I think it was in the early to mid-nineties when my mom clipped a Gucci ad of a top handle bag and showed it to me. It was very lovely -- from the rich and warm caramel brown tone of the leather to the impeccable craftsmanship. It was also very, very, very, and if I might add, VERY EXPENSIVE. How she wanted to buy it for me, or at the very least, I get to buy it for myself. But much as I love bags, when you spend so much time thinking long and hard when considering buying, say, an Esprit bag, Gucci bags, or any other luxurious bags, are definitely out of the question.
So years passed. I kept that clipping in my stash. For years.
Then we moved here in Dumaguete in 2011. One day, I took one last look at the old Gucci ad and threw it away, along with my other clippings and stuff.
Then November 2011 came. I visited a popular flea market here, Aly Mae. And there, among other bags, standing out from the rest, is the Gucci bag I coveted. Complete with the shoulder strap and the hangtag, but in black. The lining was sticky because of the paint, but nothing I can't repair. When I asked the tindera for the price, I thought she'd quote something close to a thousand, and I was prepared to get it, if only for my mom to know that I, we, finally have the bag, but she gave it for LESS THAN 100 PESOS! I very nearly fainted. I paid immediately, lest the tindera changes her mind.
See? Dreams DO come true.
Congrats!!! Ito na ata ang pinaka-jackpot mo sa far Mother pagdating sa vintage finds! =)
ReplyDeleteMay I ask na rin, how do you remove the mold smell of the bag? I'm trying to resurrect a bag here that has been infested with that smell. And I can't bloody remove it! Gumastos na ako ng P2,500 sa isang bag repair shop to remove the smell but nothing happened. Big fail. Eh sayang yung bag, maganda pa naman (at Balenciaga). Hehe!
Nope. May authentic Chanel pa, pero wala akong "attachment" dun kasi it was just an ordinary find. This one is a fulfillment of a dream. *May ganong emote.* Hahaha!
DeleteRe moldy smell, are you brave enough to wash it? Depende kasi sa material. Yung Balen ba ay motorcycle style? If yes, you can give it a wash with soap and water. If hindi kayanin ng washing, lagyan mo ng charcoal pieces (wrap mo sa tissue or something porous. If meron pa rin, get a garbage bag, lagyan mo ng room freshener na gel type sa loob ng bag, seal the garbage bag, itago mo sa isang box or small cabinet. Check mo after a week.
WOW!! lucky you!!!
ReplyDeleteThe bag with a story!!! Naalala ko yung book na nabasa ko, Secret Lives of the Dresses. The author emphasized why she love vintage and second hand items... you don't just purchase the item, you take home even the stories attached behind the item :) How were you able to repair? Tips naman diyan hehehe
ReplyDeleteI removed the entire lining. Tapos bumili ako ng leather miniskirt and I made a lining out of it using the old one as pattern.
DeleteJackpot!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDi ba?! Such a lucky find. It's been years, yung mga ibang designer finds ko, binenta ko na, but I kept this one.
DeleteWow! So nice! You must have a very powerful mind because you get the things you really, really, want. #TheSecret
ReplyDeleteThat, or magaling ka magdasal. Hehe. :)
I think "The Secret"-ing it and praying for it aren't mutually exclusive. And we get our most fervent dreams, in one form or the other, eventually.
Delete30pesos for a Chanel bag?!! Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteYung Chanel medyo "mahal" (200 PHP). This one, Gucci, was 20 pesos. Lucky talaga ano?
DeleteMommy Charm, taga-saan ka sa Bulacan? Am from there kasi.
DeleteHoly frig! 30 pesos? Sobra!
ReplyDelete:) I know, right?
DeleteThat backstory about your & your mom shared Gucci dream makes this bag priceless! Higit pa sa thirty pesos ang halaga nya! :-)
ReplyDeleteSo true, Aggie. More than the bag, it's about the dream we shared. No matter how shallow it might be.
DeleteWooooow!!! The clipping thingy reminds me of my LV Tivoli dream bag which until now remains a dream, hehehe! Hopefully, I could afford to have one someday or, I would get lucky like you.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your goal! It will be yours if you desire it enough -- 'yan ang contention ko. :)
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