You guys.  I have looked at every LV bag that has ever made an appearance on Poshmark. For weeks.  I have wanted a Louis Vuitton bag for as long as I can remember and I was OBSESSED.  So. Many.  Great.  Bags.  As I looked through all of the listings I dreamed of having one and the ones that stood out the most to me were the 90s Alma bags.  This is how I remember Louis Vuitton growing up.  Classic little structured bags with great leather details in a convenient size that can be carried daintily in the crook of your arm.  But we’re talking hundreds of dollars for TWENTY YEAR OLD BAGS.  Come again?

I also love the LV Neverfull.  A classic tote that you can carry… well, anything in.  Downside to the Neverfull?  They go for nearly $800 in a fairly close to destroyed state.  Yeah… not happening.  Practically speaking Neverfulls are usually beat to heck because of their thin leather straps.  I don’t have a great experience with thin leather straps-they are used, abused, and destroyed.

So, back to the Alma.  I watched, waited, watched some more, researched, and oohed and ahed at every new Alma that was listed.  Most of the ones that were in a price range I was willing to pay were nearly destroyed.  Until one came along that was a little out of my price range, but the listing title began with “Last Call”.  Hmmmm… could this one be obtainable?  Surely it has a giant stain, doesn’t come with its lock and key, or isn’t authentic… right?

Wrong.  It was in amazing condition, the LV date code checked out (see my post about LV date codes!), there was no staining, no wear other than slight rubbing on the corners of the bag, the vachetta leather handles were in amazing condition, the canvas looked like new, and the inside was spotless.  It even had its lock and one key.  My wallet had hoped otherwise, but this bag was 21 years old and looked like it was made last year.  Ugggghhhhhh.  I asked the seller a few questions and after answering my (probably insanely annoying) questions, she posted her phone number and said to feel free to text or call her about the bag.

I looked at the phone number and recognized the area code.  This bag was located somewhere in my state.  Holla.  So, I did what any creeper would do and sent her a text with a few questions about the bag and asked if she was located in my state.  It’s a Louis Vuitton, guys… I had to.  It turned out that she was located a few hours north of me and is from my state.  Score!  She gave me her bottom price and details of the bag.

You can’t mess with serendipity.  It’s bad ju-ju, guys, so I had to buy the bag.

The bag is absolutely amazing.  It is in what I would consider immaculate condition-age not even being considered.  There are no scratches, no wear other than minor rubbing on some corners, the vachetta is in amazing condition with no watermarks, staining, or scratches, and the brass is even in great condition for the age of the bag.  The handles look like they’ve never even been used other than the natural honey patina with no signs of wear or rubbing.  Sorry you can’t see the handles-I immediately wrapped those suckers as soon as the bag arrived… sweaty hands have no mercy on LV leather.

Alright… enough about my dream bag… on to the real reason for this post: Posh Authenticate.  Poshmark offers a service to authenticate luxury items purchased for a certain amount and offers free shipping on these items.  Once an offer is accepted for a luxury item the seller ships the item to Poshmark for authentication by a luxury expert.  The authenticity of your item is guaranteed once authenticated, packaged, and shipped to you free of charge.  It’s a pretty streamlined process that didn’t add a lot of extra shipping time and I was happy to receive a professionally authenticated item.  The bag was packaged with care and a card of authenticity with the expert’s name was included in the box.

If you’re considering buying a luxury item on Poshmark I highly recommend it!  The process was simple (no action on your part!) and the program seems to be streamlined and professional.  You receive an authentic item at no extra cost to you with free shipping.  Cherry on the top 🙂