HOW TO BUY AN AUTHENTIC DESIGNER BAG FOR $200

HOW TO BUY AN AUTHENTIC DESIGNER BAG FOR $200

How many of you clicked the link just to see what kind of tomfoolery I am talking about? Keep reading to learn exactly how you can get an authentic Louis Vuitton bag for $200. The truth is, you could actually get it for free! "Get to the point, Isa!" (you're silently screaming in your head). How can this be true, you're wondering. Is this real? Does it involve illegal activity? Yes, this is real. NO, it absolutely does not involve illegal activity.

 

Many people dream of owning a designer handbag but few of us are able to burn over $1000 on a chunk of leather or monogrammed canvas. Listen, I totally get it, that’s pretty much a month’s rent (unless you live in Los Angeles, which $1000 would pretty much get you a carport). I am here to present some facts that will make that handbag way more attainable, and here is the best part, it’s almost like renting it. You can use it for a couple of years and then trade out for a new one!

 

Authentic Designer Bags for $200 

 The first thing you are going to want to do is to research designer bags and their resale value. Not all brands are created equal (duh). Certain brands will retain up to 50% of their original value or more. This does not mean you can’t buy a handbag with a lower resale value, it just means that when it comes time to re-sell it, don’t expect that much back. I have done extensive research on resale value. I am not about to spoon feed you all this information (maybe on another post), but for now, just know that Louis Vuitton has one of the highest resale values (especially on their monogram canvas handbags).

 

So, let’s talk about the Louis Vuitton Delightful Tote. This bag was originally $1390 if you purchased it retail (still not a rent in Los Angeles, FYI *insert eyeroll emoji). This style has been discontinued. Even though it is no longer available in stores, it is still a very popular and sought after style. Current market value on this piece ranges from $800 to $1000 (a lot has to with the condition, we will discuss that later). Let’s give this bag a current market value of $900. Here is a large dose of common sense for you: if you find an AUTHENTIC Delightful for under market value, that is a solid investment piece (I will also discuss how to authenticate LVs at another time, look at me leaving breadcrumbs all over the place to trick you into my spell).

 

 Designer Goods As Investments

 If you are an experienced reseller with liquidity (so, if you have been doing this a while and you’ve got wads of cash), you would want to buy in at the lower end of the market value and aim to sell for the higher end. Let’s say you found a Delightful in great shape for $650, it is relatively easy to turn around and sell this piece for $900 (still under the highest end of the current market value). Congratulations, you just made $250 on $650, which means a 38% return on your money. Just to give you an idea, the highest return rate on a CD for 2019 was Marcus for Goldman Sachs at a “whopping” 1.9% for 5 years. So, had you invested your $650 in a 5 year CD, you would have earned a grand total of $64 after the 5 years. I would take you almost 4 YEARS of your money being tied up to make what you just made on that flip. (Yikes, am I right?). I found this especially hard to digest and believe, so I have included a screenshot of this calculation (I used their free interest calculator).

 

 

 The Actual Cost of Designer Goods

 If you are customer looking to buy a luxury handbag for $200 or less, here is the magical math that you need. Let’s say you find the Delightful in excellent, near new condition for $900 (I am assuming you did your homework and you have scored a great deal on an authentic piece and have not been taken advantage of by devious counterfeit sellers and online deception trolls). Pay the $900 happily. Remember, you have not lost this money, you are investing it in a "good" (it's not like you went outside and burned it, or lost it at the blackjack table. *important personal note: I love blackjack). The first thing you need to remember once this new baby is in your possession is TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT. This is not the bag that you throw recklessly on the floor and drag around like an old mop. This is an investment designer piece and should be treated with the utmost respect. You and your Delightful live happily ever after…

 

Fast forward to 2 years from now, your Delightful has been your faithful companion. She has been with you through thick and thin, but you find yourself thinking of other handbags. You won’t admit it, but your eye has started to wander. What other beauties are out there? You have taken such wonderful care of your Delightful that you know someone else would love her just as much as you did. You go online to check her market value, there is no harm in checking, right? Guess what, she is still being sold for around $800!

 

Let’s say after a few weeks and several negotiations, you manage to sell her for $700. So, you purchased a luxury handbag that would have cost $1390 at retail for $900, you used the bag for 2 years, and then turned around and sold her for $700. That means you enjoyed all the comforts of a Louis Vuitton Delightful MM for 2 years for the price of $200. Lol, $200 won’t even buy you a Coach bag these days! And that, ladies and ladies (let’s be honest, not a single guy made it this far) is how one acquires a designer purse for $200 or less.

 

The point of buying designer is that you are not only buying better quality items, you are buying items that retain their value. Knowing what brands hold the most value and each style’s market value will help in making wise choices when it comes to buying or investing in designer luxury. Would you buy a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta for $10,000 when Kelley Blue Book says it is worth $5000 just because you like how cute the shape is? NO. We need to start thinking of designer pieces as investments. Before you buy anything, you need to do your homework, research everything about the item or buy from a trusted source. Also, when your significant other decides to meddle in your consumer affairs, make sure you have this designer bag for $200 calculation handy.

 

Beware of Online “Experts”

 The last thing I want to discuss is that you should all be doing your own research and education on these brands. In the last few years, a LOT of “authentication” websites have popped up. They offer online authentication and certificates at a steep cost. I have researched a few of them and, although they do have strong social media numbers (props to their marketing people), there is very little information about who is authenticating. What is their background? What gives them this level of expertise? What do these certificates mean? There is no government agency regulating counterfeit handbag authentication, so what weight do these certificates carry? Chanel does not offer classes or courses on how to authenticate their handbags, neither do any of the other luxury retailers. Let’s put in the work, ladies. Become your own expert or ask someone who has years of designer goods experience (my resume is coming soon to an insta post near you *insert sunglass emoji). Learn about the brands, go into the stores and study the pieces up close. Trust, but verify. Actually, don’t trust, just research until you are 100% sure that something is authentic. If you are not sure, do not buy it. There will be other opportunities.

That's all for today, ladies. Make sure to sign up for our newsletter. A lot of exciting, super secret info coming your way soon! (insert DOUBLE sunglass emoji to add some extra mystery) 

 

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1 comment

Gracias guapa!!! Love all the advice and this thing you’re doing is building trust honey, good job!!!

EVa

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