Name: Jennifer Ong
Age: 29
Occupation: Business Development Executive at a start-up
Owns: 10 designer bags
Bags consigned with Style Theory: Prada Saffiano Double Zip Tote and Chloe Studded Maroon Bag
Consignor since: August 2019
We love to hear the backstory of our consignor’s bags — do you hold any interesting memories with your consigned bags?
Between the two bags I consigned, my Prada Saffiano Double Zip Tote holds the fondest memories. It was the first designer bag I ever purchased for myself, when I received my first bonus after my very first year of work! It was the biggest purchase I had ever made back then, and I did so much research before purchasing it — I went to the store, compared all the different colours, sizes, and models, and even got my friend in Europe to compare the price differences!
Why did you decide to let it go?
Although I did so much research on my Prada bag, I found out it was way too heavy and wasn’t suitable for my lifestyle. I also realised I didn’t like bags that I couldn’t carry on my shoulder, but in the crook of your arm instead.
Eventually, my Prada was just left sitting in my closet, so I thought I’d consign it and make some money!
You own over 10 designer bags! How did your love for designer bags come about?
My mum! She dressed impeccably and had a large collection of designer bags that I could borrow from at a young age. Since moving to Singapore, I have not been able to access my mum’s wardrobe as much. I signed up for the Style Theory Bags membership as a replacement so I’d still get access to a wide variety of designer bags!
What designer bag styles do you gravitate towards?
I tend to gravitate towards itsy bags because 1) I hate carrying heavy bags, and 2) I don’t really have that much to put in my bags. I even downsized my wallet to a cardholder recently!
Why did you choose to consign with Style Theory instead of selling your bag?
Because I still want to keep both of these bags. The Prada, in particular, has sentimental value as it was the first designer bag I purchased for myself. I’ve also tried selling some clothes on Carousell and hate that the buyers there always lowball you, coupled with all the back-and-forth negotiating.
Did you have any concerns about consigning your bags with Style Theory? How did that go?
Initially, I was worried about possible damages done on my bag. But the customer service representative sent me before/after photos of how some of their year-old consigned bags looked — I was impressed to find that they looked pretty well-maintained!
I also got more comfortable with giving them my bag as I found out they are painstakingly meticulous; they managed to capture and highlight all the tiny flaws that I never even noticed in my own bag before, and informed me that they’d restore and fix those minor scratches before they put my bag on the platform.
I was also initially worried that my bag would be swapped for a fake, but found out that they actually embed an RFID thread into every one of the bags to ensure that the exact same bag is returned.
How easy/difficult was the process of consigning your bag with Style Theory? Any particular features that stood out to you?
I thought the WhatsApp updates from my designated account manager was a very useful part of the process. I love that they use WhatsApp to liaise with consignors — it’s much more personal and I was able to get a response very quickly. This is very different from the experience with other services, where I’d usually have to wait a few working days just to get an email reply!
I was also pleasantly surprised by how professional Style Theory was; every month, I get a proper payout report detailing how many days my bag was rented out for. I also received a very professional contract with 20 photos (!!) they took of my bag from all angles to capture the condition of the bag before rental. Overall, I found the experience to be very professional.
How was the payout valuation and process like for you?
The payout for my Prada bag was a little bit lower than expected, but understandable as it’s an older style. To me, it was more about monetising an asset that would otherwise be useless to me anyway.
I was quite happy with the payout I got on the Chloe bag though! As I bought my Chloe bag at a steep discount at their outlet store, the monthly consignment payouts, compared to my investment, was really attractive!
What is the best thing that consigning your bag has done for you? Any difference in consigning your bags as compared to leaving them at home?
It’s been very cool being able to monetise bags that would otherwise be sitting in my closet unused.
I was so happy with the passive income that I also decided to participate in the Purchase-for-Consignment programme where I was able to purchase brand new, in-season designer bags from at a huge discount to rent out to subscribers. The rental income from this is way higher than what I’d be able to get if I put my money elsewhere. The best part is even if all else fails, I still get a nice bag to use!
Inspired by Jennifer’s consignment journey with Style Theory Bags? Join the renting revolution with her and give your bags a new lease of life!
Not yet convinced? Read more about the top 7 myths and misconceptions about consignment to better understand our consignment process.
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