How To Buy Your First Luxury Bag
I currently have a small collection of luxury bags — a Givenchy Antigona, a Louis Vuitton Neverfull and a Celine Nano Luggage. I am quite happy and proud with my little collection as I view these as rewards or gifts for myself for working hard. The Louis Vuitton Neverfull was also I push gift from my husband after I gave birth to my son.
Givenchy Antigona from therealreal.com
Louis Vuitton Neverfull from therealreal.com
Celine Nano Luggage from therealreal.com
Buying your first luxury bag is definitely an exciting time. You may have been working hard to save up for it. And since it’ll cost you a lot of money to purchase your first luxury bag, it just makes sense to take your time and do your research to decide on which luxury bag you should buy first.
So here are answers to some questions that you might have about buying your first luxury bag. I’ve also added a few questions that you should be asking yourself to ensure that you make the right decision.
Are luxury bags a good investment?
Are luxury bags a good investment in the sense that they increase in value? Sadly, most of the time, no. Unless you buy an ultra rare luxury bag such as the Hermes Himalayan Birkin which will cost you anywhere between $45,000 to $65,000.
Image from sothebys.com
It’s pretty safe to say that for normal, average people like us, buying a luxury bag for investment purposes wouldn’t make sense. So why would you buy one?
Why should I buy a luxury bag?
Now that we’ve established that luxury bags rarely increase in value over time, why should we buy them in the first place?
Personally, I believe that buying a luxury bag is something that shouldn’t be rationalized. Sure, these bags are made with excellent materials and superb craftsmanship but there are many other bags with excellent quality too but cost way less. As with other bags, luxury bags will also get scratches and get deformed over time.
So in a nutshell, you buy a luxury bag because you want to. It is definitely a want rather than a need. You may want to reward yourself for years of hard work, celebrate a milestone or it just simply makes you happy.
Which is the best luxury bag to buy?
We’ve already established that a luxury bag is a want rather than a need. So the short answer to this question is — buy whatever bag that you want!
There are so many styles and trends, but don’t be pressured to get whatever it is that magazines or influencers seem to be pushing as the best. Just pick the bag that really gives you joy.
The best advice I can give is to first ask yourself what you will be using the bag for. This will determine what size and material you should get.
If you want a bag for special occasions like weddings and other events, you can opt to buy a small bag. Something that can fit your phone, lipstick and cards. You can also get away with a bag with softer leather such as lambskin since you won’t be using this bag for everyday use.
Here are some small bag options to inspire you.
Chanel Classic Small Double Flap Bag from therealreal.com
Medium Lady Dior bag from therealreal.com
Saint Laurent Envelope Wallet on Chain from therealreal.com
As for the best luxury bag for everyday use, I would recommend going for totes. It’s just a very practical bag to fit and throw all of your essentials inside. Even a laptop or a tablet! Going for calfskin leather is also a great idea as this is a sturdier leather compared to lambskin.
Louis Vuitton Neverfull from therealreal.com
Goyard Goyardine Saint Louis bag from therealreal.com
Christian Dior Oblique Book Tote from therealreal.com
Saint Laurent Shopping bag from ysl.com
When should you buy a luxury bag?
Buying a luxury bag obviously costs a lot of money. When something is on sale, whether it be in a physical or online store, the temptation to purchase a bag on sale is quite compelling. But as with most things in life, patience is a virtue.
I would suggest taking your time. Sometimes our tastes and preferences change. I’ve loved a lot of bags before and have placed them on my list of bags to buy, but eventually I would grow out of them and remove them from my list.
So go ahead and make a Pinterest board for your favorite bags. See which bag are you consistently fond of through the years. If you’re lucky, you can eventually purchase it during the usual end of season sales between May and July and November to January.
But really, on sale or not, finally having that luxury bag you’ve been lusting on for years will give you quite a remarkable feeling.
Brand new or pre-loved?
Not everyone can easily save up for a luxury bag and buying a pre-loved bag is a great option for this situation. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with owning a pre-loved bag. Just make sure to buy from a reputable seller to ensure that you get an authentic bag in good condition.
Image from therealreal.com
The most reliable place to buy pre-loved luxury bags is TheRealReal. They employ hundreds of experts and use a proprietary algorithm to evaluate thousands of items daily. They are also very proud and passionate about their role in helping to reduce the impact of luxury goods on the environment.
Physical store or online?
As with most things right now, it is so convenient to shop online. With luxury bags though, I do try to at least check out the bag selections in a physical shop. This is so I can really see how the bag size and shape looks on my frame.
But once you’ve been looking around for bags for quite some time in shops, you more or less become more familiar with their sizes, materials and colors. It then becomes easier overtime to shop online.
Buying your first luxury bag is truly an exciting time. Take your time, enjoy the process and enjoy using your new luxury bag for many, many years to come.
