Author: bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

The Actual Price Increases- Chanel Classic Bags Going Up Again

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It’s the same story every fall- designer bag prices go up at Chanel. Last year it catapulted some of their most classic pieces into the $6,000 range- I am looking at you Chanel Jumbo! This year the prices increase on October 31st.

This year’s price increases aren’t as steep and some bags are safe from increases- like the Gabrielle and the new 19. Also classic flaps in the mini, small and maxi size will be spared from the increase!

Prices of the Chanel classic flap and the 2.55 reissues are going up by $200 in the medium and jumbo sizes (which means the 225 and 226 in the reissue). These are of course the most popular sizes for the classic flap.

  • Medium classic flap– $5,600 to $5,800
  • Jumbo classic flap– $6,200 to $6,400

The boy bags are going up $100 across all sizes.

  • Small boy bag– $4,500 to $4,600
  • Old medium boy bag– $4,900 to $5,000
  • New medium boy bag– $5,400 to $5,500
  • Large boy bag– $5,700 to $5,800

Overall these increases are a lot better than the $500-$700 increase that happened last year. I do think though Chanel needs to be careful about their prices because as they near Hermes price point a lot of people are going to switch to Hermes due to price and quality.

Finding the One that Got Away- Handbag Edition

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Sometimes I overthink a bag purchase. Or other times its not the right time for such a big investment. Or I have even bought the bag to then return it thinking I didn’t like it. But all I know is that at the end of the day I wish I still had the bag in my collection. Whenever I try to locate the bag again in a boutique or a department store I am always met with the same “sorry it is sold out.”

So what is a handbag addict to do in this situation? Clearly giving up is not an option so I turn to the preloved market- specifically my favorite place to shop preloved eBay!

Why Shop For Handbags on eBay?

  • The variety! Whether you are looking for a brand new bag, a limited edition piece, or a vintage item it is likely that an eBay seller is going to have it!
  • The security! I know you are all probably thinking but wait this is eBay, it is not know for being a super safe place to buy luxury goods. My response to that would be that is so not true! Not only is eBay very buyer friendly with the ability to return a good if it is fake, they also have luxury pieces that are guaranteed authentic and are part of eBay authenticate. Already authenticated goods= no need to worry!
  • The savings! I mean let’s be real all of us luxury addicts know that we need to save money whenever possible- I mean the more money saved the more items you can buy right?

My Favorite Unique Pieces from eBay

I have been shopping eBay consistently for a couple of years and I have been able to find a lot of pieces that I missed out on. Some of my favorites include:

  • Louis Vuitton Totally GM in Damier Azure– This bag was discontinued by LV in 2016. At the time I was still a student and besides my one vintage LV speedy 25 I did not have any other high-end luxury bags so the price tag on the bag was shocking to me. I was lucky to get this bag for $648 in February of 2019.
  • Dior Saddle Bag (pictured above) – I loved the Dior saddle bag when it came out in the early 2000s but at that time I was in middle school and high school so my lifeguarding income definitely wasn’t enough for a new bag. Fast forward to 2018 when Dior re-released this bag. I still loved the bag but the sticker shock was intense, especially when months before you could get the bag preloved for a couple hundred dollars. After stalking my saved search for a Dior saddle bag I was able to find a brown and raffia version of the bag with vintage gold hardware. This bag was such a steal at $425.
  • Louis Vuitton Monceau- This bag is the vintage version of the very popular and very hard to get Pochette Metis. I was lucky enough to add the red epi leather Monceau for $612. That means I now have this bag in the monogram, epi noir, epi kenya fawn and epi red- clearly I love this bag!
  • Chanel Paris Edition Medium Flap– This beige lambskin flap bag is from the 80’s in amazing condition. The hardware is both silver and gold. I got this bag to remember my engagement in Paris since it is the Paris edition flap. I would never have been able to purchase this bag without eBay as I was not even born in the 80s! I purchased this bag from eBay for $1,100 in May of 2018.

Favorite Vintage Pieces

Favorite Hard to Find Pieces

So what is your handbag that got away?

Thank you to eBay for kindly sponsoring this post.

How do you save money purchasing bags in Europe?

