6 Tips When Buying your First Chanel handbag
Buying a handbag can be stressful. Buying an expensive, luxury handbag such as a Chanel bag can be extremely overwhelming, especially if this is your first designer bag. With that being said, I’m here to help you and to outline what to look for when buying your first Chanel handbag. With these tips, you can buy your first Chanel bag with confidence.
Does the Leather Align?
One of the first things to look for when purchasing a Chanel bag is the leather alignment. Almost every Chanel handbags is symmetrical. When you are at the Chanel handbag counter, and you are inspecting your handbag, it’s important to ensure that the leather all lines up.
I’ve read several reports on how some brand-new Chanel bags aren’t aligned. With that being said, don’t be afraid to ask for another bag in the back, and if they don’t have another one, don’t be afraid to walk out.
Can the Zipper or Snaps Easily Open and Close
It’s extremely important to test every Chanel zipper and snap before you purchase a bag. The question you should be asking yourself is can the zipper easily zip open and close, do the snaps easily snap open and close. I know when buying a Chanel bag, you get excited and sometimes forget to test these things. I recommend checking the zipper and the snaps at least twice before purchasing the bag.
Understand the different types of leather
Chanel offers several different types of leather for their handbags. Some leather, such as lambskin, and calfskin are extremely soft and can scratch easily. Other leathers, such as caviar, have a harder time scratching, are stiff leathers, and hold their shape.Â
The type of leather you want with a bag depends on how rough you are with the bag. For example, when purchasing a Chanel, you have the option to purchase a Chanel lambskin bag or Caviar bag. The Chanel in Lambskin is extremely soft and is a great bag for an evening night out, but is not great for someone who is rough with their bag. Â
Timeless bag and holds its value
If you decide to invest in a luxury Chanel bag, you want to make sure it’s a timeless design and holds its value over time. The most popular Chanel bag that holds it value over time is the Classic Chanel flap bag. This bag has been known to have a high resale value and has been increasing in price year over year (sometimes even multiple times a year). Other Chanel bags that hold their value are the limited edition pieces that have a huge demand such as the Chanel heart bag.Â
Hardware options
When purchasing a Chanel bag, know that there are several different types of hardware options. You have options anywhere from silver hardware, to gold hardware, to limited edition hardware that has the classic Chanel pearls, even matte black hardware. With Chanel hardware, you have tons of options. If you are looking to only wear your bag a few times a year, then the Chanel pearl hardware is a great option for you. If you are wanting an everyday bag, then I recommend that you stick to a more traditional hardware like silver or gold.
By purchasing a vintage Chanel double flap bag before 2008 circa, your gold hardware will be 24 gold-plated, which means that it’s less likely to fade over time. For me, I wanted to purchase a vintage Chanel bag over a new one because of the 24k gold-plated hardware.
Stick to your budget
The final tip before buying a Chanel handbag is to stick to your budget. I know walking into the Chanel store is exciting, but don’t get carried away and purchase something outside your budget because that’s all they have in stock.
Final Thoughts
I love Chanel bags, and I find they are the epitome of chic. With such a high price tag, and their prices constantly increasing, it’s important that if you are spending a lot of money to inspect the Chanel bag carefully. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Chanel bags today, do you find they have the same quality has the vintage Chanel bags?
Sincerely Petite in Paris,
Diane
