A Nibble Bit

A year ago or so I purchased a vintage Chanel classic flap off of Ebay (you can read about my experience here). When I received my bag, it was in need of some pampering so I brought it to Leather Surgeons, a reputable bag repair service for Chanel bags. This is the long-awaited post I had promised describing my experience with them. 

As I mentioned in my previous blog, the vintage Chanel bag I received in the mail was not as described. There were a few flaws that were not disclosed. I did not want to bother with the hassle and stress of returning the bag overseas to Japan, so I decided to send it to Leather Surgeons for some touch-ups. I had read many reviews extolling their magic and I was excited to see what they could do.

My bag arrived with the following flaws (none of these were disclosed in the listing, which is a reminder to ask for additional photos once you win an auction):

The front of the bag caved in

The chains were in poor condition. Showed tarnishing and the leather had tears

There was creasing on the inside of the bag

Tarnishing on the front clasp

Side view of the bag being caved in

Another area of the chain in poor condition

There are at least two constants in life: change and the price of Chanel bags increasing every year. It is shocking that the price of a Chanel Classic Flap will be $7,650 after July 1, 2021 , when it was $1,150 in 1990. For most, it can be hard to imagine spending the price of a used car on one bag. 

The good news is that Chanel has been around for some time (and that downside of this is, that is why their handbags are so expensive), and there are a lot of second-hand bags available for purchase on secondary markets. Buyers have a lot of options; from Fashionphile, Yoogi's Closet, and Ann’s Fabulous Finds, there are pre-loved Chanel bags of all styles in great condition available. Pre-loved Chanel bags, while not a complete bargain (you won't find a classic flap for under $2k, for example), enable Chanel enthusiasts to save at least a few thousand dollars off the current retail price. 

I recently purchased a vintage Chanel from somewhere that would surprise most people - eBay. Yes, I bought a Chanel bag from eBay and it was authentic. I did a lot of research before I did so, and I thought it might be helpful to compile my learnings in a post. 

**DISCLAIMER: Please, please, be sure to do your own research and authentication prior to purchasing a bag on any platform. There is always risk when buying a Chanel bag from a third-party, and you should always consult a professional authentication service to ensure authenticity prior to and post purchasing.**

Purchasing a vintage Chanel 

I have been coveting a vintage Chanel classic flap in the medium size for some time. The key word here is vintage, as only Chanel bags made before 2008 have 24k plating on the hardware and chain straps. To me, there is just something so lovely (dare I say classic?) about the black lambskin and deep gold hardware combination. 

I was not interested in paying full price at the Chanel boutique for a classic flap. Not only is the pricing abhorrent, the newer classic flaps not have 24k gold hardware and the classic flap cannot be worn crossbody due to its shorter strap. I knew that paying full price for a classic flap was not worth it for me.

I followed a few various secondhand vendors (Fashionphile, Rebag, Vestiaire) for some time. I saw that pricing for vintage bags were still unreasonably high (in the $4k - $5k! For bags not in great condition!). I then decided to do some research on buying vintage bags from Japanese sellers on eBay, a place I never would have fathomed buying luxury goods from. 

Having recently visited Japan, I knew they had a large market for secondhand vintage Chanel. I saw a lot of shops in Tokyo and Osaka which primarily sold pre-loved bags from Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton - you name it. I knew these shops were trustworthy as it is extremely illegal to sell counterfeit goods in Japan. Japanese consumers also take great care of their bags, and so pre-loved luxury goods are often in great condition.

The ideal plan would have been to wait until I visit Japan to purchase a vintage Chanel in person, but due to the global pandemic, that was not an option for a long time. So I started to research reputable Japanese sellers on eBay, nothing that there were a handful of YouTubers (here and here) that had good experiences purchasing from eBay. After watching numerous videos and furiously researching on PurseForum, I was ready to take the plunge. 

Tips for buying vintage Chanel on Ebay

1. Purchase from a reputable, preferably Japanese, seller. Some reputable sellers that I have experience interacting with include boom2hanten and eg-system. I have also heard that brand_jfa and brandearauction are reputable sellers, but I personally have not had any experience with them.

2. Make sure the seller feedback is above 99%, and have a lot of reviews. Comb through their feedback, especially recent negative feedback. If there are any red flags, do not buy.

3. Ensure there is a return policy. You want to be sure you are able to return your product if the item is not as described. Note that because the seller is overseas, return shipping will cost a lot (my estimate was $100~ via DHL). You as the buyer will be responsible for any return shipping fees.

4. Sometimes the item may not be as described in the pictures; I unfortunately had this experience. The seller did not disclose numerous flaws on the bag that I ended up winning. Some sellers will not respond to inquiries regarding the bag prior to you winning the auction. After winning an auction (tips on this below), but before submitting payment information, I strongly recommend messaging the seller for additional pictures of the bag to ensure you are happy with the condition. They are often more happy to oblige. 

