Desinger Handbag Shopping Guide for 1st Time Buyer

In the past few weeks, I received a few emails from readers on a subject of designer handbags so I thought I would write a full post on this as a "designer handbag shopping guide for the first time buyer". Ruby..one of readers who stumbled onto my blog, let me know what bag you end up getting if you are reading.

In this post, I will focus on these areas - Your style/finance versus Influence, New or Used, Purse Forum and Ebay.



Your style and Finance

It is so easy to be influenced by your favorite bloggers/celebrities when it comes to what clothes/shoes/bags/lipsticks/blushes you spot them wearing but it is very important to stay true to your style and be realistic about your finance. Be realistic about your money. People are in "unnecessary/avoidable" debt because people want or own things they can't afford. To me - luxurious items are meant for those who "can" afford them. I am not rich, I said it before but I will say it again. My husband and I share the same principle when it comes to spending on luxurious itmes, we will not purchase if we can't afford them. As simple as that. We may dream or feel sad that we can't have it at this point but move on with our lives and be okay without it.

If flap bag is not your style or doesn't fit into your lifestyle. Do not buy because it will sit there collecting dust. Do not let the big name / label fool you. If you can convince yourself to use it, then buy it. Chanel flap is a timeless and classic. Talking about the name "Chanel", seriously every woman wants to own a Chanel bag in her lifetime. I bought a mini flap since May but I haven't used it as often as I should. I think I got carried away with the label and the hype about price increase but totally ignored the fact that its size was not practical for my everyday use. Jumbo would be an ideal size to carry all my stuff but I couldn't justify buying a bag at that price. That's my lesson learned and I learnt it a hard way shelling out over 2k on a metallic little lambie. Second time around, I quickly learnt my mistake and made a better choice with Dior Panarea. Me oh my..I have been using that bag "every" single day and love it more and more.

New or Used

This is totally a personal choice/preference. Some people do not mind gently used/pre-loved bags. A big plus, you can own them at a lower price tag (make sure it is authentic). Whatever that suits your fancy. Personally I would rather buy new bags straight from boutique for the peace of mind.

Purse Forum and Ebay

If you are serious about getting your first designer handbag, Purse Forum is a wonderful place to"learn" all about high-end designer handbags. However it is not the place where you can put your trust on those "authenticators/bag experts". If you enter "purse forum" in a google search, you will be surprised to see some interesting/ugly facts about how these authenticators have some deals behind the closed doors with Ebay vendors. Even an independent authenticator outside TPF (The Purse Forum), what kind of proofs do you have that they are truly "independent"?

If you are the first time buyer especially designer handbags, most likely you are not familiar with the brand so how can you trust a complete stranger who claims to be "an independent authenticator" to tell you "this is a real deal..go for it". I am very, very skeptical about these authenticators. On the net, people can say whoever they want to be. Okay how about the fact that I used to work at Hermes for 10 years and I can gaurantee you that I can tell the fake from the real? Will you trust me? How do I know this person used to work at Hermes? How?

It is not easy to tell whether a handbag is real or fake just by looking at a picture or two.If you live in Asia a popular destination for counterfeit goods, you know they are several grades of counterfeit handbags ranging from grade AAA, AA, A to probably Z. It is so easy to tell that some bags are fake because they are so poorly made and they even have different designs. High quality cournterfeit is almost identical to the real deal and you can hardly tell the difference unless you compare them side by side. I do not say that bags sold on Ebay or other sites are 100% fake. What I am saying here is if you are new to the brand, save money and go straight to the boutique. Buying from Ebay may end up costing you financially and emotionally. It is a risk you take. Unless you are familiar and know really well about the brand you are going to purchase, Ebay may be a good place to save you some $$$$.