When I got my first job in high school and could finally save up for some LV, the closest store was just a counter inside of a Macy's at the mall. My mom worked in the mall at that time, so I would frequently end up there hanging out and drooling over the LV bags. As a result of this, I got close to several of the SAs. I loved this because they were SAs who were passionate about the brand like me, and very knowledgable. I miss my first SA, Joel, he helped me pick out my first ever LV bag! If I hadn't had his guidance, I would've gotten something else entirely (a messenger bag that I wouldn't still be using because it would be extremely dated looking). Joel showed me a tote bag from the same collection and assured me that totes are more timeless. I still use that tote for travel to this day!
He also found a long thin piece of vachetta with a buckle on it, it was supposed to be the strap for a phone case or something, and sold it to me to wear as a bracelet - another item I still own and use! He knew I was on a budget as a high school student, and that was much less expensive than any of the actual bracelets they were selling at the time.
Fast forward to today, I'm living a 2.5 hour drive from the closest store and the few times I have been in, I have had mixed experiences with SAs. I definitely do not have a SA these days, which is kind of sad. I know some people on here have mentioned having a SA that just works at the 866-Vuitton line, I would be interested in how that works. If I'm buying something new directly from LV these days, I typically just order on the website or though the app.
I have had some great luck on eBay finding authentic vintage pieces. Overall I'm leaning more towards vintage pieces these days because of the massive quality differences. I've also bought from ReBag before and found some good deals, one thing to know about them though, is that while they do accept returns, they charge a restocking fee.
I have decided to go with the multi pocket bag!
