Upscale Vintage Shopping for a Black Purse

Although I enjoyed my experiment shopping at Value Village / Village des Valeurs, this is not a place that I intend to do all my second hand item shopping. I only want to buy items that I love and will keep a long time. I am also not afraid to spend a little more to get an item that is better quality and well made. The solution: shopping at a consignment store. A consignment store is a second hand shop that sells items on behalf of someone. My limited research shows that consignment stores are typically more upscale, often selling fancier or designer brands. I had mentioned in an earlier post that an item that I felt was missing from my wardrobe was a black cross-body bag. I felt it would allow me to be hands free when running around and doing errands. The only black bag that I have is large and meant to be hand held. While it has a strap, I find it a big big to use on the weekends. In my mind, this justified the purchase of another black bag. This is actually a bag that I had always wanted. In fact, I wanted to buy one at Rudsak, a local Montreal leather goods company, but as their bags run $250-$350, I had not yet invested in one. Now that I am becoming a sustainable shopper, it didn’t make sense to buy a new bag.

My search for vintage consignment shops led me to the Trading Post, in the Valois Village of Pointe Claire.

The shop has been around for many years and is run by its friendly owner Laurie.

She carries everything that you need to get dressed from head to toe: blouses, sweaters, skirts, pants, dresses, scarves, exercise wear, coats, jewellery, purses and even shoes.

Laurie carries a range of items from everyday brands to designer. She is also always ready to listen to what you need, act as a sounding board and even provide an opinion. I could see that she had relationships with many of her customers who were regulars at the shop. In vintage stores, as each item is one of a kind, if you find something that you like, you have to buy it right away as it may not be there later. Also, you have to visit frequently as the inventory turns over quickly.

I looked at several purses but none met my exact criteria. I found a small black Italian leather purse that was really pretty but I decided that it was too small for my needs. It’s important to be patient and wait for what you really want.

Even though I did not buy a purse there, I did enjoy my visit to the Trading Post and even tried on a few gorgeous dresses, but alas nothing fit.

It is a place that I will definitely continue to frequent.

My next stop was at the Friperie du Village, located in Pointe Claire village.

This shop is designer purse heaven! They carry a wide range of vintage Louis Vuitton purses in many different sizes in addition to coveted Chanel bags.

These purses are definitely out of my price range and even my aesthetic. I cannot justify buying a purse for $700 or more when there are people that do not have enough to eat. However, it is certainly better to buy a used designer purse than a new one. In fact, they say that a Chanel bag is an investment and its value will increase over time. Friperie is definitely upscale, carrying clothing from designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg and Moschino.

I enjoyed visiting this shop and even tried on a few things. The shopaholic in me couldn’t resist! As I trying on a dress, I saw a woman trying a black crossbody bag that seemed to meet my exact criteria. It was black with a silver chain. Fortunately for me, she left it.

Drooling, I took a look at the purse and admired the quality of the leather and the zipper. I was thrilled to see that it was Rudsak purse. It was the perfect size and I put all my things in it to see if it would work for me. Even my reusable utensils fit in it. Hooray! For $100, I got a beautiful thick leather crossbody that I know I will use for a very long time. I was glad I waited for the right purse.

Challenge for the Week: Would you visit a consignment shop to buy something you need? No matter what, vintage shopping is better than buying new. Whatever you buy, it is important to love it and keep it a long time.