preloved Archives - Bargain Hunting Blonde

Buying Preloved- Getting Your Luxury Goods Authenticated

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

The first question I get when talking to someone about buying a preloved luxury good is how do you know it’s authentic? The answer is to get it authenticated. Even if you have bought and how much of an “expert” you may think you are fakes have gotten really really good. (Super fakes are literally the scariest things ever and one of the reasons if I was to buy more current season Chanel I would likely buy straight from the boutique.)

The second question inevitably is a combination of what company should I use and how does it work? If those are the questions you have then this article is here to help.

What Company should I use?

REAL AUTHENTICATION

Real Authentication allows you to authenticate from literally anywhere. They also authenticate a wide variety of luxury items including clothing, shoes, handbags and jewelry. Create an account and once you have done that just upload your images. Their turn around time is between 12 to 24 hours for their basic services but if you need it quicker they even have instant turnaround. Every item is looked at by two authenticators to confirm whether the item is authentic or not. This is my preferred authentication service and the one I currently use.

Real Authentication‘s pricing is as follows:

Basic authentication is $20. The following chart shows the additions you can make to your basic authentication.

Real Authentication authenticates all the following brands- 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Audemars Piguet, Balenciaga, Baume & Mercier, Bell & Ross, Blancpain, Bottega Veneta, Breitling, Bulgari (Bvlgari), Burberry, Carrera Y Carrera, Cartier (High- Res Photos Required), Celine, Chanel, Charles Krypell, Charriol, Chloe, Chopard, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Coach, Corum, David Yurman, Dolce & Gabbana, Doony & Bourke, Fendi, George Jensen, Girard Jensen, Girard- Perregaux, Givenchy, Goyard, Graff, Gucci, Hermes, Hublot (High-Res Photo Required), IWC, Jager Le- Coulter, Jimmy Choo, John Hardy, Judith Leiber, Judith Ripka, Lago, Lanvin, Longchamp, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Michelle, Mikimoto, Miu Miu, Montblanc, Mulberry, Nancy Gonzalez, Oliver Peoples, Omega, Panerai, Patek Philippe, Piaget, Prada, Proenza Schouler, Roberto Coin, Rolex, Simon G, Stella McCartney, Stuart Weitzman (shoes only), Saint Laurent, Tacori, Tag Heuer, Tiffany & Co., Tissot, Tom Ford, Ulysee Nardin, Valentino Garavani, Van Cleef and Arpels, Versace, Yeezy, Yves Saint Laurent and Zenith.

AUTHENTICATE FIRST

I have used Authenticate First before and have had a good experience with them. They also had great customer service when I had an issue with a certificate I got from a seller on Tradesy. (To learn more click here.) They do have a slower turn around time of 2 days. This timeline can be shortened if you pay for expedited service. They do a photo authentication service and an in-house authentication service where you send it your item to them to be reviewed.

Authenticate First has a more complicated pricing structure so I attached the pricing chart below. They are more expensive on the Hermes front (unless its an SLG email opinion) but are cheaper for most brands email opinion authentications then Real Authentication.

