Luxury Quality Handbags on Etsy!

Designer Handbags are a Thing of the Past

Move over Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Chanel. With the constant price increases and quality control problems, no one wants to invest in these brands anymore, hell, any of the designer brands. Balenciaga is one of my favorite brands. I have two of their handbags: The Metallic Edge City and The Metallic Edge Velo. The Velo is more of a cross-body meets tote situation. I thought it was one of the most classy and versatile bags. Come 2012, the style was discontinued. I don’t have any quality issues with the two bags that I own and mine were purchased on the pre-loved market. I’ve been hearing horror stories regarding quality from Louis Vuitton and Chanel. This is why I usually opt to shop in the pre-loved market. Why? Luxury bags just aren’t the cream of the crop anymore. Consignment is one way to go, while Etsy is one of my favorite places to find luxury quality handbags.

Buy Pre-Loved Handbags

You can buy many of these brands on the preowned market like Fashionphile. Fashionphile is a site that I use for buying and selling my designer handbags. One thing I’ve learned over the past few years is that not every brand has a great resale value. For example, the Balenciaga bags I’ve mentioned are usually around $2000 or so and on resale, in good condition, you can make around $400 on them. Sucks right? 

I have owned a few Louis Vuitton pieces and the only two that I have in my collection now are the Speedy Bandouliere in the size 35 and the Round Coin Purse. Although the Speedy is a recent purchase, the coin purse is over 5 years old. But when holding both pieces, you notice that the canvas on the Speedy is much thinner than the coin purse. Logically speaking, the canvas thickness would vary depending on what it’s being used for. The one piece that stands out in my mind is my Neverfull in the MM size. The canvas of that bag is definitely thicker than my Speedy’s canvas.

Wear and Tear/Quality Control

I haven’t had any rips or tears in my bags at all, thank God. But after watching some reviews on YouTube, I’ve seen that people have the glazing melting and the canvas cracking. Mind you Louis Vuitton will not replace anything with damage done to the canvas. Chanel is also experiencing quality control issues, especially with their latest handbags. Personally, Chanel isn’t a brand that really calls out to me, but I will admit, some of their recent releases do catch the eye.

Remember the Alexander Wang Rocky bag? Essentially it’s a duffel with studs on the base of the bag. The hardware is the best feature in my opinion. But if you look at the wear and tear of the bag, almost every review mentions the same thing: the piping of the bag falls apart very quickly.

The Luxury Handbag Alternative

Luxury Quality Handbags on Etsy?

Etsy is one of my favorite sites to shop. Over the years I’ve found some great shops, for everything ranging from diamonds to stationery. Leather bags are my favorite and Etsy has a lot to offer! Although, I feel that canvas is lighter and more comfortable, but the leather will last.

Etsy is a group of small businesses and I feel that it’s a great place to shop. Because almost everything is handmade, you can guarantee attention to detail and luxury style quality.

I’m currently in India and my brother’s birthday is literally around the corner. I was looking for something to gift him when I came across a few shops on Etsy. Most of them customize leather handbags. Perfect! I customized a leather laptop bag for work. The best part? There’s a lifetime warranty on the bag and it cost less than $100. Sound too good to be true? Check out the exact bag that I purchased right here: Leather Messenger Bag. It’s a beautifully made bag, with attention to detail. A perfect example of a luxury handbag on Etsy.

Check out LeatherFarmDesign and Albert Tusk

LeatherFarmDesign, on Etsy, has over 10,000 sales and is also a star seller on the site, with an average of 4.8 out of 5-star ratings. Mahima, the owner, is amazing to work with and has lots of patience. She will answer all your questions! Her bags can also be personalized with a monogram or your name! This bag just came in the mail today and I swear, the minute you open the packaging, the smell of leather and the softness of it is mind-blowing! I’ll definitely be purchasing more from her. Keep in mind, she is based out of Delhi, so if you’re placing an order from outside of India, expect some delays in arrival.

Those that are aware of my obsession will tell you that I have a crazy amount of handbags and most of them are backpacks.

The closest I was to have the most perfect backpack was the Dooney and Bourke Florentine Murphy Backpack. They use the most beautiful Florentine leather and I own the color Natural (tan). While I love that backpack, the only issue is the shoulder straps. The straps are stitched underneath the base of the bag, which causes it to sit like a shelf on my butt. Most backpacks, like the Rhea by Michael Kors, have straps along the side of the body of the bag. This makes it more comfortable on your back because it hugs you and sits better as you move.

I Found The Perfect Leather Backpack on Etsy!

After trying Michael Kors and Dooney, I even tried Ash. I’m not sure how familiar you are with the brand, but they make some edgy pieces. I own the Ash Domino backpack and it’s beautiful! The leather is smooth and buttery and the chain details are beautiful! The bag has lots of pockets and is big enough to carry a MacBook Air. Again, it’s not the perfect bag for me. Why? While Dooney and Michael Kors have great bags, Ash’s leather is a tad thin in comparison. I feel like with time, it will only get thinner.

Albert Tusk

I went back on my hunt and recently came across this seller on Etsy, Albert Tusk. While he’s based in Mumbai and is pretty new to Etsy, he has quality pieces in his collection online. What caught my attention was The Classic Leather Backpack. Unfortunately, he has a limited stock now, but he had this bag in three colors: Tan, Black and Navy Blue. The Tan sells out every time he has it in stock. So, I grabbed the Navy blue before it was gone.

The price point on the bag is definitely more affordable than any luxury brand out there. It’s even more affordable than a bag on sale at Michael Kors! Also, my favorite feature of the bag is the whip-stitching on the top handle. I have never seen that on a backpack before! The lining is 100% cotton and it’s block printed by a process called Ajrak, native to Gujarat. The patterns are usually floral or geometrical. It takes almost 4–16 different stages of dying and printing which then takes about 14–21 days to complete.

The lining is beautiful and the leather is soft, and just the right thickness. With age, it’ll soften and get shinier just like Florentine Leather. The stitching is phenomenal and I can speak volumes on quality. Albert Tusk also makes pouches and wallets, even totes and cross-body bags. I feel this bag would give any designer/luxury bag a run for its money and the best part? It runs in the price range of Michael Kors (on a decent sale). This handbag feels more luxurious than any designer bag that I have come across. I would definitely describe this as a luxury handbag on Etsy.

Think About it…

Designers will always give you that social status of being “rich” and “trendy.” But if you’re into designers because you want quality, then think again. With inflation on the rise and designers cutting corners to save a few pennies, I’d say skip the luxury brands. Do a bit of searching online. You’d be amazed at how many types of handmade luxury quality handbags you can find on Etsy. Etsy has been my favorite place to shop, what’s yours? Let me know and we can share notes!

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