Month: February 2019

Many of us know immediately what design house a bag is when we see the distinctive brown LV Print. The LV monogram has been around since 1896 when George’s Vuitton, the son of creator Louis Vuitton, created the monogram to honor is father and as a way to signify to buyers that the trunk they were buying was in fact LV. Since then the monogram has ended up on everything from sunglasses to socks and slgs to handbags.

The continued use of this monogram is great for deal hunters and for vintage lovers because these bags are very easy to find. The prices are more reasonable than going into LV right now and buying a bag and honestly the older bags are better quality.

Remember that these are vintage bags and have had a previous life. They won’t be perfect but if there are no cracks in the canvas LV can replace leather bits! Plus there are lots of great YouTube videos showing you how to get canvas shiny again, cleaning greasy handles, and reconditioning leather.

Louis Vuitton Vintage Handbags

Louis Vuitton Vernis Lexington Lavender Pochette

$295 (I know it’s not typical monogram but look at that color!! And it’s not from Ebay!)

Louis Vuitton Monogram Alma PM

$287.10

Louis Vuitton Jeune Fille MM

$296.10

Louis Vuitton Pochette Homme Clutch

$179.10

Louis Vuitton Bucket Bag PM

$126

Louis Vuitton Trocadero 23

$171

Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 Monogram

$234

Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 Monogram

$243

Louis Vuitton St. Cloud PM

$291.60

Honorable mentions (for those who don’t mind paying a little more because they don’t want to deal with ebay)

Louis Vuitton Tamborin Monogram

$495

Louis Vuitton Monogram Drouot

$395

Louis Vuitton Monogram Babylone

$475

Louis Vuitton Florentine Belt Bag (size small)

$450

Louis Vuitton Monogram Alma PM

$455

Found a vintage bag you love but it needs a little work? Keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming articles on how to clean and restore vintage bags! I will also be writing a piece about what to avoid in vintage bags.

* this post contains affiliate links. These links earn me a very small commission and do not cost you as the consumer anymore money. Thank you for reading my article and using my links if you decide to purchase.

Ahhh The Real Real– a preloved online site (that now has stores) that I have a very love/ very hate relationship with.

I found out about The Real Real when I was a summer associate at my law firm in the summer of 2015. One of the more senior attorneys found out I loved to shop and recommended it to me. Since 2015, it’s been a love hate relationship for me and The Real Real.

For those of you who haven’t seen the online ads, the tv ads or the controversial Chanel lawsuit, the Real Real is a website that sells preloved goods. They sell clothing, shoes and accessories from brands ranging from Coach to Hermes. They do authenticate their pieces before they post them (or allegedly not as the Chanel lawsuit states). They normally have 20% off most items that are on their website and have great sales where you can get 20% off and a $50-$200 giftcard with your purchase.

Pros

1. Great Deals! The Real Real has some of the best deals around. I find they can be a little overpriced for Louis Vuitton, but have great deals on other brands like Chloe and Fendi.
2. Variety of Designers! The Real Real carries everything from Coach to Hermes. They have a wide variety of designers and offer men’s, women’s and children’s pieces from those design houses.
3. More than just Handbags! Often preloved sites cater to handbags but the Real Real does it all. They have clothing, shoes and accessories. They are a great place to pick up a pair of gently used shoes for a steal.
4. Sales! The Real Real runs more sales then other preloved websites. Most goods are 20% off with code “REAL”. If not the item will specifically state that no coupons or discounts are valid on this item. But if you were lucky enough to purchase during the giftcard promotion that giftcard can be used on anything.
5. Returns! Certain items on the Real Real are final sale (mainly from what I have observed handbags and items that are majorly on sale), but other items are returnable for 21 days. This allows you to buy the shoes, try them on and then return them if they do not work.

Cons

1. Their pictures and description on the website are horrible! There is no other way to describe it their four pictures are not high quality and their descriptions are often lacking.
2. A lot of high ticket items are final sale! So say you do buy that handbag you have been eyeing but get it and realize it’s not for you… well unfortunately you are stuck with it or can consign it at a loss with The Real Real. If the item is not as described (which happens a lot in my opinion) you can ask for a return which the Real Real may or may not grant.
3. If the item is returnable you have to pay $11.95 for return shipping! Yes you read that right returns aren’t free if you use their shipping label to return. There are exceptions to this (like the item arrives damaged or not as described) where they will give you a free label but it’s rare. The only time I had that happen was when there was a legit hole in the button of the pair of Chanel ballet flats I bought from them.
4. No matter what you buy you have to pay for shipping! Say you buy a $200 Hermes Calvi (which was one of my most recent purchases from The Real Real) you pay $11.95 ground shipping… okay fine it’s not the most expensive item. But say you buy a $2,000 Louis Vuitton Bag… you still pay $11.95. I really think if your spending over $100 you shouldn’t pay shipping so The Real Real lets get on it.
5. Authentic or not? The Real Real does say that they authenticate everything before they list it but I do know some people who have gotten fake items from The Real Real! (Watch Autumn Beckman’s Video here)

