If you follow me through Instagram, then you know that I found this amazing Louis Vuitton bag for under $300 through an Instastory! And how did I manage that, you may ask? Well, I found it with a little searching, making a few clicks, a phone call, and being at the right place at the right time! I’m going to share with you how I managed to scoop up this amazing bag along with a few tips on how you can do the same!
How I Found The Bag
I actually found this bag through a local business’ Instastory. One morning, I was casually looking through my stories and saw that one of the buy-sell-trade stores here in Tampa had received the bag in that same day and listed it for sale online. I quickly ran comps on my phone and knew that the bag was worth me picking up to resell. As much as I love Louis Vuitton bags and secretly wanted to keep it, I knew that I would never use it (as I’m not really a shoulder bag kind of girl) and would make out much better selling it.
After deciding to purchase the item, I called the store to see if the item was still available and if they would be able to place it on hold for me. Fortunately, the bag was still available and they were able to place it on hold for me until the end of the day. I quickly got ready and went to check out the bag! Once I arrived in the store, I did a quick look over the bag and immediately started to doubt the authenticity as this style of bag is highly replicated. After examining it further and looking up the serial number, I was 99% sure that the bag was authentic. This was further confirmed when the employee disclosed to me that the bag was authenticated through an online luxury bag authentication company. Feeling confident in my purchase, I bought the bag and before leaving, the store manager printed off authenticity papers for me.
My plan with the bag is to send it to The RealReal. I contemplated selling it myself but I’ve noticed that many luxury pieces tend to sit for me for months with many low-ball offers. To avoid that, it is much easier for me to send it to The RealReal and have them do all of the work. As far as profits go, I should be able to easily double my money by sending it into the RealReal.
A Few Tips for You
Tip #1: Follow Local Resale and Thrift Stores on Social Media
Many stores will promote their best items on social media so it is imperative to follow local thrift and buy-sell-trade stores if you can. You will have a first look at these items and may even be able to purchase them before anyone else. Also, some stores may even have exclusive deals through social media and if you are not following them, then you may not even know that they are happening!
Tip #2: Get to Know Store Employees
It really does help to know store employees, especially in smaller and locally-owned thrift and resale stores. By developing a relationship with store employees, you allow them to get to better know you and your shopping needs. Sometimes, employees will hold onto coveted items for you and even call you if something that they know that you will like arrives in store. It definitely helps to know people!
Tip #3: Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out to a Store If You are Interested in an Item
I think that some people may be hesitant to reach out to a store if they see an item that they are interested in on a social media platform. If you are interested in an item, I would suggest calling the store to see if the item is still available. As someone who worked in a buy-sell-trade store myself, I will tell you that calling the store instead of reaching out to them through social media is the best way to hold an item. Nine times out of ten, by the time the store reads their social media messages, the item has already sold.
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