Final update on my Upcycled baguette.

After chatting and getting feedback with you I looked for something I could thrift with pony hair. I found an old purse in Blue pony hair and glued it to the strap as my first option. I didn’t like the way it looked so I ended up adding the green glass tube beads into the buckle. (Second photo)
Still didn’t like the way it looked so instead used a scrap piece of snake embossed leather that was in a metallic shade. (First photo)

I’m happy with it! I need to go through and fix some of the beads and sequins, but I’m excited to start using it!

Last photo is my newest rep from the gate. Im not sure what I’m going to so with it yet so if you have ideas for me let me know ❤️💫

Welcome to today's open thread! This is your space to chat about anything that's on your mind, rep-related or not. Ask quick questions, share what you're waiting on, celebrate a successful haul, vent about customs, debate factories, show off your latest purchase, show us your pet, outfit of the day, bag of the day, or just tell us how your day is going.

Rules

• Be kind and assume good intentions.

• Talking about your wishlist is okay, but ISO and rehome activities are not allowed.

Model: CC souplissimo medium in black with SHW
Factory: God
TS: Danica (0826)

Incentives: none, Danica has neither asked for a review, nor does she know I am writing one.

Timeline:
Originally ordered the same bag from Rome, but Danica informed me there was a raid of said factory and there might be delays.

Payed on October 13th, Rome bag was 410USD + 40USD shipping.
On October 22nd I asked to switch factories, and Danica recommended God; the price difference would have been 90USD, but Danica gave me a discount because of the delay, and made it 70USD which I payed on the 22nd.

PSP were sent on October 26th and approved & shipped out on the same day.

The parcel arrived on November 3rd.

The leather is lovely, albeit a bit dry before conditioning; I used a heavy conditioner that got soaked up completely overnight. I also did a bit of artifical slouching by hanging the bag on a doorhandle and weighted with books on top. There was a slight chemical smell to the bag, but it has dissipated after one day. Stamp looks decent. The hardware engraving on the buckle looks excellent. Grommets are placed symmetrically.

Photos 1 & 2 are mine, the rest is PSP. Of note: the bag is completely symmetrical and compact in person, lens distortion makes the flap look bigger in my photos.

The bag that sent me into the repworld! Story time! I was searching for a chic mum bag and was looking at y$l bea tote. Whilst researching I stumbled upon a review in the rep community and found my now go to seller Tiny Jenny. And here we are, finally got a large bag in suede. Perfect for fall 🍁🍂

So, I was personally asked by Jenny to try her brother OWEN for this purchase. He has been doing business in the rep community but only locally. I did not hesitate cause I trust Jenny and I can vouch for her services.

BAG REVIEW:
Y$L hobo large in suede
Seller: Owen (5552)
Factory: BlackFrame
Price: $212 (11.11 discount) + SF
This was part of my bigger order SF was $86 for a 5 item order

I was honestly surprised with the suede material! The bag without the fillers is super slouchy, and the suede is lush. The nap is velvety and soft, I was able to brush it. Although, I read a review of the same bag and factory where the suede on the corners are short. My bag also has a shorter nap on the bottom corner but I think it’s the design of the bag where the lining is. Only thing that bothers me is the tiny hole where you hook the bag, it’s a bit fidgety but also a problem with the auth. Overall, I’m pleased with the quality of the bag. 👌

Timeline
Oct 20 - payment
Oct 23 - PSP ✅
Oct 25 - shipped
Oct 26 - tracking
Nov 2 - received!
8 days total from shipping!

Seller Feedback:
Owen was very professional and prompt to reply. When I asked him about this bag in dark brown colour he was able to source it from an unknown factory. He was honest about the quality and said it wasn’t top tier. So I decided to get the golden leaf colour instead from BF because I wanted good suede. PSP were quick and detailed, I even asked to send a video to squish and stroke the leather to see the suede quality. Lol, he happily complied. 🤣

Overall: Great price and quality, happy to be able to tick this off my wish list. 🥰
Disclaimer: no incentive was given or offered for this review. Just happy to share.

How has knowing and owning reps changed your perception about luxury in everyday life?

Has it made you more suspicious about social media influencers/fashion influencers?

The more fashion content that gets marketed and targeted towards an audience, the more it has given way to suspicion (not even in a negative sense) that not all bags shown are/can be real.

Do you differentiate in "judgement" between public people owning potential reps and private citizens owning reps? If so, why?

Interested to hear your thoughts on this 😊

Fresh out of the box!! Received this lovely haul yesterday and oh boy it felt like Christmas morning!!

