Month: November 2019

All I Want for Christmas is Chanel

Posted on by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

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🎶She’s making her list, she’s checking it twice 🎶 Somehow Christmas is less than a month away and December is right around the corner. So I decided to make a Christmas list- but for my present to myself!

I recently have really been into Chanel but with the price increase it makes buying in-store in the US basically impossible. (Or okay lets be real, I could save up but it would mean instead of getting like 5 bags I would only be able to get 1 and where is the fun in that?) The latest Chanel price increase raised bags about $100-$200 after the roughly $500 price increase last year. And even if the price hasn’t gotten to you yet trying to find the bag you want in stock can be really difficult. Plus really popular colors have insane prices on the resale market.

So where do I turn to find my Chanel under retail? eBay. They have a huge selection of both vintage and current season Chanel pieces on eBay. Plus most pieces are under retail which is a huge win in my book!

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Bargain.hunting.blonde’s Christmas List

  1. Chanel Supermodel Tote– I think this would be the perfect work tote and I love that it’s leather. It has the cc turn lock on one side and a less obvious cc in matching leather on the backside. I have been try to find more leather tote after the horrible product that was my canvas Faure Le Page tote.
  2. Chanel Urban Spirit Backpack Small– I am totally having a backpack moment. Thanks to my Louis Vuitton Palm Springs mini I am loving backpacks and I love the handle on this urban spirit backpack. I do think though I would need a bag organizer to stop the collapse of the quilted leather.
  3. Chanel Coco Handle– I almost bought this bag when I was in Paris on my honeymoon and I am kinda wishing I did. I love the practicality of having a long strap (crossbody depending on the size) and a top handle. I am still undecided on size and color though so I will probably wait to pull the trigger.
  4. Chanel XXL Flap– I am so in love with this bag. It’s huge, great for travel and yet so chic. Since I am 5’10” I don’t think it will dwarf me in the true classic xxl flap size (versus the small xxl flap size that’s newer). I also like the cc clasp version and not the xxl reissue version. Lastly, for such a big Chanel piece, the price on eBay isn’t bad. My saved searched sends me emails everyday I just haven’t found the perfect one!
  5. Chanel Classic Flap– I have a lot of Chanel pieces but I don’t actually have a black medium double flap with gold hardware flap bag. I definitely want a vintage lambskin piece for both the savings and the gold plated hardware. But I also lately have been intrigued by the medium double flap in a jersey material because when Chanel first started releasing bags they were in jersey and not leather!

What bags are next in your wishlist?

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This post was kindly sponsored by eBay. All opinions are my own.

Buying on eBay like a pro- Tips and Tricks

Posted on by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

Let me start by saying I love a bargain, deal, discount, steal- whatever word you want to say- I love the thrill of savings. But I also love luxury and those two things seem at odds with each other. But really they aren’t if you know where to shop, how to find the deals and how to be smart about it. Below are the tips and tricks I use to deal hunting on eBay– including my favorite sellers.

1- Many searches but just one item.

One eBay every seller gets to create their own listing title so that often means that the piece you might be looking for might be listed under a variety of things. For example when I was looking for my Lady Dior Medium Lambskin bag in black with gold hardware I had the following saved searches:

  • Lady dior
  • Dior lady Dior
  • Dior canage bag
  • Dior lambskin bag

The key is to try to capture keywords in your searches that might bring up the bag. I normally start with a basic search like ” lady Dior” and see what other words are used in the title on the listing that come up. Also I always create saved searches so that I get email updates every day. (You can also get text message updated but I prefer the emails.)

2- Check out the seller.

One of the best things to do when looking at an item is check the sellers rating and how many items they have sold. With luxury goods you have sellers of all sizes so rating is important to me. I also see if the positive reviews are for buying or selling. In general I normally prefer to buy from the bigger sellers but I have also bought luxury pieces from individual sellers as well.

3- Ask questions.

If you have any questions about an item your looking at ask! Sellers all have various response times but I have found that most sellers are friendly and happy to answer your question. If they are not then probably not the item for you. Some questions I have asked before are

  • Does the item come with the dustbag, box, care card, and/ or some other accessory? I know a lot of people ask about receipts but that is not as much of a worry to me since I like to use eBay verified authentic sellers and I always authenticate my bags through Real Authenticate who has a partnership with eBay.
  • Where did you purchase the item?
  • When did you purchase the item?
  • Could you send me a better picture of x? The picture question I ask a lot as sellers are limited on the number of pictures they can post. I normally am asking for detail shots to see wear.
  • Are you open to offers? Sometimes people are and why not save a few dollars?

4- Sometimes it’s all about the long game.

A lot of times I have to wait for my perfect bag in the condition and price range I want to come along. To me this is just part of the hunt for a deal and to enable myself to get the best deal I make sure to great saves searches that allow me to stay up to date on what new pieces are coming in.

5- Pay attentions to promotions and coupons- especially eBay bucks!

This is one of my favorite ways to save a little money on my luxury pieces. You can save up to $150 on a luxury piece with their 5-20% off coupons. You can also get money off by earning eBay bucks during a quarter. Once you register for eBay bucks almost every purchase you make qualifies you for a certain percentage back in eBay bucks. As part of eBays’ promotions they do days where you can get 8-10% back in eBay bucks (up to $100). So you can easily earn yourself a couple $100 to spend off of your next luxury purchase just by buying other goods on eBay!

Bonus– My favorite eBay sellers for luxury goods!

1- G Rare– this verified sellers is one of my favorite sellers for finding hard to get pieces at reasonable resale prices.

2- Brand off– this verified sellers has both newer models and more vintage luxury pieces. I really want to go to one of their stores!

3- Purpose.jpn– this verified seller is one of my favorites for Hermes. Reasonable prices and the pieces are normally in good condition.

*this post was kindly sponsored by eBay. All opinions are my own.