I Got a Celine Tote on Japanese eBay for Under $250
plus amazing leather goods from Hereu's sale section
It’s exam season and all my mind can take at this point is TikTok videos of vintage Coach bag restorations. Maybe it’s the subtle ASMR of the saddle soap and horsehair brush, or the fact that the bags look completely different after the process, but the fact of the matter is that these videos are currently my preferred form of comfort media right now. When I’m in the library studying and trying to Pomodoro Method my way to freedom, I’m using the five-minute breaks as valuable Japanese eBay scouring time in between the restoration TikToks. I got inspired by a video brendahashtag posted a few weeks ago about the handbags she uses the most, and two of them were Celine Horizontal Cabas Totes. If the New York Magazine canvas tote I got as a gift for subscribing could talk, I’m pretty sure it would thank me if I relieved it from its school bag duties. TheRealReal heydays are over—you’d be lucky to find a used Celine tote on there for less than $500—and on eBay it just seemed like all the listings were either of the vertical model or Luggage Totes (which 14-year-old me would have loved).
I turned to Japanese Mercari first, hoping that I’d find a Horizontal Cabas (preferably in black) for around $300. This proved to be difficult for two reasons: first, the horizontal version in black is pretty rare, I feel like most of them were either black in the vertical size, or horizontal but color-blocked with black; second, people do know what they have on Japanese Mercari, so the ones I found that matched what I was looking for were priced around $350-400+ — Not the end of the world, but I just wanted to challenge myself to see if I could find something in great condition for even cheaper.
After a couple days of on-and-off searching, it came down to two contenders: one in a bright tomato red found on Japanese Mercari, and another in a more subtle, deep bordeaux leather on Yahoo Auctions. Both were in fair condition and under $250. I ended up choosing the bordeaux one, as I could envision it matching with my outfits more, although the bright red could have been well-incorporated into my bag rotation but was leaning too trendy. And, with my hyper-fixation on the Coach restoration videos, I figured I could try my hand at a little saddle soap and Leather CPR action no matter which one I chose.
The bag ended up being $193 with ~$40 for shipping. Not too bad considering the condition both are in. It’s in transit from Tokyo and I’m yet to receive it, but will duly update once it’s in my hands and I can recondition it. Unfortunately, the original red Cabas is sold out, but I found another one on Yahoo Auctions that looks a touch smaller—it’s probably the medium size.
If you’re a recent subscriber, my first newsletter ever was actually about my love for Maryam Nassir Zadeh, and how I’ve found many 2018/2019 pieces from her for waaayyyy below retail prices on Mercari Japan and Yahoo Auctions. If you’re into designers that were super popular during that *superb* time of 2018 fashion (i.e. LOQ, Baserange, old Ganni, etc.), I would highly recommend checking the secondhand market in Japan, as consumers loved them a lot.
Other than the Celine tote, I haven’t really done as much shopping this sale season as I expected. I opened up my email yesterday and discovered that Hereu has an amazing AW23 sale selection on their website featuring bags and shoes that are very fairly priced and can be styled in so many different ways. My favorites are the following:
I adore these loafers in deep hunter green with interlaced detail on the upper. I won’t lie, they do look a little stiff, but feature what appears to be a solid stacked heel and a suede interior. These would actually look very cool with a pair of white wide-leg jeans, or a pair of cream colored shorts from Na Nin in the Spring.
I like these boots. First, the brown leather is on point: it looks super uniform and the paneled stitching gives it a nice construction. What’s unique about these is the leather band and buckle on the top of the shaft, which makes it look a little equestrian-y without it being overtly *utilitarian* — It also gives it more of a harness boot look without being so obvious, so it’ll endure the trend cycle we’re in right now.
This bag just looks absolutely squishable. The braided detail on the handles combined with the cobalt blue leather makes the bag look classic, yet somehow futuristic? This photo also captures how supple and soft Hereu’s leather is. I remember when their puffy fisherman sandals came out a few years ago, and the first time I saw in them in person I was like “WTF these are so soft.” Sadly never bought myself a pair, but they still make them, so it’s always in the back of my mind 🧐 Maybe a peruse on Japanese Mercari is in order?
Outside of fashion, my favorite song right now is ‘Spotlite’ by Born At Midnite. If anybody has any good recommendations for digital collage apps, let me know! I’ve been very inspired by Martina Calvi, who makes adorable collage kits and stickers. Plus, maybe I should do an unboxing video on TikTok once I receive the Celine tote? Hope it lives up to my expectations!
As always, thanks for reading and I’ll see you in the next one <3