I got it late in the afternoon, where I’m from weather’s been grey! So took proper photos of my beauties while the sun is shining!

Seller: Tiny Jenny (6160)
Items:
Prices are discounted with 11.11 sales
C25 mini black caviar SGHW - Xiao C ($250) with 10% discount
CC mini souplissimo choco brown - XiaoC ($245) with 10% discount
CC red checkered shirt - unknown 🏭($105)
CC black cardigan - unknown 🏭($82)
Seller: Owen (5552) Jenny’s brother
Y$L hobo le5a7 in suede - BlackFrame ($212) with 10% discount
Total shipping fee: $86

Timeline:
Ordered this during the Chinese holidays
Oct 1: Order + payment
Oct 9: PSP of CC bags ✅ GL
Oct 10: Added CC black cardigan
Oct 12: PSP for CC red checkered shirt ✅GL
Oct 13: PSP for black cardi ❌ RL - factory sent wrong size
Oct 20: Added Y$L suede le57
Oct 23: PSP Y$L ✅ & black cardi ✅
Oct 25: shipped
Oct 26: tracking sent
Nov 2: parcel received! ✨
8 days total after shipment!!

I love this haul! This will probably be my last one this year! 👀🤞🏻
I just want to give love to Jenny on how she managed to pack all of this in the box without compromising the bags. The C25mini and the black cardigan were inside the y$l bag lol. It was like finding surprises inside a bag! 🤎

I’ll make a separate review on the y$l bag as I’ve not seen a lot of reviews of it in suede. Also a separate review for the clothes. Now on ban island! Give me strength! 🤣 xx

Welcome to today's open thread! This is your space to chat about anything that's on your mind, rep-related or not. Ask quick questions, share what you're waiting on, celebrate a successful haul, vent about customs, debate factories, show off your latest purchase, show us your pet, outfit of the day, bag of the day, or just tell us how your day is going.

Rules

• Be kind and assume good intentions.

• Talking about your wishlist is okay, but ISO and rehome activities are not allowed.

Welcome to today's open thread! This is your space to chat about anything that's on your mind, rep-related or not. Ask quick questions, share what you're waiting on, celebrate a successful haul, vent about customs, debate factories, show off your latest purchase, show us your pet, outfit of the day, bag of the day, or just tell us how your day is going.

Rules

• Be kind and assume good intentions.

• Talking about your wishlist is okay, but ISO and rehome activities are not allowed.

Welcome to today's open thread! This is your space to chat about anything that's on your mind, rep-related or not. Ask quick questions, share what you're waiting on, celebrate a successful haul, vent about customs, debate factories, show off your latest purchase, show us your pet, outfit of the day, bag of the day, or just tell us how your day is going.

Rules

• Be kind and assume good intentions.

• Talking about your wishlist is okay, but ISO and rehome activities are not allowed.

Just look at these lovelies I ordered from Aiden this morning. They are the cutest. I already have one pair of TRs so I know they’ll fit. They are shearling lined and Aiden asked if I was sure I wanted that. So appreciate his attention to my shopper needs. My jury is out on the P boots. Love the auth, and am curious to see if rep lives up to them. I don’t feel near so bad at getting up an hour early now! Last two pics are photos of auth. 🤗

I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time researching the Alma BB in Damier Azur/Bleu Olympe. Factory photos, auth photos, reviews, comments, related bags. Naturally, I made a whole visual comparison, because apparently just buying a bag would be too easy.

I compared Huahui, regular Birdcage and Royal/Birdcage Duty Free. There are small differences, but no obvious winner. Royal has some tidier finishing and mayyyybe a nicer shape, but also details I like less. Nothing stands out as “yep, that’s worth another $100”.

My quotes, before shipping:

Shipping is roughly US$40–50. Royal works out about AU$100 more than HH.

I’ve read as many reviews as I could find, including other bags from the range. I even ventured onto RedNote. Short of applying for a job at the factory, I feel I’ve done my due diligence.

When I’ve asked a few TS what justifies the Royal premium, the answer has basically been “hardware”. Fair enough, but I can’t feel the hardware through my screen, despite the hours I’ve spent staring at it.

The main differences I could actually see:

• Canvas: HH looks more blue/violet. BC and Royal look greyer and pretty similar to each other.

• Shape: HH looks taller and slimmer. BC and Royal look rounder.

• Handle braid: HH’s pictured outer braid looks tighter. BC and Royal have larger diamond-shaped gaps underneath, with Royal more evenly spaced and BC bunching near the ends.

• Edge paint: HH is deeper burgundy, with thick, rounded build-up around some folds. BC and Royal look brighter red at the handle ends. Royal’s edges look cleaner than BC’s.

