Once upon a time, there were clearance sales. Great names of Italian design would open their sancta sanctorum for the brief flutter of a butterfly’s wings, welcoming a select group of enthusiasts and connoisseurs, who would return home clutching in their hands some iconic object or hard-to-find gem, purchased at unrepeatable prices.

It’s not that clearance sales no longer exist. Rather, the contemporary dimensions of the market and communication have made many of them evolve into something different. This is confirmed by the waves of creators and influencers who have flooded the internet (and especially social media) throughout October with tips and lists of “unmissable” deals.

The real novelty, however, lies in the curatorial, showroom-like approach that many major brands have chosen for their clearance sales, while others have remained faithful to the traditional warehouse format, where you have to dig around to unearth out-of-catalogue pieces.

The level of curation was particularly high at Artemide: at their Pregnana Milanese headquarters, one could find discounted versions of its most celebrated icons, such as Michele De Lucchi’s Tolomeo—winner of the Compasso d’Oro in 1989—which has since evolved into an entire family of objects in various forms and uses, all present there. But there were also icons of simplicity like Bruno Munari’s Falkland, born from a tubular stretch of fabric, and of radicality like Boalum, the translucent serpent—as Domus once called it—in PVC by Livio Castiglioni and Gianfranco Frattini.

Alongside Artemide was Danese—and Danese means Enzo Mari, with his fruits and animals that have come to define the visual memory of Italian design, but also that enigmatic, color-block solid that can, if needed, hold umbrellas (Emma Gismondi’s Dedalo).

Discounts of around 20% also extended to Flos icons, such as Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni’s Arco lamp or their Snoopy—objects that continue to captivate contemporary interior aesthetics with their dialogue between abstract marble and colorful metal.

Another Compasso d’Oro could be found in Cassina’s spaces: the Soriana armchair by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, offered at almost half price. There was also Man Ray’s mirror, around which the brand has built a successful narrative. Meanwhile, Zanotta was stormed for its Sacco armchairs, as well as for pieces like Mezzadro—the most famous tractor seat in design history—and Sciangai, another radical classic by De Pas, D’Urbino, and Lomazzi.

The clearance sales in Italy have mostly wrapped up by now, and we retrace the main ones through a selection of ten objects you may have missed (or grabbed!).

Only one remains on the horizon for November: Oluce’s, which is anything but negligible, given that we’re talking about a brand behind icons like Vico Magistretti’s Atollo or Joe Colombo’s Spider.

In any case, there’s no reason to worry about having missed out—clearance sales seem to be in excellent health and ready to return. After all, we’re living in a time when people rush to buy design pieces on Vinted, yet the price range is now practically the same.