LV Abbesses messenger - opinions?

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^This could be a book. DON'T buy from a consignment store or ebay; the Abbesses is one of the most heavily faked items out there, all the way from cheap $5 Canal Street fakes to 'superfakes' that cost half as much as the real deal... but are fake.

Quality wise, it is fine and will last you forever. There is little problem with LV quality, it's just the overt branding of the monogram and the hilarious over-pricing due to popularity. It's a tacky bag, I'm sorry to say. But, the canvas wears well and develops a nice "patina" over time.

Authenticity wise, there are tons of things too look for and if you don't know what to look for already, DON'T buy except from an LV store or an LV seller who is registered with MyPoupette or one of the other major authentication services. Even then, you have to be careful buying anywhere but from an authorized LV boutique. They don't wholesale, they don't have a "clearance warehouse," so their store is the only place to be 100% sure it is real.

I would tell you the classic "signs" of authentic LV, to watch for stitching, feel of the canvas, etc., but the fakes are getting good enough that you still would think it was "real."

Another indication is price; I have no idea what the Abbesses is now, but remember LV never has sales and so pricing for a legitimate bag in good shape will be 70% of retail at least. So, assuming the bag is about $1100 or so, you will look to spend at least $700 or more for one in decent shape.

I'd avoid an Abbesses, altogether, especially if you are on a budget. If you can't/don't want to buy one from the store, you will probably end up with a fake one. Caveat emptor.

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Originally Posted by merkur

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Thanks for the reply.

You are welcome. I just looked on eluxury and the Abbesses is now $1330. In 2003, when I purchased a Damier Bastille (the Damier version of the same bag) both of them were $900. LV loves to pretend the "strong Euro" has everything to do with it, but they raise their prices regardless. As such, keep in mind that you are paying $1330 for a canvas bag with leather accents. To be honest, if I were in the market, I would look for the Taiga or Utah messenger LV offers; it's simple, elegant, and made from nice leather that will look better with age. Monogram is really not worth the price AT ALL. Taiga is much better, Utah is better than that (though it is pricier). Damier Geant is probably the "sturdiest" (made from mountain climbing rope fibers), but it is also rather pricy for a nylon bag (about 30% more than the Monogram and slightly more than Taiga).

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

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LV loves to pretend the "strong Euro" has everything to do with it, but they raise their prices regardless.
The strong euro has been the argument for price increases across LVMH brands for quite some time, however, this makes limited sense when european prices increase as much as the US ones. Though I would appreciate it if LVMH lowered prices now because of the current weak euro, I fear there might be some downward stickyness here ...

Originally Posted by Optimas

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The strong euro has been the argument for price increases across LVMH brands for quite some time, however, this makes limited sense when european prices increase as much as the US ones. Though I would appreciate it if LVMH lowered prices now because of the current weak euro, I fear there might be some downward stickyness here ...

Agreed. Pretty much ALL of the luxe brands do it. I remember looking at an item at Cartier back several years ago and it was about $1500. I happened to be at a Cartier boutique a few weeks ago and saw the same item now for $2595. The SA said, just as you mentioned, that they have been steadily raising prices about twice a year. They may have to reconsider this policy, though, given the current market; the item in question was decent/possible at $1500... hilariously nuts at $2595.