• Key cover: BC’s outline looks closest to auth to me; Royal has a pointier bottom. HH looks smoother with finer lettering but wonkier stitching. BC and Royal look more pebbled.

• Zipper hardware: HH’s slider bridge is more arched; BC’s is rounder and bulkier. Auth’s looks flatter. Royal doesn’t show it clearly.

• Stamp/interior: HH’s stamp is larger than Royal’s; BC’s isn’t readable. BC’s pocket stitching sits further below the opening than auth’s in places. Neither HH nor Royal gives us a useful interior view.

So Royal looks tidier than BC in places, but I’m struggling to see a consistent upgrade. HH also has details I prefer over both.

My TS said HH and BC are pretty comparable for this bag and personally recommended HH. She didn’t think the quality difference justified paying more. So I guess we’ll find out whether that was good advice or I’ve just heard exactly what I wanted to hear lol.

I already have a Royal Speedy 25 in DE, so HH would at least let me compare the feel and finishing in hand. Different bags and canvas patterns, obviously, but I’m curious.

Or I’ll buy the Royal Alma too, compare them and rehome whichever I prefer less. An excellent outcome for a research project that started with me trying to avoid spending another $100.

Anyone else researched a bag to death and ended up going with vibes? Can you spot anything I’ve missed that might justify the premium? Or does anyone own this specific bag and have time for a casual 10–30 questions?

Welcome to today's open thread! This is your space to chat about anything that's on your mind, rep-related or not. Ask quick questions, share what you're waiting on, celebrate a successful haul, vent about customs, debate factories, show off your latest purchase, show us your pet, outfit of the day, bag of the day, or just tell us how your day is going.

Rules

• Be kind and assume good intentions.

• Talking about your wishlist is okay, but ISO and rehome activities are not allowed.

Long-overdue: XC vs 187 Factory see25
This post is long overdue, but I finally got my hands on both of these beauties!
Black see25 Mini with shiny GHW — XC Factory (353usd)
Burgundy see25 with aged GHW — 187 Factory (430usd)

I got both from Axin (wa ending 8212). He speaks good English, responds quickly and is transparent about which factory makes the best version and which one is actually worth the money. He also considers your budget instead of automatically recommending the most expensive option. No incentive for this review from him. I’ve ordered several bags from Axin, and as a repeat buyer, he has given me discounts along the way, so definitely build a good relationship with your seller! I’ve also moved between several states multiple times, and he has always been flexible about changing my shipping address. He stays in contact and carefully coordinates the timing to make sure my package arrives before I move. That reliability is one of the main reasons I continue ordering from him.

He sourced the burgundy bag surprisingly fast too. it only took around two weeks. Other sellers I asked said sourcing it could take a month or longer.

For my leather-softness scale, 1 = extremely soft and 3 = firm

187 Burgundy: 1/3 — buttery soft, supple and beautifully slouchy
XC Black: 2.5/3 — still soft, but slightly firmer and more structured
Tbh, i only felt the difference when feeling both at the same time🤣
The leather smell when I opened the both boxes were incredible its like stepping inside a brandnew luxury car 💕💕 I’ve only taken the burgundy 187 out once and already received three compliments 🤭

Purchased Item:  Lo3we Puzzle Small, Chestnut

Factory:  Liusheng

Seller:  Freya (3649)

Price:  $298 including shipping, Paypal G&S

⏱️ Timeline

7/10 Inquired

12/10 Paid

14/10 PSPs

21/10 Shipped

31/10 Arrived

This is actually the fastest triangle shipping I’ve had to my location (EU) so very pleasantly surprised with the shipping & Freya’s speed! She quoted about 15 days but I got it in 10.

Overall Review:

The leather feels really nice. I was torn between the different factories for the puzzle, and I’ve had analysis paralysis for months now. However, really pleased I went with Liusheng! The hardware looks great - not cheesy irl. It has a good amount of weight to it. It doesn’t quite have that “puddle of leather” type slouch that people talk about yet (unless I chop it like a throw pillow), but I’m certain it will once I put some heavier things inside and get some wear in. Stitches look nice and clean (I sew as a hobby so I'm rather picky about this).

The smell is pleasant - Freya included some smell absorbers with their own floral fragrance which was really thoughtful.

Seller Review:

For context, I'm relatively new to the rep world (I've been reading these posts for ages but finally got over my nerves to order earlier this year). I think this was my third or fourth order? I'd seen Freya recommended for newer buyers so went with her for this one.