For example, I won an auction for a bag that was described in "like new" condition. I messaged the seller for close ups of the bag and asked about the condition of the hardware, etc. They shared additional pictures with me and it was only through these photos that it was disclosed there was tarnishing on the hardware. I asked to cancel the order since the item was not as described, and the seller were happy to accommodate the request. Never be afraid to ask for more pictures! 

5. Pre-authenticate your bag prior to bidding and/or purchasing the item. I used Etinceler Authenticators and submitted photos of the bag I was bidding on, and they gave me an opinion on whether or not the bag was authentic. Unfortunately, Etinceler Authenticators are no longer in business but there are many other options: Zeko's Authentication is one that has a good reputation. Give yourself peace of mind before putting your hard-earned funds towards an expensive purchase.

6. Authenticate your bag after receiving it. Make sure the bag you bid on is the one you receive. I sent my bag to Leather Surgeons to fix it up after I received it. As part of their services, Leather Surgeons authenticates bags (they do not work on any bags that are not authentic), so I knew my bag was authentic. I will also post a review of my experience with Leather Surgeons (spoiler alert: I was happy with them).

Tips for winning the auction

1. After you have found a listing you are ready to purchase from, add it to your eBay "Watch" list. Set a reminder on your calendar so you know when the end time is. 

2. Do not bid at any time during the auction. You will see other people bidding up the price but making a bid during this time is only driving up the price for yourself in the end. 

3. Set a price limit for yourself. It is easy to get caught up in the bidding war and overpay, but make a hard budget for yourself and you will walk away satisfied whether you win the bag or not. 

4. At the last 5-10 seconds of the auction, right before it ends, enter your highest and final bid. This avoids giving time to any other bidders to counter your bid, and also ensures that you won't go over your own personal budget. I've won two auctions using this technique. If you don't win the bag because someone else's bid is higher than yours, you can also walk away knowing that you gave your max budget.

Note: After you win the bag, send a message to the seller requesting for more photos. Again, this is your hard-earned money and you want to be satisfied with the purchase you receive in the mail. 

Other Notes
1. You may or may not have to pay duties. Consider this before determining the budget for your bag. You will also have to pay state taxes, so factor that into your decision as well.

2. I like to reference this Yoogi's Closet guide for Chanel serial numbers. You can determine when your bag was made by referencing the handy dandy chart on the page. If you are in the market for a vintage Chanel bag, this will help confirm the year the bag was produced.

Good luck on your search!

And that's it! I hope this was a helpful guide to purchasing a vintage Chanel bag on eBay. As I mentioned above, I will post a review on my experience with Leather Surgeons for fixing up my bag. If you have any questions or experience to share on purchasing a pre-loved Chanel bag, comment below! 

I've always been intrigued by the brand Senreve. I assume they do a good job with their targeted advertising, since images of their bags always populate my social media feed. When I saw that their newest product was a convertible backpack, I had to purchase one. I have been in the market for a purse that could convert from crossbody to a backpack, as I'm sure they would make great travel bags.

I ordered the Alumna bag in the color "chestnut", as my collection was missing a brown color. I ordered the larger size, but they do have a smaller size too, called the Mini Alumna. I had to pre-order the bag as it was not in stock when I placed the order at the time. It came a month or so later, and in the nicest packaging.

All of Senreve's bags come in a nice dust bag

First Impressions

I think this bag is so beautiful, The brown is such a lovely warm, deep brown that will match well with anything. The leather smells so divine and I am very impressed with the quality of the bag. Senreve's pebbled leather is supposed to be water and stain resistant, and the interior of the bag is lined with a soft suede-like material. 

At a full retail price of $645, this bag is by no means cheap, but I find that Senreve has a good amount of promotions. I myself purchased this bag with 20% off, no tax, and free gifts with purchase so it netted out to about $516. I also received 10% cash back through a site like Mr. Rebates. 

If you are familiar with Senreve bags, they have a zip top closure and then a flap with a magnetic closure. This bag is very secure, and it would be difficult for a pickpocket to open the bag. 

It is easy to adjust the bag from a crossbody bag to a backpack - the two straps just have to go through two hoops on the top of the bag. 

What fits inside

I really wanted to use this bag as a travel bag, so I checked to see what would fit inside the bag. Below is what I was able to fit inside the bag:

• Sunglasses with soft case
• Small compact wallet
• Hand sanitizer
• Small cosmetics pouch
• Small lotion

Everyone reacts the same when they hear the phrase "2020". Their eyes widen, heart rate increases, and a sense of doom starts to creep. For the entirety of the last calendar year, we all muttered hysterically to ourselves, "2020 will end soon, it has to end..." As if once "2021" flashed on our smartphone home screens, the world would instantly become a better place. 

