First-time poster here - hello!
I completely agree with this sentiment. My first H bag (a 28 Kelly sellier in box Rouge H, contrasting stitch, PHW) was bought from my local store in the days when you made an appointment with the SM (SAs were for unknown walk-ins), went in and sat down for an hour with the coffret to specify exactly the bag you wanted. “Quota” meant whether her order list for the January or July run to Paris was already full or not (it rarely was, even for a B or K and rarely for local clients to whom she explicitly gave preference over tourists), but even if it was full, this just meant being on the “waitlist” until the next 6 monthly list was open). If you were unknown to the store the SM would steer you towards a more “marketable“ bag for your first order - you were under no obligation to actually buy it when it arrived, so she did need to consider how it would sell off the shelf at least in principle. So, no exotics on your first order etc, but otherwise the sky was the limit in terms of choice. Because I ordered a contrast stitch for my K it was classified as a “SO” (even though all bags were individually ordered anyway). Of course, one then waited 1-4 years for a B/K to to arrive, but at least you had the bag you wanted without having to play any games and what’s 4 years when you’ll potentially use and love the bag for decades to come?
How things have changed!
The premiums in the reseller market rarely (if ever?) exceed the quota spend I need to maintain to qualify for quota bags and scarcity is not an issue most of the time unless I’m being highly prescriptive about what I want. So for me it’s a mix of store, H online and reseller and I don’t mind which way I acquire my chosen bag.
Name book of medieval occupations!!