authenticate first price chart

Authenticate First authenticates all the following brands- 3.1 phillip lim, Adamo, Adidas, Alaia, Aldo Cipullo, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Alice + Olivia, Alviero Martini, Anya Hindmarch, Armani (Giorgio Armani), Auguste Raymond (watches only),B Makowsky, BCBG Max Azria, Baccarat Crystal, Baccini, Badgley Michka, Balenciaga, Bally, Balmain, Bebe, Belstaff, Botkier, Bottega Veneta, Brahmin, Breil Watches & Jewels, Breitling Watches, Bruno Cucinelli, Bulgari (Bvlgari), Burberry, Caludio Orciani, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Cartier (Handbags and wallets only – no jewelry), Cavalli, Celine, Certina (watches only), Chanel (16 series and below ONLY), Chloe, Chopard, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Christian Louboutin, Chrome Hearts, Ciccinelle, Coach, Coccinelle, Cole Haan, David Yurman, Delvaux, Diane von Furstenberg, Dior (Christian Dior), Dodo Jewels, Dolce & Gabbana, Donna Karan, Dooney & Bourke, DSquared2, Edox (watches only), Elizabeth & James, Emanuel Ungaro (handbags only), Emilio Pucci, Erdem, ETRO, Equipment, Fede, Fendi, Ferragamo (Salvatore Ferragamo), Ferrari, Fossil, Francesco Biasia, Frye, Furla, Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Goyard, Gucci, Guess, Guiseppe Zanotti, Halston, Hartmann, Harley Davidson, Haute Hippie, Helzberg Diamonds, Hermes, Herve Leger, Hogan, Hugo Boss (sunglasses only), Isaac Mizrahi, Isabel Marant, Issa, Jason Wu, Jean Paul Gaultier, Jimmy Choo, John Hardy, Johnstons (scarves only), Judith Leiber, Judith Ripka, Juicy Couture, Karl Lagerfeld (jewelry only), Kate Spade, Kenneth Cole, Kieselstein-Cord, L.A.M.B., Lacoste, Lagos, Lana Marks, Lanvin, Liu-Jo, Loewe, Longchamp, Loro Piana, Louis Vuitton, Luella, Manolo Blahnik, Mansur Gavriel, Marc Jacobs (Marc by Marc Jacobs), Marino Orlandi, Marni, Max Aria, MCM, Michael Kors, Michele Watches, Mikimoto, Miu Miu, Moncler, Mont Blanc, Moschino, Mou, Movado, Mulberry, Murano Glass/Crystal, Nancy Gonzalez, Nanni Milano, Nike, Nina Ricci, Oakley, Oliver Peoples, Omega, Oscar de la Renta, Paloma Picasso, Pandora, Peuterey, Phillip Lim, Prada, Proenza Schouler, Rag & Bone, Ralph Lauren, Ray Ban, Rebecca Minkoff, ReCarlo Jewels, Roberto Cavalli, Rock and Republic Jeans, Roger Vivier Shoes, Rolex, Saint Laurent (Yves Saint Laurent), Salvatore Ferragamo, Salvini Jewels, Seiko, Sergio Rossi, Sophie Hulme, Stella McCartney, Stuart Weitzman, Swarovski, Tag Heuer, The North Face, Tiffany & Co., Tissot (watches only), Tods, Tom Ford, Tory Burch, True Religion Jeans, Tumi, UGG, Valentino, Valentino Garavani, Vera Wang, Versace, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, Waterford Crystal, Yves Saint Laurent, and Zac Posen.

There is an exception to their Chanel photo services based on the series number.

authenticate first chanel

PROAUTHENTICATORS

Proauthenticators is not a service I have used before but has come highly recommended especially when buying Louis Vuitton products on Ebay. The authentication service focuses solely on Louis Vuitton.

Proauthenticators pricing is as follows:

Item Identification is $5.
Pricing Estimation is $10. (The price is reduced to $5 if combined with authentication)
Verbal authentication is $10. This means that you get your results via Facebook messenger, email or text.
An authentication letter is $20. This included an emailed PDF letter.
An authentication letter that is printed and mailed out is $25.
An authentication letter for insurance/ appraisal purposes is $35.
An authentication letter for claim or dispute purposes is $70.
Also please note that any item that is pre-1990 has an extra $5 service fee attached to it.

Proauthenticators only does Louis Vuitton Products.

Overall I now solely use Real Authentication just because of their speed and mobile app function.

How does it work?

Let’s take the service I use and love the most- Real Authentication. I always use their Mobile Authentication services which means I can upload all my photos and get my results via my phone.

real authentication

Real Authentication requires the following information for your authentication:

Front
Exterior Log (if there is one)
Made In Tag (if there is one)
Serial Number/ Date Code (if there is one)
Hardware engravings
** If they need more photos they will message you and ask

Once you check out that is all you have to do! Its really simple and a great service.

When your authentication is ready they email you. You then log in and will see a screen like this:

real authentication how to

Hopefully you see the green check mark because that means its authentic. If not you will see a red a mark like below. If they need more pictures they will email you that and tell you what pictures they require.

real authentication counterfeit

What should I get authenticated?

Honestly the sad answer is everything. I would obviously authenticate anything that does not come pre- authenticated. So that would be anything from Ebay, Tradesy, Poshmark (even the items over $500 because I do not trust their authentication services), Mercari, and Depop to name but a few. Even companies like Fashionphile and The Real Real have been known to let fakes slip buy even though they allegedly authenticate everything.

Also return fraud to luxury stores is a real thing so always be careful when purchasing in store and ask questions. For example when I am at Louis Vuitton I always ask where the date code is in a piece that I am buying.

Where to Buy Preloved- Tradesy

Posted on March 28, 2019 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

Image result for tradesy

Tradesy has the honor of being the first online store I ever bought a preloved item from. It was an Alma PM and it was $300. It worked perfectly in my law student budget and it made me feel so legit. (Yes I still say legit all the time. Yes I know there are better works but nothing describes my feeling of carrying that LV bag then legit!)