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I am sure many of you have heard from a variety of sources (me included) that if you are going to buy a luxury item new you should buy it in Europe. You can get the same exact good for cheaper in the boutique. And if you were like me the first time I heard this you are wondering how exactly this works- so let me explain it to you.

How To Save Money

1- When you go to purchase the item make sure that you have your passport and ask for the sales associate to help you with the VAT back process. The name on the passport must match the name on the credit card if you are paying with card. [Note there are certain places where you must not have a passport from that country but if you are a US citizen traveling in Europe you should have no issues!]

2- The sales associate will fill out the paperwork and have you sign it in certain places. You will then take the paperwork he or she gives you and NOT loose it. If you loose the paperwork there is nothing they can do for you.

3- Take both the goods and the paperwork to the customs office before you leave the country or the EU depending on where your leaving from. For example Switzerland is not part of the EU so if you are traveling from Zurich to London you need to make sure to stamp the paperwork in Zurich at the customs office. If you are traveling from Spain, to Italy, to France, you would get all your paperwork stamped in France. You must also have the goods with you and in unused condition. I have seen many many a person loose their refund because they put their goods in their luggage which they checked before going to customs. To get around this problem I simply carry on all my luxury goods.

4- Get the paperwork scanned or stamped. In Zurich you must get the paperwork scanned and then take it to the Global Blue office to get it back on your credit card or in cash. In Paris you just have to scan the paperwork and get the green check mark. If something goes wrong with your paperwork you can be required to mail that in but it’s free.

5- That is it. It’s really that simple and you get a fresh from the boutique good!

Bargain Hunting Blonde Tip: Always get your VAT back on your credit card. It takes anywhere from 2 days to a month but you get more money back in the long run and I have never had problems with it.

Example

I bought a Chanel 19B (so this is the prefall collection that is just out right now) mini rectangular flap in blue/ grey lambskin with silver hardware at the rue Cambon store. That means I bought my bag at the most famous Chanel boutique in the world and saving money still holds true.

The bag cost €2,850. When my credit card converted that I paid $3,166.78. [Note that I do not pay foreign transaction fees on top of the conversion. So card will charge an extra 3-5% on top of the conversion from Euros to Dollars.] I then received back from scanning my VAT form at the airport customs $384.28 directly back on my credit card in less than two weeks. That means the bag cost me $2,782.50. If I went into the Chanel by me in Palo Alto the exact same bag (without the Rue Cambon experience and the famous white packaging) would cost me $3,500 plus tax of $323.75 bringing my grand total if I bought it in the US to $3,823.75.

That means by purchasing my mini rectangular flap in Paris I saved $1,041.25.

Moral of the story- If you are traveling to Europe (specifically the EU) save up those dollars because there are a lot of savings to be had!

Tips for Shopping in Paris During the Busy Season

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Paris is honestly beautiful at anytime of the year but at certain times of the year it’s crowded with tourist from every country wanting to see and experience Paris! For a lot of people part of the Parisian experience is shopping- myself included. But in Paris during the summer (especially in August) there are a couple factors that are going to affect what stock you are going to find.

First, in France (and a lot of other European countries) workers get off all or most of August. That means a lot of the artisans that work for the big luxury brands get off August making stock lower. Second, the summer time is a very popular time for people to travel to Europe meaning you have both locals and tourists competing for the same items. Most of the time locals have a better relationship with a sales associate meaning the good is going to be put on hold before it is even available to shopper at the store. And lastly, if your looking for a Louis Vuitton canvas piece, LV has slowed production on their canvas pieces to encourage customers to purchase leather goods making popular canvas pieces hard to find.

So with this sort of shopping atmosphere what is one to do? Below are the tips that I found worked for me this last August. I was able to score some key pieces on my wishlist with these tips.

