Reflections on the 2020 Sample Sale

When I originally wrote this post in June 2020, we had just wrapped up the strangest Sample Sale we'd ever held. What had always been one of our biggest in-person events at the San Francisco shop suddenly had to happen almost entirely through a screen. We had no idea how it was going to go.

It ended up becoming one for the memory books, but not only because of the circumstances. That sale changed the way I thought about connecting with CMD clients and showed me that some of the things we had created out of necessity were actually worth keeping.

The First-Ever Virtual CMD Sample Sale

Before 2020, the Sample Sale was very much a local event. People came into the SF Shop, tried on piles of jewelry and built stacks with us in person. When that wasn't possible, we decided to experiment with virtual shopping appointments instead.

I spent those appointments talking face-to-face with people all across the United States and even met clients in France and Singapore. People gave me tours of their homes and art studios, showed me what was already in their jewelry boxes and invited me into little pieces of their lives. I wrote about some of those early virtual adventures in Where in the World is Colleen Mauer?, and I remember being genuinely amazed by how connected we could feel despite being so far apart.

Something We Thought Was Temporary Wasn't

Virtual appointments started because we needed a way to make that particular Sample Sale work. By the end of it, I knew I didn't want them to disappear. Being able to sit down with someone regardless of where they lived opened CMD up in a way I hadn't anticipated.

Six years later, that's still part of how I work. I meet with clients virtually for appointments, including conversations about Custom and Reconstruction projects. Distance doesn't have to keep us from sitting down together, looking at jewelry and figuring out what comes next.

And, Of Course, There Were Ring Stacks

The 2020 Sample Sale also involved a LOT of ring stacking. At the time, we were offering special incentives for people building stacks during their virtual appointments, and #stackuntilyoucantbend was very much alive and well.

The sale and those particular promotions are long over, but the ring stacking certainly isn't. You can still find plenty of stacking inspiration by following @colleenmauerdesigns on Instagram, or come see me in person when the Asbury Park shop is open and we'll start piling them on together.

Looking Back, This One Changed Something

There were so many things about 2020 that I would never choose to repeat, but I can also recognize the good things that grew out of having to work differently. That first virtual Sample Sale pushed me outside the boundaries of how I'd always interacted with clients and showed me that a screen didn't necessarily have to make an experience feel impersonal.

What started as a workaround became another way for me to know the people who wear my jewelry. I'm pretty grateful we gave it a shot.

Here’s to the experiments that end up sticking around,
Colleen

© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: June 11, 2020
Updated: August 19, 2026