Well, it didn't. 2021 is here, and while it seems that the pandemic has become less of a worry in the United States (yay, vaccines!), scary, and frankly downright depressing, things didn't stop happening. It seems that the avalanche of negative news will never come to a halt. Our mental health is constantly teetering on the edge while we struggle to balance our personal and work lives without collapsing into a breakdown. If this doesn't sound familiar to you, well, I am deeply envious of your home under a rock. 

It was during these trying times that I decided to delete Instagram off my phone. I was slowly growing conscious of the fact that every time I doom-scrolled through my feed, my mood was souring more and more. I was constantly fearful and negative due to the bad news that was being shared by peers. It was growing to be a very toxic place for me.

So I deleted the app! And it's been a while since I've felt this...free.

1. I stopped mindlessly opening Instagram. I was growing aware that I was developing a terrible habit. I would tap the Instagram app on my phone without even thinking. I would scroll through my feed and read through the content over and over again. I was doing this when I was between meetings at work, eating meals, during a slow TV show. It was such a time suck, and I never got anything productive out of it.

2. I stopped reading negative news that other accounts were sharing. I believe in staying informed and aware of what is going on in the world. But I also believe that there is marginal utility. At a certain point, information becomes too much and it is not longer helpful. In fact, it became really negative for me. This isn't just applicable to social media; over the course of 2020, I had the New York Times delivered to my inbox daily. That did not fare well for me since, as you can imagine, the news sensationalizes everything. And the more negative headlines = the more traffic and readers. When I unsubscribed from everything but the New York Times' "Breaking News". I felt my mental health improve.

3. I realized how repetitive most updates from people are. Don't get me wrong, I genuinely enjoy seeing some (keyword: some) people's updates. I care about my friends. But what I don't care about is a daily picture of your baby or meal. 

4. I value real-life conversations more. I knew what my friends were up to by looking at their Instagram updates. But let's face it - that's not very personal at all. If I only know what's going on in your life because of social media, we're probably not that great of friends. Since deleting the app, I've had some really great conversations that I appreciate even more. Shoutout to my real homies, you know who you are.

5. I am more productive. This goes hand in hand with #1, but not having my time sucked into this app has given me more time to do things that I actually enjoy. For one, I'm writing a blog post for the first time since 2016. And for another, I sat down and read a physical book. 

While I have deleted the app, I do sometimes login via my mobile browser to check my direct messages on my personal account and scroll here and there. (Sidenote: I heartily recommend this approach - it is harder to mindlessly open and scroll through Instagram this way. I have to manually log in and use a clunky mobile experience. I never stay on for long.) I also use a platform to schedule my Trader Joe's recommendation for my @anibblebit Instagram account. 

And you know what? Nothing's changed when I do log into Instagram occasionally. Bob* is still posting about how the government wants to take our rights away (I couldn't believe this person was still getting my attention, so I muted him), Sally* is brunching it up with her homegirls in the Marina (complete with a "HaAYYy girl hAYyYYY" commentary in her story, ah, classic), and Joe* is still eating a lot of takeout (your fiber intake ok there, buddy?). So I haven't missed anything at all. 

*Not real names 

It is not a secret that I am an overpacker.

My husband is always miffed at how full and heavy my luggage is whenever we go on a trip. I myself am miffed (“How did I stuff this luggage for an overnight trip?” I mutter to myself, sitting on top of my hard-shell luggage while struggling to zip it closed). But ya know, a girl’s gotta have options - I just want to make sure that I have *choice* when I am on vacation. I never know when I might be feeling too bloated for that tight dress, or if the weather might change on a whim so I’ll need that extra crewneck...and my skincare regimen is oh so important, so of course I need all my face products!

• Undergarments and socks for 2 days
• Tshirt and long pants
• A soft-cover book
• Comb
• Crewneck sweater
• Maxi dress
• Pair of sunglasses in case
• Cross-body purse
• 2 blouses
• Portable phone charger
• Phone chargers and other cables
• Airpods

• Bag filled with skincare products
• Makeup bag
• Pair of jeans
• Flats

• Better quality than Beis
• Zippers slide more easily
• Top compartment has 2 zippers for easy closure
• Includes a crossbody strap, which is a great option
• Smaller size could ideally sit underneath airplane seat

• Small size is too small, Large size is too large
• Price point seems high for what the bag is - though there are usually sales which reduces the price

• Size is perfect - not too small and not too big
• Great price point
• Has a laptop compartment inside of the bag
• More structured - easy to get in and out of the bag

• Could be better quality; inner lining feels cheap and not certain about duration of the bag
• Top compartment only has one zipper
• Zippers are hard to pull and not smooth

• The Catalina Deluxe Small has a capacity of 32.2 liters, and the Catalina Deluxe Large has a capacity of 38.9 litres
• According to the Beis team, the litre capacity is about 30-35L, but I am inclined to say that it is 35 L based on my packing experience with both bags