  1. Go Early– When I say go early I mean try to go as soon as the store opens. The stores open at various times in Paris. For example a boutique in a department store in Printemps will likely open at 9:30 am while a stand alone store might not open till 10:30 am or 11:00 am. Make sure to check online. You will likely have to wait in a line but you will get first crack at the new stock that came in last night or that morning.
  1. Check Multiple Stores– In a big city like Paris there are often numerous stand alone boutiques and small boutiques in store. In Paris I can think of 5 Louis Vuitton boutiques off the top of my head. That means that any of those 5 stores could have the piece you are looking for. If one boutique doesn’t have the piece you can totally ask the sales associate helping you to check the stock in other stores. The only store that won’t do this is Hermes.
  2. Try to build an SA relationship– If you are there for more than one day, try to build a relationship with a sales associate. Let them know your going to be in town for so many days and are really interested in this piece. That is how I got my latest LV bag and I even got to skip the line when I showed up the next morning.
  3. Go to the Flagship Store– A lot of brands have their flagship store in Paris and these boutiques are often well stocked and get in the most new stock each day. I was told by numerous LV SAs that my best chance to get the bag I was looking for was to go to the Champ d’elyses store at opening. Luckily I made that relationship with an SA and got to avoid that store as it gets very crazy and hectic in there.
  4. Check the website– Certain fashion houses (like Celine and LV) will tell you if a piece you want is in stock near you. This is not always completely accurate as I don’t believe it’s updated every minute but it can give you an idea of what store you should head to.

I hope these help and happy shopping!

Best Bags for Summer 2019

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I know we are solidly into Summer 2019 but honestly in the Bay Area with our indian summers it will be summer weather through October so for me the heat is just getting started.

So you maybe asking what makes a summer bag? Is it something you don’t want to get rained on? Is it a white bag? Is it Damier Azure for LV? What is it???? Well for me it is the bag material- like canvas, raffia, straw and wood. (Plus if I followed the bags I don’t want to get rained on rule every bag would be a summer bag!)

At the beginning of the summer (so say around end of May/ beginning of June) I was eyeing two summer bags- the Saint Laurent Rive Gauche and the Loewe Basket Bag. I was luckily enough to find both on sale for cheaper than retail. Here are my impressions of both bags:

The Saint Laurent Rive Gauche

saint laurent rive gauche tote

Dimensions- W: 18.7 Inches, H: 14.0 Inches; D: 6.2 Inches

Price- $1,070

The Saint Laurent Rive Gauche tote bag only comes in one size and is actual unisex so you will see it listed in both the men’s bag section and the women’s bag section. It comes in a natural canvas as well as an all black canvas. My personal preference is for the natural canvas as I think that makes it look more like a summer bag. It is made of a coated canvas but not a coated canvas like Louis Vuitton’s which is heavily coated but more of a cloth feeling canvas. The handles are black leather which is a nice plus to a canvas bag. The writing on the bag is printed on the canvas.

Even straight out of the box the bag did not hold its shape well which was a bit of a disappointment as I was expecting the bag to have more structure after the pictures and reviews I had seen online. Also I wanted to use this bag as a work bag/ travel bag and the straps were too short to make that comfortable when the bag even had a reasonable amount of stuff in it. Short handle straps are definitely a pet peeve of mine and at that point I knew the bag wasn’t for me even at the sale price.

Overall– If I had gotten the Rive Gauche at the $450 price point I initially saw I likely would have kept it. But for the $770 price point I ended up paying it just didn’t feel worth it to me. The canvas was coated but not like Louis Vuitton canvas and after looking at pictures of the bag used I noticed it didn’t hold it structure well. I will only repurchase this bag if I find it for a steal and I would not pay the retail price of $1,050 plus tax. But you know if someone gifted it to me…. (eh one can dream!)

The Loewe Basket Bag

Dimensions- Height 9.5″ x Max. width 18″ x Depth 6.5″

Price- $490

When I initially bought this bag on found it on Farfetch for a steal in the large size– $367!. But when I got the bag the large size was about the same size as a Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM. I love a big bag but with this bag being woven straw it solidly put the bag in beach bag only territory. Also the bag was very green in appearance and I knew that I wanted a basket bag that was more of a tan color. Once I returned it I made up my mind to buy a smaller size and to buy it in store. I was lucky enough that I could buy it in Europe with my fabulous Loewe SA. Not only did I save money but i got to compare 5 different bags!