1. Horrible Quality Dustbags- If the item doesn’t come with the original dustbag you might want to start shopping on Amazon for a plain one

I have purchased a variety of goods from The Real Real and I have also returned a couple of goods to The Real Real. My Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag came from The Real Real when they were new and impossible to find. My Chanel flat deals also came from The Real Real. But I have also returned Chanel flats to The Real Real. When you do return an item and use their shipping label you do have to pay $11.95 which means between the shipping to and from you loose about $24.

So do I still purchase from The Real Real? Yes I do. I think if you have done your research and know what your looking for you can find some amazing deals. I normally turn to The Real Real for shoes and SLGs. Fabulously both of these items are returnable when the handbags are not. I personally have never gotten anything fake and have gotten some amazing deals on Chanel flats.

*please note that some of my blog post links are affiliate links. If you purchase through them I get a small percentage (very very small percentage). It does not cost you as the consumer anymore money. This post was not at all sponsored and all the products were bought with my own money.

If any of you were ever to catch a glimpse of my work handbag (traditionally one of my three Louis Vuitton Neverfull GMs) you would be mortified at what a mess it is. I traditionally have in it the following:

• 2 spiral bound notebooks
• Some Manila folders with work documents in them
• Random receipts everywhere
• A pouch for pens and other products
• A pouch for receipts (which only houses reimbursable receipts)
• LV victorine wallet or LV multicartes with my Hermes Bastia
• Headphones
• Two laptop computers
• Two cellphones
• Various lists
• Lilly Pulitzer planner
• And other random things that just end up in there.

And when I say “in” it I literally mean in it- I just chuck everything in it, pick it up and head off to where ever I am rushing too.

So the idea of an organizer has always appealed to me. I tried ordering one off of Amazon that said it was for a Neverfull GM but it didn’t fit. So when Zoomoni gifted me a Neverfull GM organizer (as well as a Speedy 30) one I was ecstatic. I finally had an organizer that fit my Neverfull and could try to tame the unruly mess that it is.

The Zoomoni bag organizer for the Neverfull is made out of a felt-like material and comes in a variety of colors. The Speedy 30 organizer is the same materials and also comes in a variety of colors. (In the below pictures the pink is the Neverfull GM organizer and the red is the Speedy 30.) Were they differ is in the pocket layout. The Neverfull GM organizer has six interior pockets, one laptop/ notebook slip pocket, two water bottle pockets, and three exterior pockets. The Speedy 30 organizer has four interior pockets, one water bottle pocket, and one bigger slip pocket.

Pros

1. Keeps your bag organized– obviously because it’s an organizer and now everything has its place!
2. Keeps your bag interior clean– with an organizer if anything spills in your bag it is going to get on the organizer first before your bag interior
3. Helps keep your bag structure– this organizer can help your bag keep its shape and prevent wear to the canvas that is often associated with sagging. (As noted below this is not as stiff as say a base shaper.)
4. Water bottle pockets– I love that these Zoomoni organizers come with water bottle pockets! It makes me feel that I can put a water bottle in my bags and not worry about it so much.

Cons

1. Thickness– If you were looking for something (especially in a Speedy) to add stiffer structure to your bag this is not it. This organizer still allows the bags (especially the Speedy) to keep more of its natural slouchy look.
2. Color Selection– If you have a really unique interior color (like on the mon monogram bags by LV) you might not be able to match the color. They do have a wide variety but not as many colors as LV has interiors.

Overall I would say I like the bag organizer for the Neverfull better than I do for the Speedy 30. I think that’s not because of the organizer but because of what I use the Neverfull for. It is truly a catchall for a lot of things while with the Speedy I only put a few more “purse-like” items in there to begin with.

Want one for yourself? Use my code “bargainhuntingblonde” for 20% off! It’s good until Dec. 31st, 2019 so use it as many times as you want!

What’s to see more of what the inserts can hold and how they look in my bags? Make sure to watch my YouTube video review!

*note that I was kindly gifted these bag organizers by Zoomoni.