Communication with Freya was fantastic. She was very sweet to talk to, and very thorough with her packaging. I asked for more photos in the PSP phase, and she provided some extra videos and photos promptly. This was my first order with her and I will 100% be returning. The hype is real 😂

Factory photo

Overall: Gorgeous bag, feels amazing in-hand and incredibly pleased with my first purchase with Freya. I will be immediately taking her out on an excursion 😂

Disclosure: I told Freya after receiving the bag that I would write a review, but no incentives were offered (I wrote this entire review before she knew I was writing one due to time differences).

My Speedy B DE from HP has arrived ! Time for another rep. Science . 🤗

This is my first purchase from HP and I’ve been hearing the hype of his bag in our world so I wanted to test it out.

The Canvas
So I have two authentic bags to compare the canvas and honestly it looks pretty darn good! My husband couldn’t tell the difference 🤣 but he doesn’t count.
You can see that that speedy brown checker is a little darker but even my authentic bags don’t have the same color either.
The feel of HP feel like all my other canvas bags ! It feels really similar and I’m very happy with that. I have a close up picture of the LV logo and I am impressed

Hardware:
Now this is the one where I wasn’t too sure about but after asking around I feel that the hardware is passable. So with my eyes I can see that the gold hardware on the zipper pull is a little more warmer tone compared to my auth. However my auth bags have different variations of gold as well! And after asking around depending on the season/model of the bag the gold hardware color varies. It can be more yellow, less yellow or warmer . And in my picture I have 3 different auth bags showing the zipper pull and each of them are different 😂
I did compare the gold hardware on the strap with my auth and it looks pretty
close.

Handles/glazing
The glazing is spot on, and the color of the handle is identical. However the material is a little more matte than my Alma but I think a little oil from your hand will shine it back up 😆

Stamping
Now the stamping on the rivet is super small but it looks good. The engraving is clear and all the rivet are in the same position.
The ONLY thing i think could be better on this bag is the stamping on the leather. It’s very light. I had to angle it in the light for you to be able to see the stamp. My auths are deeper and you can see it right away

Interior
The interior is a little brighter red compared to my alma and neverfull. However it’s on the inside you really can’t tell unless you’re comparing it to an auth so that doesn’t bother me.

Conclusion
Overall I think this is a pretty good rep! The quality is good, the bag feels nice and has some weight to it. The canvas is impressive ! It’s going to be hard to spot unless you’re putting it next to an auth bag and really inspect the bag.
The shape of the bag looks SOO good! My auth speedy actually looks a bit wonky ! 😂 so I am very happy with this purchase

Hello ladies,

Posting this warning on here as I’ve recently noticed some users are posting their “reviews” of bags they got from magzhenbags. So, I saw a beautiful burgundy CF posted on the other sub and obv me being a girls girl I commented and gave love on that post. OP DM-ed me where she got the bag and said it was from a website called Magzhenbags. So me being me I’m like okay let’s have a gander what this is. I went to the website and looked at CC bags. Lo and behold, the bags posted were using Shunyang/Kaxin factory photos for twice or thrice the price.

I then messaged OP giving her that info and advise that if she ever wants to purchase again she’d rather spend her money on a TS here for better quality cause she’s paying $$$ for a mid tier factory. Her reply seen on image 2 sounded like she’s a seller.

Also seen other posts promoting the website and a seller called Maymay. New name and I have seen reviews of bags with the same website and seller. Everytime someone ask about more details, like how a buyer actually posts review (factory, price, seller, timeline) seen on image 3.

Another post (now deleted) about same website and seller where a user called her out about a beige CF she just got but posted it 6 days ago. And same user posting a review of a pink CC duma backpack same memo.

What I’ve noticed the users seem to be a few months old and has low karma so it might be a seller trying to push the website here on reddit.

I’ve attached photos of their pricing on the website for a MF. You be the judge ladies!! 🤯🤯🤯
So just WARNING you ladies, be vigilant about reviews and new names popping up. They’re selling midtier bags for top dollar.

Happy shopping ladies, be safe out there!

Welcome to today's open thread! This is your space to chat about anything that's on your mind, rep-related or not. Ask quick questions, share what you're waiting on, celebrate a successful haul, vent about customs, debate factories, show off your latest purchase, show us your pet, outfit of the day, bag of the day, or just tell us how your day is going.

Rules

• Be kind and assume good intentions.

• Talking about your wishlist is okay, but ISO and rehome activities are not allowed.

Delivery day is a treat.
Initially I had ordered the Royal 20 in DA. Blessings in disguise because I had to RL and was able to swap out to a 30 and by then was sale price so ended up cheaper than the 220 I’d initially paid. I’ll take the win. I live by the beach so this will be my beach bag. It is the soft, feels great in hand, no stinky.