I ended up settling on the medium size because it was the perfect size for me. The small looked too small on me and as I already knew the large was too big. I choose the most evenly shaped and tan of the five I looked at because that was what was most important to me.

Thinks to look for in a Loewe Basket Bag

  • The Color– is the bag more green or is it more of a tan? The bags can really vary and you just have to find what you like.
  • The Size– Do you want a much smaller handbag size (the small size) or more of a tote/handbag size (the medium size) or a beach bag size (the large)?
  • The Shape– Since these bags are handmade each bag is very different. All the bags have a different shape and will be tied off in different places so if you can look at more than one at once that will help during the decision making process.
  • The Details– The leather on these bags varies in color and some of the bags even have more detailing such as studs.

Overall– I love this bag and even my fiance likes it! Its a really beautiful handmade bag but it is just raffia so you are definitely paying for the name here- which I am okay with. My advice for purchasing this bag is to go to a store that carries the bag (be it a Loewe boutique or a department store) and try on all three sizes. Once you pick a size compare a couple of the bags as they all vary in size and color due to be hand made. If you cannot go to a store I recommend looking at pictures online to try to gauge the sizes and ordering more than one bag to see what you get.

Buying Designer Goods Not During Sales But Cheaper Than Retail

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All of us luxury addicts out there know that we should wait for a lot of luxury pieces to go on sale. Especially if the item is not a classic piece it will go on sale. But sometimes we cannot wait. We might “need” it for an event, or season, or just because we feel we do. So when that happens what is a fashionista to do? Below are the steps I take whenever I “need” an item I know will go on sale.

1- Check the Other Country’s Websites (especially the European ones) 

Check out sites like MyTheresa, Luisaviaroma, FarFetch, Italist, Tessabit, Ssense, Matchesfashion, and Selfridges. Since a lot of these sites are based in Europe they often pass on their cheaper prices to you. A lot of these sites also do not require that you pay taxes and if you spend over a certain amount (aka most luxury goods) the shipping is free.

But of note-depending on where you live you will have to pay taxes ( I can tell you as a CA person I always have to pay tax if the company collect taxes). Plus if the item is over $800 you will likely have to pay import duties. With some of these sites the duties are already included in the good and with others the duties are included at check out much like tax.

2- Check Ebates and TopCashBack

topcashback logo        ebates.rakuten video

One way to save money, albeit not at the time of purchase, is through cashback sites. My two personal favorites are Ebates (now referred to as Rakuten but still the same service) and TopCashBack. I have been using Ebates since December of 2016 and TopCashBack since April of 2018. The highest cash back I have ever seen was 15% and the lowest at 1%.

Out of the two I prefer TopCashBack because they pay out as soon as the purchase is confirmed and they are paid by the retailer so that means money is always rolling in. Ebates does this slightly differently and pays out for a couple months on a specific date. But ultimately both pay out so I normally go with the site that has the higher percentage.

Plus you can easily do tip 2 in combination with either 1 or 3.

3- “Wait” for a Sak’s or Neiman’s Promotions 

neimans giftcard event

Both Sak’s Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus run roughly monthly sales where you either get a discount if you spend so much or you get a gift card when you spend so much.

The discount when you spend so much if obviously going to impact how much you are spending at the time of sale but if often has heavy brand restrictions which can be beyond frustrating. (Think of basically anything you want to buy on sale and its probably excluded- sometimes you get lucky and Saint Laurent, Loewe and/or Chloe will not be excluded.) Also I noticed that the amount off (especially if it has a unique discount code) will vary based on person. So one person could spend $1,000 and get $100 off and another person could spend $1,000 and get $200 off.

My personal favorite is the gift card promotions. The gift card promotion often includes more brands and the gift card is like a normal department store gift card. That means the gift card can be used on any item in store including Gucci and Chanel which are often excluded from every promotion. I have seen gift card amounts range from $20-$500. Make sure if you are trying to use this promotion that you buy the items that qualify for the promotion AND put in the code.

Also with both of these sites make sure you are getting free shipping (especially on Saks). You often have to enter a specific discount code or log into shoprunner if you have that service.

