Now the story continues, with my most extravagant back-to-school purchase ever: the Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas Speedy 30.
I used eBay again, and was quite happy with the whole process, except for the fact that it's hard to find a designer handbag which is in good condition, reasonably priced AND authentic. I scoured the listings (after reading up on "How To Spot a Fake Louis Vuitton"), keeping an eye on the ones that interested me. I didn't need the bag to be perfect, but when the ad states "strange smell", it's fair to cross it off the list of potential contenders.
I ended up buying a used purse from Hong Kong. It was listed as "Buy Now or Best Offer", and since I wasn't willing to go as high as the "Buy Now" price, I filled in my "Best Offer" and immediately received notice that it had NOT been accepted. Fair enough, so I continued checking out other listings. Thank goodness I didn't bid on anything else, because after the first listing closed, I received word that my offer would be accepted after all! (I didn't know that was possible.)
The bag arrived in just over a week, and my next surprise was that the mail lady showed up at my door wondering if I had $58 cash handy to pay the COD customs charge. (Mom warned me, but I didn't see anything about an additional charge on the listing!)
The extra cost was well worth it, as the bag is in almost perfect condition except for the natural wear on the handles. It's also a lot bigger than I expected it to be, and holds all of my purse essentials with tons of room to spare.
Clearly this was a "want", and not a "need"...but when you wear $15 blouses and $20 shoes, I argue that you can splurge for the classic pieces.
Once school starts, I'll have to break myself of the habit of carrying my new purchase everywhere I go. Might look a bit funny when I'm out on yard duty...
