99 each (or $52 for all four). These four candles have also sold on eBay for $146!

Missoni for Target Creeping Floral Bedding Set

The above bedding set is sold at Target for $99.99-$119.99, depending on the size you choose. This bedding set has also sold on eBay for $220. This, and other Missoni for Target bedding sets can be found on eBay for up to $600!

Missoni for Target Passione Floral Bath Rug

This bath rug is sold at Target for $39.99. It has also sold on eBay for $100.

Missoni for Target Loops Toss Pillow

The above pillow is sold at Target for $29.99. It has also sold on eBay for $90!

Missoni for Target Calore Throw Blanket

This throw blanket is sold at Target for $39.99. It also sold on eBay for $180!

Missoni for Target Women's Bike- Copper

This bike is sold at Target for $399.99. The bids on eBay for this item have been ranging anywhere from $1,100-$2,300!