And as always there is the preloved option especially if you are looking at handbags. Even if its not a handbag you can also check Tradesy, Poshmark, Mercari or Depop because you never know what people might be selling!

Buying Preloved- Getting Your Luxury Goods Authenticated

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The first question I get when talking to someone about buying a preloved luxury good is how do you know it’s authentic? The answer is to get it authenticated. Even if you have bought and how much of an “expert” you may think you are fakes have gotten really really good. (Super fakes are literally the scariest things ever and one of the reasons if I was to buy more current season Chanel I would likely buy straight from the boutique.)

The second question inevitably is a combination of what company should I use and how does it work? If those are the questions you have then this article is here to help.

What Company should I use?

REAL AUTHENTICATION

Real Authentication allows you to authenticate from literally anywhere. They also authenticate a wide variety of luxury items including clothing, shoes, handbags and jewelry. Create an account and once you have done that just upload your images. Their turn around time is between 12 to 24 hours for their basic services but if you need it quicker they even have instant turnaround. Every item is looked at by two authenticators to confirm whether the item is authentic or not. This is my preferred authentication service and the one I currently use.

Real Authentication‘s pricing is as follows:

  • Basic authentication is $20. The following chart shows the additions you can make to your basic authentication.
  • real authentication pricing.PNG

Real Authentication authenticates all the following brands- 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Audemars Piguet, Balenciaga, Baume & Mercier, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Bottega Veneta, Breitling, Bulgari (Bvlgari), Burberry, Carrera Y Carrera, Cartier (High- Res Photos Required), Celine, Chanel, Charles Krypell, Charriol, Chloe, Chopard, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Coach, Corum, David Yurman, Dolce & Gabbana, Doony & Bourke, Fendi, George Jensen, Girard Jensen, Girard- Perregaux, Givenchy, Goyard, Graff, Gucci, Hermes, Hublot (High-Res Photo Required), IWC, Jager Le- Coulter, Jimmy Choo, John Hardy, Judith Leiber, Judith Ripka, Lago, Lanvin, Longchamp, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Michelle, Mikimoto, Miu Miu, Montblanc, Mulberry, Nancy Gonzalez, Oliver Peoples, Omega, Panerai, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Prada, Proenza Schouler, Roberto Coin, Rolex, Simon G, Stella McCartney, Stuart Weitzman (shoes only), Saint Laurent, Tacori, Tag Heuer, Tiffany & Co., Tissot, Tom Ford, Ulysee Nardin, Valentino Garavani, Van Cleef and Arpels, Versace, Yeezy, Yves Saint Laurent and Zenith.

AUTHENTICATE FIRST

I have used Authenticate First before and have had a good experience with them. They also had great customer service when I had an issue with a certificate I got from a seller on Tradesy. (To learn more click here.) They do have a slower turn around time of 2 days. This timeline can be shortened if you pay for expedited service. They do a photo authentication service and an in-house authentication service where you send it your item to them to be reviewed.

Authenticate First has a more complicated pricing structure so I attached the pricing chart below. They are more expensive on the Hermes front (unless its an SLG email opinion) but are cheaper for most brands email opinion authentications then Real Authentication.

