Hello all! Hope you're having a good day, regardless of time zone. I'm new to the forum and fairly new to Coach--designer items in general, really (it's a whole story on how things spiraled, but let's just say when I gain a new interest, I go hardcore. And... now I'm super invested). But as a newbie I have a tale (and reveal) that maybe you'll find to be a fun read 
I'm going to start off with, well, I don't buy myself things very often. I was raised with a "do I need it/can I use it" minimalist mindset and while there's nothing wrong with that, it doesn't allow me to indulge in things that, "maybe it won't be the MOST useful thing, but I think it's really pretty and would make me happy to have."
But after stumbling upon the luxury and designer goods world and learning more about it; doing research and looking things up/watching youtube/reading this forum/calling various hotlines for information (did I mention invested?), well, it got me thinking about it, and thinking about just wanting something... nice. I never used to enjoy shopping at all, but I started to have fun just window shopping and seeing what was out there, looking for something that might be "for me." I liked Coach in particular, as a brand that was nice and good quality, but still reasonably affordable, depending.
I figured I would start small. I wanted to get a card holder anyway, so I searched for that first. I ended up falling in love with the bee print on a handbag I'd found on ebay, and so searched to find a small wallet in the style. And boy, did it take some searching. Ebay to poshmark to mecari, all different ways to search the keywords, but eventually I found a listing for a good price! And friends, the print is so cute.
I locked down the listing and eagerly awaited for my package to come in the mail. It arrived, hooray! And I opened it to find...
that the seller had thoughtfully included a little thank you card.
--and had not-as-thoughtfully packaged the bright pink card together with my pretty chalk card holder, resulting in a bright pink stain.
ALAS.
Luckily I was able to pretty clearly show the damage was the fault of the seller's packaging choices and send the item back and get a refund for my money. But what an upset.
It did end up being a bit of a blessing in disguise after some more thought, though. While I still think the print is super cute, I decided that I wanted a slim card holder over a zip-around. Further, I also decided to put the card holder search on hold, at least for the time being. I had really gotten to wanting a bag, you know? So I figured I'd use my energy (and funds) to look for a larger item to love.
(I did find a bag on ebay that I totally adored --the coach x NASA rocketship crossbody in chalk-- but I dithered, being uncertain about if I'd be able to use it based on sizing, and lost out. Curses! Follow your heart, friends.)
Regrets aside, I was going forward with a goal in mind, and it became kind of a treasure hunt. I continued to look online, but after reading about FP deletes (and not being too far from a Coach Outlet), I decided to venture out to see what I could find there. And wouldn't you know it, but that day, the outlet was carrying the Coach x Chelsea Champlain dreamer in signature canvas:
I hadn't heard of the Chelsea Champlain collaboration before, and I thought the bag was really beautiful. Not entirely my style though, with the signature and the tassels. I admired it and moved on, but learning about the collection made me want to see what else there was. More searching, and I came to admire three pieces in particular, all in evergreen:
the Dinky:
the Callie clutch:
and, my favorite, the Dreamer:
I thought the patterns on these particular items were just beautiful, and, remembering that I'd seen the signature tattoo bag in a coach outlet store, I searched the coach outlet website. Their search system is TERRIBLE by the way (as I'm sure you all know), but I did end up finding dinky! On sale for 50% off, and, adding in a coupon I had for signing up my email, after tax and shipping the dinky would have been just $201.
But... I hesitated (I know, I know. But for a good reason, I mean it). The bag was nice, but a dinky just isn't really a bag that fits my lifestyle. On top of that, I was concerned over being able to use it due to the size and the kisslock. I watched several "what fits" videos, and even went to the coach store to look at dinky bag in person. It was so pretty... and I could make it work especially if I downsized my wallet (curses! still want that cardholder!)... and really, it's such a nice bag, I could see myself being happy just having it as a display piece. But I did want something I could use as well. I was very torn.
Now, in my newfound joy in window shopping for handbags and treasure hunting, I had also been going to various TJ Maxx's in my area, just because they're fun to look through. And the day after I discovered the dinky online, I had an appointment near one that was a touch farther away, but in a more upscale neighborhood so it also often had a nicer selection. I got lucky in my treasure hunt, finding several Coach items. Mostly wristlets and clutch wallets, but still fun to find as a surprise. I even found a small black and floral print shoulder bag which was cute, but not my style.
Then, as I looked through their crossbody bags, look what I found!
The tattoo Callie! It was even nicer in person, and for $130(!!) before taxes. And yes, it was true, it was smaller than the dinky, but seeing it in person I also liked it better than the dinky, both in shape and design.
And, my friends, I make a decision. (Amazing.)
Clutching my new clutch, I decide to do just one last pass of the larger bags in store before I take my find to the register. TJ Maxx arranges them fairly well by color, so it can be fun just walking up and down the aisles. I got to the green section and glanced over the bags there--not paying too much attention because I'd already seen what the area had to offer and there weren't any that I cared to look too closely at again.
Except, there, in the very bottom back of the row that I had overlooked, was a particular green color that seemed very familiar...
!!!!!
????
!!!!!
And like... okay... I'm not a total dummy. I can recognize a proper take the chance you fool moment. Especially after missing out on rocketship bag ;;
So that, my friends, is my long, winding tale of my first ever Coach purchases, and how I ended up with two gorgeous pieces for 66% off. If you stuck around for the whole read, I applaud you.
