The RealReal

There are many of us out there who can appreciate at least one luxury piece in our closets. Working as a stylist, there is an endless overexposure to great investment pieces – the best way to look past some of them is to understand the key word investment and the importance of walking away, thinking it over and doing your research. Not to mention, making sure your investment will not be a regrettable one (like accidentally purchasing a bag that is not authenticated).

Let’s just say that anymore there are so many knock-off bags in existence. This also goes for sunglasses, accessories and the list goes on. Some people may be OK with investing in knock-offs but it is definitely not OK when you believe you are paying for the real deal and it turns out not to be! This goes for both consignment and original pieces. There are two main reasons this can equate to a bad outcome: 1) You got ripped off. 2) You now own a bag that you paid a genuine luxury bag price point for BUT you have no authentication certificate, dust bag, etc. to go with it. If you ever plan to resell it, you have to sell it as the knock-off it is. In other words, you are still out your money. Not. Good.

The reality is that not everyone has the time, knowledge or experience to always know the difference between authentic pieces and knock-offs. That’s when places like The RealReal https://www.therealreal.com are amazing to work through.

The RealReal has a very good reputation for their authentication process, research and validation. The first bag I purchased from them was the Gucci bag in this photo. This is the bag I came across on their site and had been on the hunt for quite some time. After going back to school to complete my PR and business degrees I asked my hubby for it as a graduation gift. Let me tell you, he is the first person to need a MAJOR validation on anything he purchases so you can probably just imagine the crossing of t’s and dotting of i’s he did for this purchase. And, at the end of the day, he was beyond impressed with The RealReal (and that says a lot).

Fast-forward several years later and I have now purchased several pieces from this company and could not recommend it more. There is also something to be said about the value in recycling such timeless pieces that have been well taken care of!

If you do ever venture out for your dream piece (bag, jewelry, sunglasses, etc.) don’t hesitate to at least check and see if The RealReal has what you are looking for and if I can ever help with that search, just let me know.

Wishing you a great weekend!