Cruise Consignment
Have you went inside a handbag store and pick up a Chanel bag that looks brand new but with a tag that says 'Vintage'? Most likely, that is a well taken care of second hand purse. There is nothing wrong with buying second hand, especially if it was well taken care of... but does the average consumer know?
I recently went on a cruise trip across the Atlantic to explore England. I spent one week at sea drinking and sleeping as the days got weary as there was no land in sight. I decided to go into one of the cruise boutiques to see if I could snag anything good with cruise credit. One boutique was selling handbags from Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, even Fossil! To my surprise they had so many collections in stock! It did not dawn on me that it was a type of consignment store selling second hand handbags by using tags with wording it as 'vintage'. I thought it was a type of style or collection from the brands! Amazingly, these bags were in such good condition, I never notice it wasn't new!
After leaving with a Gucci tote, which is consider to be a good investment of a second hand handbag, it was so cute I couldn't have left it at the store! However, now thinking back on it, I wouldn't have bought it if I had known.
What is Vintage?
To some, it means the handbag was from a different era. To others, it means the handbag is 10 years + and to more handbag lovers it means 20 years +. The bag can be out of production or simply not for sale anymore. I would say in my case on the cruise boutique, they were going by the 10 year and older rule. Even though there are differences on time, the word vintage will always mean old and one of a kind.
Would you buy a vintage handbag? If so, what would you invest in?