authenticate first price chart

Authenticate First authenticates all the following brands- 3.1 phillip lim, Adamo, Adidas, Alaia, Aldo Cipullo, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Alice + Olivia, Alviero Martini, Anya Hindmarch, Armani (Giorgio Armani), Auguste Raymond (watches only),B Makowsky, BCBG Max Azria, Baccarat Crystal, Baccini, Badgley Michka, Balenciaga, Bally, Balmain, Bebe, Belstaff, Botkier, Bottega Veneta, Brahmin, Breil Watches & Jewels, Breitling Watches, Bruno Cucinelli, Bulgari (Bvlgari), Burberry, Caludio Orciani, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Cartier (Handbags and wallets only – no jewelry), Cavalli, Celine, Certina (watches only), Chanel (16 series and below ONLY), Chloe, Chopard, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Christian Louboutin, Chrome Hearts, Ciccinelle, Coach, Coccinelle, Cole Haan, David Yurman, Delvaux, Diane von Furstenberg, Dior (Christian Dior), Dodo Jewels, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Dooney & Bourke, DSquared2, Edox (watches only), Elizabeth & James, Emanuel Ungaro (handbags only), Emilio Pucci, Erdem, ETRO, Equipment, Fede, Fendi, Ferragamo (Salvatore Ferragamo), Ferrari, Fossil, Francesco Biasia, Frye, Furla, Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Goyard, Gucci, Guess, Guiseppe Zanotti, Halston, Hartmann, Harley Davidson, Haute Hippie, Helzberg Diamonds, Hermes, Herve Leger, Hogan, Hugo Boss (sunglasses only), Isaac Mizrahi, Isabel Marant, Issa, Jason Wu, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jimmy Choo, John Hardy, Johnstons (scarves only), Judith Leiber, Judith Ripka, Juicy Couture, Karl Lagerfeld (jewelry only), Kate Spade, Kenneth Cole, Kieselstein-Cord, L.A.M.B., Lacoste, Lagos, Lana Marks, Lanvin, Liu-Jo, Loewe, Longchamp, Loro Piana, Louis Vuitton, Luella, Manolo Blahnik, Mansur Gavriel, Marc Jacobs (Marc by Marc Jacobs), Marino Orlandi, Marni, Max Aria, MCM, Michael Kors, Michele Watches, Mikimoto, Miu Miu, Moncler, Mont Blanc, Moschino, Mou, Movado, Mulberry, Murano Glass/Crystal, Nancy Gonzalez, Nanni Milano, Nike, Nina Ricci, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Omega, Oscar de la Renta, Paloma Picasso, Pandora, Peuterey, Phillip Lim, Prada, Proenza Schouler, Rag & Bone, Ralph Lauren, Ray Ban, Rebecca Minkoff, ReCarlo Jewels, Roberto Cavalli, Rock and Republic Jeans, Roger Vivier Shoes, Rolex, Saint Laurent (Yves Saint Laurent), Salvatore Ferragamo, Salvini Jewels, Seiko, Sergio Rossi, Sophie Hulme, Stella McCartney, Stuart Weitzman, Swarovski, Tag Heuer, The North Face, Tiffany & Co., Tissot (watches only), Tods, Tom Ford, Tory Burch, True Religion Jeans, Tumi, UGG, Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Vera Wang, Versace, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, Waterford Crystal, Yves Saint Laurent, and Zac Posen.

There is an exception to their Chanel photo services based on the series number.

authenticate first chanel

PROAUTHENTICATORS

Proauthenticators is not a service I have used before but has come highly recommended especially when buying Louis Vuitton products on Ebay. The authentication service focuses solely on Louis Vuitton.

Proauthenticators pricing is as follows:

  • Item Identification is $5.
  • Pricing Estimation is $10. (The price is reduced to $5 if combined with authentication)
  • Verbal authentication is $10. This means that you get your results via Facebook messenger, email or text.
  • An authentication letter is $20. This included an emailed PDF letter.
  • An authentication letter that is printed and mailed out is $25.
  • An authentication letter for insurance/ appraisal purposes is $35.
  • An authentication letter for claim or dispute purposes is $70.
  • Also please note that any item that is pre-1990 has an extra $5 service fee attached to it.

Proauthenticators only does Louis Vuitton Products.

Overall I now solely use Real Authentication just because of their speed and mobile app function.

How does it work?

Let’s take the service I use and love the most- Real Authentication. I always use their Mobile Authentication services which means I can upload all my photos and get my results via my phone.

real authentication

Real Authentication requires the following information for your authentication:

  • Front
  • Exterior Log (if there is one)
  • Made In Tag (if there is one)
  • Serial Number/ Date Code (if there is one)
  • Hardware engravings
  • ** If they need more photos they will message you and ask

Once you check out that is all you have to do! Its really simple and a great service.

When your authentication is ready they email you. You then log in and will see a screen like this:

real authentication how to

Hopefully you see the green check mark because that means its authentic. If not you will see a red a mark like below. If they need more pictures they will email you that and tell you what pictures they require.

real authentication counterfeit

What should I get authenticated?

