Strange yet true...

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CooCoo4Chanel

CooCoo4Chanel

sans souci
Feb 12, 2007
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#1
I have been on PF for just a few days (drooling and wishing and hoping!!) and I just got what might be the strangest windfall to ever grace a bag lover...

A friend's sister was an absoloute bag hag. In fact she bought so much at a time, things came delivered in large boxes. She also did a lot of pre-ordering so you can imagine what a fab collection she has.

Unfortunately, this girl passed away suddenly last year. Her family is slowly getting back on their feet. One of the things they had to do was go through her things. There are hundreds (literally) of name brand bags that have hardly been used or have never been opened at all.

So far, I've catalogued Fendi, Balenciaga, Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu, LV, Chanel... er, let's just say a lot...

I guess when you have that many bags, how many times can you use one? She's been gone a few months now but this friend of ours says that bags are still arriving since they were paid for in advance.

Now my friend thinks it's best that we give it back to those who love the bags as much as his sister did.

I think it's best to pose the question to those who know and love these bags--- how do we sell them? What is the proper way to do it?

We're not experts who have ebay sites and god knows what... we just want to keep things simple.

Personally, I want the bags to go to people who will love them. I'm sure it's what my friend's sister would want and since I love my bags madly, I would like to do that too.

Suggestions?

I was thinking of just opening up a flickr site and posting the pics there and communicate with those interested through the messages.

Right now, I'm standing in the middle of what NM might look like if the bag section exploded. It's giving me a sensory overload. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be extatic or respectful or both... at the same time, I'm looking for a way to keep a few of these babies myself!

Even as I write this, it sounds stranger than fiction... but it really is true. Unbelievable, yes.

Strange strange feeling... :confused1:
 
#2
Such a sad story. My condolences to your friend and her family. I'm not ebay savvy either. Perhaps a consignment shop is the way to go. I'm sure other tPF members will have great suggestions. I think it would be appropriate for you to acquire one of her bags to remember her by. Good luck.
 
#4
eBay isn't as hard as you think. Taking pictures of the bag might be a pain but it's probably the best way to get the largest amount of customers. I would def. say just take pictures and post them on eBay.


Consig shops are good to but sometimes they only serve a local market and they take out a good chunk of change after the sale and you might even be left with less then half.
 
#5
I'm so sorry to hear about your firiend's sister. I've sometimes thought that if I pass away suddenly, the only real valuables I will leave behind are my bags (I'm still a student). Maybe I should write out a will, saying who gets which bag...
Ebay will probably be best if the object is to make a lot of sells and profits, but will be quite time consuming. A consignment shop is worry and hassle free, but will be less profitable.
Not to be disrespectful, but would it be possible to post a pic of the bags (kind of like in a group), so we can admire them?
 
#6
I'm so sorry for your friends loss :sad: I think that they should see if anybody in the family wants some bags, and then give the rest to a consignment shop or sell them on ebay. Good luck :flowers:
 
#7
My condolences to you and your friends family. :crybaby: It is always so hard when someone passes. I would suggest ebay too. It is not difficult and it would be much better to have control over how much the bags go for. The other option might be to return the bags which are still unused, that way the family might be able to recover the some of the investment. Should you go the ebay route, I am sure you can get assistance from everyone here with any questions or tips to help with the listings. Again, I am so sorry.:sad:
 
#8
My sympathy to your friend on the loss of her sister--I don't know what I'd do if my sister goes before I do. What an incredible story about all the bags. I wish I had a brilliant idea but I don't. Good luck whatever is decided.
 
#10
My sympathies to your friend and his family. I hope there will be more sunshine in their life soon.
Maybe there is someone on the TPF who is a trading assistant? Just to help you initially until you can get a better feel of Ebay.
I agree with the poster that suggested possibly contacting the places where these bags came from, to recover some of the investment, especially if there are that many.
 
#11
first of all, i'm so sorry for the loss of your friend's sister... my condolences to you and her friends/family.

it doesn't sound like you have many options other than ebay or consignment shops. unfortunately, consignment shops usually take a big chunk in commission. and ebay actually is quite a hassle... they've been cracking down on counterfeit bags, and even taking down AUTHENTIC listings along with fakes... and yet some fakes are still listed! plus you gotta be careful of the scammers (yes, there are buyers who are up to no good on ebay sometimes--heard too many horror stories lately).

best of luck to you! do you and your friend have an extended network of other friends and acquaintances that also love designer handbags? perhaps you can try selling to people you know and trust.
 
#12
CooCoo4Chanel - my sympathies to you and your friend. Do they need the funds from the sale of the bags? I would like to suggest donating the bags to a charitable organization in honor and in memory of your friend's sister. The organization will undoubtedly have resources where they can easily auction the goods off and then can put the proceeds towards helping those less fortunate than us. Perhaps out of this tragic loss of life, a new hope can spring forth. God Bless! :heart:
 
#14
With a consignment shop, even the best of them - you'll get about 1/6th the original price.

Like a few other postings - I want to see the exploded NM purse section! Just to envy you the seeing and touching and photographing!

You could set up an internet store - just a website with lots of pictures (inside,out,details which are hard to fake) and set your own prices.
Ebay is a hassle, but you can sell bags there.
Or have a live auction? Either find a local auction house that will advertise extensively and sell the bags for a commission, or do the work yourself.

All but ebay, however, are going to be a great deal of work.

Will your friend's family just let you offer a flat fee to buy every bag she has? That way you can keep the bags, and they will get to see some money from them without all the work.
 
#15
just a heads up... posting bags for sale here is not a good idea, in fact, it is against the rules of the forum. no buying/selling is allowed on tpf (unless you have been admitted to the Marketplaza). even if you set up some kind of online store, you cannot promote your sales here. even if you sell on ebay, you are not allowed to link to your auction either.
 
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