Alfred Angelo dress auction approved by bankruptcy judge - Sun Sentinel

Brides: If you really want that Alfred Angelo wedding dress, get prepared to make a bid on Sept. 2 in Deerfield Beach.

On Monday, a bankruptcy court judge in West Palm Beach approved the auction of hundreds of thousands of dollars in sample wedding dresses and other inventory being held in Alfred Angelo’s warehouse in Deerfield Beach.

The auction was sought by court-appointed trustee Margaret Smith “to limit administrative expenses” in the company’s Chapter 7 case, according to Patricia Redmond, lawyer for Alfred Angelo. The 84-year-old company closed its stores around the world and filed for bankruptcy in mid-July.

Only sample dresses and wholesale inventory stored in the warehouse will be on the auction block — not those sold at retail stores in South Florida, said D. Brett Marks, lawyer for the trustee.

The auction is scheduled to take place Sept. 2 at 9 a.m. at Alfred Angelo’s warehouse at 602 S. Military Trail, Building 2, Unit 692, in Deerfield Beach, according to the court filing.

All dresses and other goods will be sold “as is,” according to the court filing.

Stan Crooks, long-time auctioneer and owner of Auctions America in West Palm Beach, has been hired to auction the warehouse contents. He said Monday there are about 5,000 bridal gowns in the warehouse.

Crooks said if the warehouse contains any dresses that have deposits on them — and he’s not sure it does — he will work to return those dresses to the original buyers.

But for most of the gowns, he hopes find bulk buyers, such as other bridal salons, to bid for the gowns. “Optimally, we’ll find a large buyer and put people back to work,” he said.

There will be an 8 a.m. viewing the same day, by appointment, and he’ll have more information about that and the inventory on his website, http://ift.tt/1dE4QHo in coming weeks.

Crooks said he plans to hire about four former Alfred Angelo employees to help him take inventory of the warehouse before the auction.

As for proceeds from the auction, a priority will be given to CardConnect, Alfred Angelo’s credit card processor, according to the court filing.

While some brides with weddings within weeks of the retailer’s closure were able to pick up their gowns, other women with weddings in the months ahead are out of luck. The trustee has warned that if a dress hasn’t been delivered, brides and other customers shouldn’t expect them, as those orders will “remain unfilled.” For those people who are owed money, Smith posted a link on http://ift.tt/1HiNFyQ to make a claim.

Experts say Alfred Angelo was a traditional bridal boutique that carried mostly sample dresses, ordering desired dresses from manufacturers in China and elsewhere. The company moved too late to turn around amid a rising tide of debt.

mpounds@sunsentinel.com or 561-243-6650, twitter: @marciabiz

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