Honestly the sad answer is everything. I would obviously authenticate anything that does not come pre- authenticated. So that would be anything from Ebay, Tradesy, Poshmark (even the items over $500 because I do not trust their authentication services), Mercari, and Depop to name but a few. Even companies like Fashionphile and The Real Real have been known to let fakes slip buy even though they allegedly authenticate everything.

Also return fraud to luxury stores is a real thing so always be careful when purchasing in store and ask questions. For example when I am at Louis Vuitton I always ask where the date code is in a piece that I am buying.

More Questions?

Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram or leave a comment on this article!

 

Where to Buy Preloved- Tradesy

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Image result for tradesy

Tradesy has the honor of being the first online store I ever bought a preloved item from. It was an Alma PM and it was $300. It worked perfectly in my law student budget and it made me feel so legit. (Yes I still say legit all the time. Yes I know there are better works but nothing describes my feeling of carrying that LV bag then legit!)

Since then I have bought a couple different bags from Tradesy. I picked up a Chloe Mini Marcie at the time they were super popular for about $300 off and I bought my 25th birthday present to myself, my Chanel Diana, from Tradesy as well. I have even picked up two SLGs- the Louis Vuitton continental multicolor blanc wallet and the Louis Vuitton Compact Zippy in Damier azure.

I also unfortunately have bought two fake bags on Tradesy. I’ll tell both stories below and in both instances Tradesy refunded me even for one that was at least a month later.

So first the not as exciting story plus a little known fact about Tradesy. Starting with the Tradesy fact- you can contact Tradesy regarding authenticity of your item and they will send you a shipping label so you can send it in to be authenticated. You can then specify that they send it back to you once it’s authenticated or you can request a site credit. In this instance I had purchased a beautiful vintage Dior bag in a lovely shade of grey. When I got the bag it just didn’t feel high enough quality to be authentic but I don’t know much about vintage Dior. I sent it in and unfortunately it ended up being a fake. Tradesy refunded me my money promptly.

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The second story is actually crazy. I bought a beautiful vintage Chanel crossbody in black lambskin with gold hardware from a reputable seller who also ran a consignment boutique in the states. This would have been my first Chanel bag ever and I did not know of Tradesy authentication policy at the time. But I wasn’t worried because the bag came with an authentication certificate from Authenticate First, a third party authentication service I had used before. So I received the bag and admired it but noticed the authentication certificate wasn’t as clear as I would like. I messaged the seller and she apologized and promised to email me the electronic copy. I waited a bit and then kept reaching out to the seller who never responded. Needless to say the electronic copy never came so I reached out to Authenticate First to ask them to email me an electronic copy. When I emailed Authenticate First they said sure and could I send over more information so they could locate the certificate. I scanned what I had and email it to them. Authenticate First promptly replied that the seller had faked the authentication certificate and showed me what was wrong on the certificate. By this point I had solidly had the bag for a month (maybe even longer). I reached out to Tradesy with what I had found out and they had me send them a copy of the emails and certificate. Once they got that the information they sent me a return label. When they got the bag they refunded me. I was shocked and very happy with this customer service because I had at this point had the bag for almost two month! Moral of the story: Tradesy does say everything is authentic but it is possible to get a fake bag. If you do get a fake bag Tradesy will help you get back your money.

Pros of Tradesy

  • FREE AUTHENTICATION SERVICE- seriously this is very nice and is available for anything you buy on Tradesy.
  • Lots of vintage bags which are often not available on sites like Fashionphile and Rebag.
  • Some great deals to be found! Plus you can always message the seller and see if they are willing to negotiate with you.
  • Buyer and Seller Protection
  • SALES- Tradesy often has sales that are either a set amount or a percentage off! These sales can really provide a discount so make sure to take advantage of them.

Cons of Tradesy

  • Not all bags are authentic
  • Sellers get to choose their list prices so they can often be way over retail or over the general price on the preloved market.
  • If you do sell an item on Tradesy it takes forever for you to get your money via paypal. And to make it worse they add another fee to transfer it out of Tradesy– this is on top of the 20% fee of the sale they already take.

Have you seen the rest of my places to buy preloved series? If not check out my Fashionphile review and my The Real Real review.