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Like most of you, Chanel was probably one of the first fashion houses that I really fell in love with.

My first introduction to Chanel was in high school. Some of girls would come in with their mom’s or aunt’s vintage Chanel pieces and they just looked so lovely. I really didn’t know much about the brand then, but I knew that I was going to make it a goal to purchase one for myself.

And now I have a collection!

It’s a dream that I personally couldn’t have imagined for myself, but also something I feel super fortunate and blessed to have achieved.

I know that my Chanel post are some of the most popular ones here on my site, so I figured that for today, we can chat about my Chanel collection and how I got started.

When Did I First Start Buying Chanel Hand Bags?

I bought my first Chanel bag for my 30th birthday in 2020. I had planned on doing a Euro trip with my family, but the panorama, prevented that from happening. So I picked up this beautiful Chanel Boy instead! After that I was hook! I still had a lot of funds left over for my birthday trip ( I had planned on buying my first Chanel handbag in France) so I quickly picked up some pieces from the 2019 iridescent collection as well.

I had honestly thought that this would be the end of my Chanel journey, but it was definitely not!

Where Do I Buy From?

I generally buy second hand. I know that scares some folks–and its not for everyone. But I live in the country and I’m always looking for a deal! If you search around long enough, you will come across some decent deals of Chanel bags that are too hard to pass up. When I do buy pre loved, I make sure that there’s a return policy in place and that authenticity is guaranteed. This way, if I authenticate my bag and it come up as not genuine, I can return it with no issues.

I have bought a few of my bags and SLG’s from personally shoppers as well. They are a bit more expensive but worth it when you want something new or hard to find.

I do plan to purchase a bag in stores, but I’ll probably wait until I’m 100% done with my cancer journey.

What Style Do I like The Most

I’m in love with the mini styles! I have terrible back and shoulder issues so the mini fit my lifestyle best. The minis also fit just about the same amount of items as the medium flap so it feels likes great value for money–especially since they are about half the going price of the classic styles.

I also really enjoy my WOCs. I have one in a modern style and one in the full flap vintage style. And I love them both. Again, they are super small and compact, the fold down a bit making them great to travel with, and even with their current price point, they are still a more ‘economically’ ( I use that loosely here) option to the the classic flap, while still maintaining some of that look and feel.

Why Do I Like collecting Vintage

To me, Chanel did some of their best work in the 1990’s & early 2000’s. I don’t own many true vintage pieces, but they were all in pretty good condition for their age. 2 for the vintage bags I own are my age (30+ years!). The lambskin on one and the jersey on the other look and feel amazing. I don’t know what changed, but there’s a definitive quality to some of these vintage pieces. They are truly heritage items.

Why Don’t You Love The Classic?

I’m working on a blog post for this, but I’m honestly just not a fan.

I love the one classic flap that I own because its vintage with the 24k gold plated hardware and it’s just beautiful to look at. But the overall structure and design with the double flap is just not for me.

All that said, I know a lot of people love this style. And if you’re looking to invest in your first Chanel bag as an assist, then I highly recommend looking into the Classic flap as it retains and grows its value the best.

Your Jumbo Looks…Different?

Yup!

My Jumbo is actually a seasonal design from 2014 and is not a Classic single flap Jumbo. For a while I had wanted a bigger Chanel bag and a Jumbo seemed like a good fit, but I was worried about the weight with my bad shoulder.

I ended up going with this seasonal release as a birthday bag for myself. I really loved how it was a darker colored bag (a first for me!) but not black, and in chevron. While the look is a little different from the original Classic Flap, it’s super light compared to it while also being just a tad bit bigger. Plus I was able to purchase it for $2,500 USD, So I was very excited over that lol.

Will You Continue To Buy Chanel With The Current Price Increases?

Yes, but it’s not at the top of my list. I feel very content with my collection at the moment, and there are so many other brands and luxury items that I’m looking forward to exploring as well.

I do think that I will purchase myself a ‘fixer-upper’ Chanel bag for my birthday if I can find one at a good deal, but some of these bags on the preloved market are also ridiculously priced now too. So while I’m still interested in what the brand has to offer, I’m toning down my shopping.

Final Thoughts

If you’d like to see my Chanel collection in it’s entirety, then be sure to check out this video here!

I do feel like I started my collection at the right time, because I was able to source and buy the most of my pieces at or below retail and before the insane price increases.

Like I said earlier, I’m feeling really content with the collection that I curated and it’s a pink lovers dream. While I do like to purchase a bag for my birthday, I’m not really seeking out any new pieces for my collection at the moment. But who knows, maybe Chanel will release something that really speaks to my heart!

Anyways, I hope that this blog answered some of the question you might have had about my Chanel collection, or how to get started with your own! If you have any more questions definitely feel free to ask away down below! Or if you want more eye candy, check our the IG!