Since then I have bought a couple different bags from Tradesy. I picked up a Chloe Mini Marcie at the time they were super popular for about $300 off and I bought my 25th birthday present to myself, my Chanel Diana, from Tradesy as well. I have even picked up two SLGs- the Louis Vuitton continental multicolor blanc wallet and the Louis Vuitton Compact Zippy in Damier azure.

I also unfortunately have bought two fake bags on Tradesy. I’ll tell both stories below and in both instances Tradesy refunded me even for one that was at least a month later.

So first the not as exciting story plus a little known fact about Tradesy. Starting with the Tradesy fact- you can contact Tradesy regarding authenticity of your item and they will send you a shipping label so you can send it in to be authenticated. You can then specify that they send it back to you once it’s authenticated or you can request a site credit. In this instance I had purchased a beautiful vintage Dior bag in a lovely shade of grey. When I got the bag it just didn’t feel high enough quality to be authentic but I don’t know much about vintage Dior. I sent it in and unfortunately it ended up being a fake. Tradesy refunded me my money promptly.

Image result for tradesy

The second story is actually crazy. I bought a beautiful vintage Chanel crossbody in black lambskin with gold hardware from a reputable seller who also ran a consignment boutique in the states. This would have been my first Chanel bag ever and I did not know of Tradesy authentication policy at the time. But I wasn’t worried because the bag came with an authentication certificate from Authenticate First, a third party authentication service I had used before. So I received the bag and admired it but noticed the authentication certificate wasn’t as clear as I would like. I messaged the seller and she apologized and promised to email me the electronic copy. I waited a bit and then kept reaching out to the seller who never responded. Needless to say the electronic copy never came so I reached out to Authenticate First to ask them to email me an electronic copy. When I emailed Authenticate First they said sure and could I send over more information so they could locate the certificate. I scanned what I had and email it to them. Authenticate First promptly replied that the seller had faked the authentication certificate and showed me what was wrong on the certificate. By this point I had solidly had the bag for a month (maybe even longer). I reached out to Tradesy with what I had found out and they had me send them a copy of the emails and certificate. Once they got that the information they sent me a return label. When they got the bag they refunded me. I was shocked and very happy with this customer service because I had at this point had the bag for almost two month! Moral of the story: Tradesy does say everything is authentic but it is possible to get a fake bag. If you do get a fake bag Tradesy will help you get back your money.

Pros of Tradesy

FREE AUTHENTICATION SERVICE- seriously this is very nice and is available for anything you buy on Tradesy.
Lots of vintage bags which are often not available on sites like Fashionphile and Rebag.
Some great deals to be found! Plus you can always message the seller and see if they are willing to negotiate with you.
Buyer and Seller Protection
SALES- Tradesy often has sales that are either a set amount or a percentage off! These sales can really provide a discount so make sure to take advantage of them.

Cons of Tradesy

Not all bags are authentic
Sellers get to choose their list prices so they can often be way over retail or over the general price on the preloved market.
If you do sell an item on Tradesy it takes forever for you to get your money via paypal. And to make it worse they add another fee to transfer it out of Tradesy– this is on top of the 20% fee of the sale they already take.

Have you seen the rest of my places to buy preloved series? If not check out my Fashionphile review and my The Real Real review.

Cheaper Pochette Metis? The LV Vintage Monceau

Posted on October 2, 2018October 25, 2018 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

If you have been following me for awhile you will know that I love my Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis. I bought my initial one about 4 years ago from France but last year that bag had glazing problems as was replaced. Since then I have had no issues with the bag and still love it. But I know before LV got rid of the waitlist that the Pochette Metis was like impossible to get. So in comes the cheaper Louis Vuitton Monceau. A lot of people call this the vintage Pochette Metis. And for all you bargain lovers this bag is much more reasonable as well (all are under $1,000)!

Louis Vuitton Camera Bags

Posted on April 13, 2018 by bargain.hunting.blonde@gmail.com

I love Louis Vuitton but the recent price increase has me shying away from buying new and has had me scouring the preloved market for some older, vintage bags. I think there is a lot to like about vintage Louis Vuitton bags. The quality of the canvas is much better, the craftsmanship is exquisite and the price is amazing for a luxury bag (nothing in this post is over $500!). Below I have rounded up some of my favorites at various price points. (I know that buying preloved and vintage pieces can be a little scary but you can always use an authentication service to confirm that you are in fact buying a real designer piece.)