Many people believe the pandemic has unleashed the spendthrift in us. I’m one of them. The savings I thought I would accumulate because of the past lockdowns and the work from home (WFH) setup I enjoyed (and continue to enjoy at present) didn’t materialize. Why? Because I spent a lot on food deliveries and online shopping. I dunno with you but I found it too easy to burn cash while stuck at home overthinking about the COVID-19 situation and its implications to my and my family’s future.
But hey, I’m not here to regret my purchases or berate myself for my lack of financial discipline because truth be told, surviving the pandemic with our sanity intact and without having to worry if we could eat 3x a day is a huge blessing in itself. And because we have recently won the fight against COVID-19 as a family in God’s grace and without incurring any medical debts, this financial boo-boo (if you can call it that) is easy to overlook, and for good reason.
Speaking of online shopping, I found myself acquiring two preloved bags this year, purchasing one after the other. I have to admit, my financial EQ was low in those two occasions because the offers were too good to pass up. The first one, a Louis Vuitton (LV) Monogram Speedy 30, was bought during the time I was battling COVID-19. I was just browsing the bag collection for sale of this IG seller (@quarantinegaragedaymain) and suddenly, I chanced upon this beauty. The price was reasonable given the condition of the bag so I didn’t have second thoughts to get it. When I received it though, I found it quite old-looking with its darkened gold hardwares, some minor cracks on the leather side flaps and handles, and missing leather zipper puller. I immediately sent it to a bag service and repair shop to have it cleaned and restored and voila, it went back to me like a girl who has gone through a makeover! The bag looked 5x better than when it first arrived and I couldn’t be happier about it!
simple and classic
bag service receipt, quite pricey but they did a great job so it was worth it! 🙂
presenting the new leather zipper puller
my first time to use the bag
The second one was this Gucci Canvas Abbey D-Ring Hobo Bag which I purchased at a very good price from another IG seller (@lizzythebagfairy2nd) who calls herself “the bag fairy.” She is indeed a bag fairy because she made my bag dream and those of a lot of girls come true. This particular bag has signs of usage already (e.g. faded canvas, some brown stains at the back that are barely noticeable anyway, etc.) but overall, it’s still in fairly good condition. It actually looks great in photos pa nga! And I just love its design and light pink leather trim and handles!
feminine and stylish
photogenic 😉
that one time I carried the bag to the office
I don’t think I’d have the balls to splurge on brand new, high-end designer bags like LV and Gucci so I consider these two as smart purchases. It’s been my money principle to buy only what I can afford and with these two bags, I made myself happy while following the rules and without causing damage to my financial health.
Do you also own a preloved bag? What kind is it and where did you get it?
Stay safe and clean, friends!
May you choose happiness always,
Isa sa mga pinagkakabalahan ko minsan is to watch unboxing videos ng luxury items. And while it’s not a need (at least for my lifestyle), I would still want a few luxury items in this lifetime haha.
Ingat lagi!
Agree ako dyan, sis, deserve natin yang few luxury items na yan kasi hardworking tayo, hahaha. 😉
Btw, ang galing ng pagkakarestore ng LV bag! Sulit ang bayad. And ganyan din yung isang nicoconsider ko (wala pang listahan ng wants haha) dahil most people say it’s a classic. Haha.
Yes, sis, nagulat talaga ako dahil nagmukhang bago, maliban siyempre dun sa hardwares na luma na talaga, hehe. 🙂
I have! I bought a pre-owned bag in Japan once. Pretty sulit. I saw a Speedy in green leather there selling for PhP7,000.00 thereabouts but I never bought kasi doubtful on authenticity.
For higher-end bags, I prefer buying in-store, to enjoy the shopping experience (champagne and generally, the opportunity of feeling the leathers, and material in real-life, browsing the clothes and shoes) and to ensure authenticity, especially, if it’s a first time buying from x brand.
Nice! I learned from the seller where I bought those bags from that Japan is a preloved bag haven (of sorts). 🙂