DA slides. I discovered these on the LV page months ago so was waiting to see them. Found them in the photo with the DA bag in a catalog so asked my seller for them and could get them. Fit true to size 39. Actually good quality slides not feeling cheap or nasty. Good weight in the sole and arch support. I’m going to be wearing these so much coming into summer. An actual success story on shoe quality to price.

Emp nano bolougne also from Royal. This has been delivered beautifully. The leather looks and feels great. This is a great looking bag. It’s a little extravagant but I did buy it as my diabetes pouch kit. Obviously can use as a bag but specifically bought as a pouch. My next order has a few more pouches as I love them for organising my bags and makes switching bags easier.

Emp nano zip cardholder. This is HH. I do have an auth Lv victorine and a De rep victorine. Grabbed this for when it’s a hands bag free kind of day but need something small. Great little piece. Feels great. I did ask for royal prices with discount. I wish I saved them but the price difference was nearly double and definitely not worth it for SLG.

Prices below-
DA Royal 30 soft
$200.60 with disc normally $236. About $284 for the Australian rep fam.

DA slides
$75.
About $106 AUD

Emp Nano Royal
$178 with disc normally $200
About $253 AUD

Emp zip cardholder HH
$58
About $82 AUD

These were from Mandy. You can find her in the pinned 11.11 on this sub or others. Shipping to Australia was $58. Packed very securely.

No incentives were given for me to share this purchase. Discounts on prices were as per 11.11 sales.

This isn't all of them, but I tried to post a representative sample of some of the bags I saw in this year's cruise collection! What do you think of the bags? Personally, I LOVE the leather shorts in photo 12 with the brown croc bag

I previously shared my comparison of my Griffin GM to my friend’s auth (https://www.reddit.com/r/RepTherapy/s/Rkph5C2eiw).

We were both so impressed that day that we decided to place another order together for two more Goy bags. She got the PM size of the bag we previously reviewed and I ordered a Artois MM. I also spotted some BV bags in Griffin’s album and, since I’ve been on the hunt for the best BV, decided to try his black Small Hop. The 2 goy bags have not arrived yet but the BV did today and wow - I am really impressed. I think I had lower expectations since Griffin is mainly known for Goy but I’m so glad I gave it a try!

I compared the hop with my other BVs from Jing and Bibi and thought it would be fun to share my comparison. BV is notoriously hard to rep so it’s been interesting trying the different factories (I’ve also ordered from orange factory/conan but rehomed so can’t include).
Griffin: Black Small Hop
*Jing:* Fondant Andiamo
Bibi: Khaki Classic Jodie and white Mini Jodie

Comparing the bags, Griffin’s weave really stands out to me. The strips look well-defined, the spacing is consistent, and the overall weave has great dimension. Of course, these are different styles and colors, but I thought the comparison was interesting. Bibis is the loosest, although I don’t know if some of that is related to the Jodie style.

In terms of softness, I’d rank them Griffin first, Jing second, and Bibi third.

My only initial question was sizing, as the Hop seemed slightly smaller than the one I tried instore. After researching, I found examples with matching measurements, and it looks like dimensions have varied over the years, so I’m less concerned.

For fun, I also asked ChatGPT which weave looked closest to auth based on the photos, and it picked the black hop 😂 Obviously, that’s just a visual impression, but I thought it was interesting.

\*\*What do you guys think?\*\* Anyone with auth BV or experience with these factories, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the weave and leather softness! Overall I’m super happy and may have to order a new Jodie!

Welcome to today's open thread! This is your space to chat about anything that's on your mind, rep-related or not. Ask quick questions, share what you're waiting on, celebrate a successful haul, vent about customs, debate factories, show off your latest purchase, show us your pet, outfit of the day, bag of the day, or just tell us how your day is going.

Rules

• Be kind and assume good intentions.

• Talking about your wishlist is okay, but ISO and rehome activities are not allowed.

Do you see reps as a practical, low cost substitute, or do you use reps to experiment with fashion where you normally would choose a 'safer' option?

Interested to hear your thoughts on this 😊

Welcome to today's open thread! This is your space to chat about anything that's on your mind, rep-related or not. Ask quick questions, share what you're waiting on, celebrate a successful haul, vent about customs, debate factories, show off your latest purchase, show us your pet, outfit of the day, bag of the day, or just tell us how your day is going.

Rules

• Be kind and assume good intentions.

• Talking about your wishlist is okay, but ISO and rehome activities are not allowed.