Pre-Owned Chanel Medium Double Flap 2.55 Bag in Caviar Black Leather c/o StockX / Long-Sleeved Velvet Dress (LOVE this super similar one, and nearly identical here! It’s what I wore to Danielle’s wedding. Love this one and this one, too!) / Black Block Heel Pumps (Also love this pair, this pair and this pair.) / Lisi Lerch Earrings c/o / Ralph Lauren Wool Trench Coat (Available in more sizes here and here.)
GUYS. This is honestly the most exciting fashion-related blog post I’ve ever written. Do you see what I’m carrying?!
Let’s start at the beginning. Have you ever read Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris? Or seen the film adaptation? If you haven’t, the gist of the story is that there’s this little old British lady who dreams about owning a Dior gown, and one day, she ups and goes to Paris (as the title indicates, haha), and has her dream dress made by the designer. For years, I’d kind of connected with Mrs. ‘Arris–though for me, the dress was a Chanel bag. I knew that unlike Mrs. ‘Arris, I’d never be able to walk into a boutique and actually pull the trigger, but hey: a girl could dream, right?!
Oh, Chanel. The obsession first started when I moved to New York and saw so many ladies carrying them. The purse just seemed so timeless; the only handbag a girl could ever need. And by “need,” I mean “want,” because no one truly needs designer stuff. 😉 But the particular one I adored–the medium double flap 2.55 bag–had remained iconic since its introduction in February, 1955. (Hence the “2.55.”) And I couldn’t help but love it.
When I turned 30, I started considering investing in a pre-owned Chanel bag, but the process seemed confusing and risky. What if I ended up with a dupe? And how could I possibly know whether I was getting a good deal?! Every time I browsed online, I got overwhelmed and gave up.
What is StockX?
A couple of months ago, though, I was introduced to StockX, an e-commerce site that’s essentially the world’s first stock market for buying and selling luxury goods. Launched in 2016, the company has received a ton of praise from incredibly reputable sources such as Forbes, CNBC, Fortune, The Economist, GQ, and Business Insider. StockX initially focused its efforts on luxury sneakers, but after the site hired a team of handbag experts, it started specializing in handbag resale, too. The company now offers a wide selection of pre-owned Chanel, LV, Hermes, Gucci and Goyard–all of which come with 100-percent authenticity guarantees and all in excellent condition.
How it works
There are two ways to score your dream bag via StockX. Once you find it on the site, you can:
1. Click the green “Buy or Bid” button. If you like the price, you can buy for the “lowest ask.” Boom! It’s yours. (So if I clicked the “buy now” button for the above listing, I’d be agreeing to pay $2,300 for a medium Chanel Double Flap 2.55 bag in lambskin leather with gold hardware. Such a great price!)
2. Click the same button and place a bid. Let’s say I decided that $2,300 is a little too much for the bag. Instead of going the whole “buy it now” route, I can bid, and tell the seller (and other sellers with the same bag) what price I’m willing to pay. As you can see, I entered a $2,000 bid for the bag. If the seller likes my bid and accepts it within 30 days, the bag is mine!
SO easy, right?!
To help you make educated decisions, StockX offers pricing information about vintage bags recently sold through its site–as well as through other sites–so you understand the market better and so know you’re getting a fair deal.
Something worth mentioning is that once in a while, you’ll see that a bag doesn’t have a “buy now” price. This means that the bag isn’t currently in stock. You can still, however, bid on it. If someone who owns that bag sees your bid and likes it, you just might get lucky. They could decide to sell it to you!
Note: I have a slightly different version of the bag you see above. The above bag features lambskin leather and mine is caviar leather. Both are considered to be classics!
Here’s my honest review
As I mentioned before, StockX has received praise from countless reputable sources and some of my favorite influencers, and each bag is authenticated by a team of highly trained experts who only accept products of the highest quality. Still, when I first heard about StockX, I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical. (How could you not be?!)
When I received my bag, I scrutinized it like WHOA. Like, I must have spent five hours pouring over online resources that explained how to identify a fake, and watched at least 20 YouTube videos. Everything checked out, though, down to the little identification sticker and card found inside to the zippers, clasp and stitching. (And a bunch of other stuff I won’t bore you with.)
And then, just to be super safe–and since I intended on putting myself out there with this review–I took it into a Chanel boutique. There, a saleswoman whispered to me, “We’re not supposed to do this. But I swear that bag is real. You have nothing to worry about.”
(Which is why we’re not going to identify her by name. 😂)
As for the condition? My bag is in INCREDIBLE shape. I really can’t believe it. Whoever owned it before me took great care when handling it, and may have carried it around in a plastic bag or something. It’s that good. Yes, there is a teeny-tiny bit of wear on one of the back corners, but Mitch told me I was crazy when I pointed it out. Besides that, it looks brand new.
In case you’re wondering how I went about choosing my specific bag, I’ll tell you that it took me a long time to make up my mind. The Double Flap bag comes in a few sizes, but I ultimately went with the medium because it’s considered to be the classic one, and the larger sizes (Jumbo and Maxi) looked too big on my small frame. As for the hardware, I mostly wear gold, so that was easy. And for the leather, I’d been told that the caviar is a little easier to maintain than lambskin. Because I have a toddler at home, I decided that caviar was the better pick.
Would I use StockX in the future? YES. As you guys know, I’m a huge fan of my Goyard and Louis Vuitton totes, both of which are carried on the site. I bought mine new at full price, but now I’m kicking myself for that, considering the insanely wonderful condition that my Chanel bag arrived in. StockX was straightforward and quick and easy to use, and I was thrilled with the product I ended up with.
Outfit details here. StockX carries Goyard!
Let’s talk!
Are there any other Mrs. ‘Arrises out there?!
Would you ever splurge on a vintage investment bag? Why or why not? If you would, what bag would you choose?
Would love to hear your reasoning!
Shop the post:
Pre-Owned Chanel Medium Double Flap 2.55 Bag in Caviar Black Leather c/o StockX / Long-Sleeved Velvet Dress (LOVE this super similar one, and nearly identical here! It’s what I wore to Danielle’s wedding. Love this one and this one, too!) / Black Block Heel Pumps (Also love this pair, this pair and this pair.) / Lisi Lerch Earrings c/o / Ralph Lauren Wool Trench Coat (Available in more sizes here and here.)
Would you ever splurge on a pre-owned investment bag? Why or why not? If you would, what bag would you choose? Would love to hear your reasoning!
In collaboration with StockX, but all opinions are my own. As always, thank you so much for supporting the partnerships that keep Kelly in the City up and running!
