I love a beautifully made handbag or shoe, but most of the time I’m not paying retail. I’ve found ways to shop the pieces I want at a discount by buying secondhand, overseas or having the right connection. Read on for more details.
Shop Pre-Owned/Secondhand
Very rarely do I just pop into a store and buy something on a whim (I have done that, but I’ve gotten smarter in the last few years!) My goal is to spend time thinking through what I’m looking for and what my options for purchase are. I use a variety of shopping methods to get a deal and find exactly what I’m looking for.
The first obvious way to save is to buy secondhand. I keep my eyes peeled on a couple Facebook groups with trusted sellers like this Chanel group and this Louis Vuitton group. I’ve bought from sellers in these groups several times. This also gives me a sense of how the secondhand market is going. For example, I know right now, it’s not a super hot market and you can get a better deal if you have some patience. Back when it was, I paid over retail for a Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis because they were so hard to find and they weren’t even available by retail easily. Now, I could easily purchase a like new one well below retail. So in some cases, buying secondhand can cost more depending on how in demand the item is. I also use Poshmark and have patience on that platform as well and wait for price drops by liking an item and keeping an eye on it. I also shop Fashionphile (I’ve sold more than I’ve bought here but they have everything you’re looking for.) There are a ton more pre-owned luxury shops online but I prefer Fashionphile over the others.
Shop Overseas
Shop overseas. For example, shopping in the EU as a visiting American can save me hundreds. Pricing is lower and then you can get the tax you paid back before you leave the country via train or plane. This is called a VAT tax refund. For example, the Hermes oran sandals are $700 PLUS tax in the U.S. In Amsterdam, they cost me around $550 and then I got around $60 back from the VAT tax refund when I left to go home from Paris which made the sandal price $490. Sure, it’s an added expense to travel that far, but if you love to travel and/or already planning to travel, it makes sense to wait on those purchases until you can buy there.
Build Relationships with Buyers and Sales Associates
Having the right connections–and this can just be following the right people on social media! I follow sales associates and buyers who can source pieces, and here you’re paying retail but you can work with them to find items that are selling well over retail brand new by some resellers and get them at retail by simply building a relationship with a sales associate. I’ve bought through Inna at Bergdorf and Christina at Neiman Marcus. It’s involved messaging them on instagram with what I’m looking for and they may put my name on a waitlist or tell me it’s available. The key here is not fucking around with them. Don’t ask them for all of this info and don’t buy. I only bother them when I know for certain I want to buy and they’re always very helpful and responsive. I also follow @Designerdaydream who sources luxury sunglasses and eyeglasses, even the hard to find pieces, below retail. I’ve bought from her twice and have had a great experience.
Stalk the Sale Sections
I regularly check for sales at some of my favorite retailers. I get emails for FWRD, Kirna Zabete, Matches, SSENSE, Netaporter and more and I check the sale sections of those sites when I get sale emails. I also peruse department stores like Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf, Saks, Nordstrom, etc. I also occasionally get discount codes for FWRD via their email marketing for full price items and it’s how I bought a Saint Laurent belt at a discount, highly recommend signing up for their emails!