THE END.
I'm going to start off with, well, I don't buy myself things very often. I was raised with a "do I need it/can I use it" minimalist mindset and while there's nothing wrong with that, it doesn't allow me to indulge in things that, "maybe it won't be the MOST useful thing, but I think it's really pretty and would make me happy to have."
But after stumbling upon the luxury and designer goods world and learning more about it; doing research and looking things up/watching youtube/reading this forum/calling various hotlines for information (did I mention invested?), well, it got me thinking about it, and thinking about just wanting something... nice. I never used to enjoy shopping at all, but I started to have fun just window shopping and seeing what was out there, looking for something that might be "for me." I liked Coach in particular, as a brand that was nice and good quality, but still reasonably affordable, depending.
I figured I would start small. I wanted to get a card holder anyway, so I searched for that first. I ended up falling in love with the bee print on a handbag I'd found on ebay, and so searched to find a small wallet in the style. And boy, did it take some searching. Ebay to poshmark to mecari, all different ways to search the keywords, but eventually I found a listing for a good price! And friends, the print is so cute.
I locked down the listing and eagerly awaited for my package to come in the mail. It arrived, hooray! And I opened it to find...
that the seller had thoughtfully included a little thank you card.
--and had not-as-thoughtfully packaged the bright pink card together with my pretty chalk card holder, resulting in a bright pink stain.
ALAS.
Luckily I was able to pretty clearly show the damage was the fault of the seller's packaging choices and send the item back and get a refund for my money. But what an upset.
It did end up being a bit of a blessing in disguise after some more thought, though. While I still think the print is super cute, I decided that I wanted a slim card holder over a zip-around. Further, I also decided to put the card holder search on hold, at least for the time being. I had really gotten to wanting a bag, you know? So I figured I'd use my energy (and funds) to look for a larger item to love.
(I did find a bag on ebay that I totally adored --the coach x NASA rocketship crossbody in chalk-- but I dithered, being uncertain about if I'd be able to use it based on sizing, and lost out. Curses! Follow your heart, friends.)
Regrets aside, I was going forward with a goal in mind, and it became kind of a treasure hunt. I continued to look online, but after reading about FP deletes (and not being too far from a Coach Outlet), I decided to venture out to see what I could find there. And wouldn't you know it, but that day, the outlet was carrying the Coach x Chelsea Champlain dreamer in signature canvas:
I hadn't heard of the Chelsea Champlain collaboration before, and I thought the bag was really beautiful. Not entirely my style though, with the signature and the tassels. I admired it and moved on, but learning about the collection made me want to see what else there was. More searching, and I came to admire three pieces in particular, all in evergreen:
the Dinky:
the Callie clutch:
and, my favorite, the Dreamer:
I thought the patterns on these particular items were just beautiful, and, remembering that I'd seen the signature tattoo bag in a coach outlet store, I searched the coach outlet website. Their search system is TERRIBLE by the way (as I'm sure you all know), but I did end up finding dinky! On sale for 50% off, and, adding in a coupon I had for signing up my email, after tax and shipping the dinky would have been just $201.
But... I hesitated (I know, I know. But for a good reason, I mean it). The bag was nice, but a dinky just isn't really a bag that fits my lifestyle. On top of that, I was concerned over being able to use it due to the size and the kisslock. I watched several "what fits" videos, and even went to the coach store to look at dinky bag in person. It was so pretty... and I could make it work especially if I downsized my wallet (curses! still want that cardholder!)... and really, it's such a nice bag, I could see myself being happy just having it as a display piece. But I did want something I could use as well. I was very torn.
Now, in my newfound joy in window shopping for handbags and treasure hunting, I had also been going to various TJ Maxx's in my area, just because they're fun to look through. And the day after I discovered the dinky online, I had an appointment near one that was a touch farther away, but in a more upscale neighborhood so it also often had a nicer selection. I got lucky in my treasure hunt, finding several Coach items. Mostly wristlets and clutch wallets, but still fun to find as a surprise. I even found a small black and floral print shoulder bag which was cute, but not my style.
Then, as I looked through their crossbody bags, look what I found!
The tattoo Callie! It was even nicer in person, and for $130(!!) before taxes. And yes, it was true, it was smaller than the dinky, but seeing it in person I also liked it better than the dinky, both in shape and design.
And, my friends, I make a decision. (Amazing.)
Clutching my new clutch, I decide to do just one last pass of the larger bags in store before I take my find to the register. TJ Maxx arranges them fairly well by color, so it can be fun just walking up and down the aisles. I got to the green section and glanced over the bags there--not paying too much attention because I'd already seen what the area had to offer and there weren't any that I cared to look too closely at again.
Except, there, in the very bottom back of the row that I had overlooked, was a particular green color that seemed very familiar...
!!!!!
????
!!!!!
And like... okay... I'm not a total dummy. I can recognize a proper take the chance you fool moment. Especially after missing out on rocketship bag ;;
So that, my friends, is my long, winding tale of my first ever Coach purchases, and how I ended up with two gorgeous pieces for 66% off. If you stuck around for the whole read, I applaud you.
THE END.
I literally cannot decide which of them I like the most. They're all gorgeous.
