We source from licensed luxury goods re-sellers registered with their prefectorial police departments in Japan. Bags we sell will have been triple authenticated by the time it reaches our customer: prior to the luxury goods auction in Japan, by the in-house appraisal and authentication team at the Japanese reseller prior to listing it, and by Purse Alert’s in-house team upon receipt. 

Details such as stamping, symmetry, stitching, hardware, date codes, as well as overall workmanship and materials are all inspected and compared to established brand guides. If a super-fake still somehow made it through, let us know and we’ll be happy to work with you to resolve the situation per our Authenticity Guarantee.

We provide service on many levels. I’m interested in the story a bag can tell. You’ll find our descriptions are quite a bit longer than nearly any other site. We view this educational service that connects any historical context with a bag’s design story to be of value to the designer, to the handbag and to our customer. There is a rich history behind Louis Vuitton’s development of coated canvas, or Coco Chanel’s invention of the shoulder strap that connects fashion with artistic and architectural trends, cultural and technological developments, and changing societal norms and gender politics in ways that may surprise you.

For bags no longer in production, these luxury pieces become even rarer and more collectible, and our service extends to one of preservation.

Our service is found in the relationships built with Japanese luxury goods resellers over time, in the searching, ordering, and warehousing processes, the process and fee for exchanging dollars to yen, the importation, handling of customs forms and duty fees, the authentication, restoration and curation of our listed bags. All of the many steps taken behind each bag listed on this website combines into the white glove service provided to our customers that allows them to click on the bag they like, easily pay, and have it shipped within 24 hours–easy peasy.

This last point kind of melts into the service of connecting the Japanese culture and values to our own. Japanese culture differs from that in the United States in a number of ways that were strikingly obvious within the time it took me to complete my very first order. The pride they take in traditional artisan techniques like leather goods construction. The care, respect and maintenance given to personal goods. The concept of honor, personal responsibility, doing one’s best and trusting in others.  Talk about cultural values ideal for capitalist exploitation! That’s a joke. But it’s funny because it’s true. Those values, as well as strict laws and strict adherence to those laws regarding the  regulation of and licensing for the re-sale of luxury goods are why Japan is renown as “the place” to buy authentic designer bags, and why the prospect of inadvertently getting a fake is so ludicrous. Thirty-year-old bags present like new, inside and out. Compared to what I was finding in the American secondhand marketplace counterparts, it is night and day. We sure do thrash and trash our possessions. If one is looking to buy a 40 year old Louis Vuitton Alma that is authentic, still  in like-new condition, and reasonably priced, Japan is where you want to be. But since you aren’t there, our service is there for you.

Purse Alert is Recognized by the U.N. Race to Zero SME Climate Hub and We Mean Business Coalition for its commitment to sustainable business practices. We post tips on bag maintenance and sell maintenance kits to help extend the lifespan of bags our customers already own and what they buy from us. Did you know leather is one of the top renewable resources in the world? The majority of leather used commercially is a by-product of the meat industry that would otherwise end up as waste material. Yet the most sustainable aspect of leather is its longevity, which is why proper care and maintenance is so important.

If properly cared for, leather products can last 50 years or more, easily surpassing the lifetime of other commonly used textiles. Often times products find their way to landfill, not because they’re no longer usable, but because of changing fads, fickle ownership and poor care. Restoring, re-using and reselling stops unnecessary waste by diverting bags out of landfills and back into the stream of commerce. Opting for preloved is an excellent way to shrink our carbon footprint. By re-inserting used goods back in the circular economy instead of dumping them, we create less waste and curb the need for new production and manufacturing and  use of related resources like energy, water and textile waste.

Purse Alert uses USPS Ground Advantage for its shipping needs, which has a lower carbon footprint than other available options, while still meeting standards for affordability, tracking, reliability, insurance coverage and delivery speed. Purse Alert also recycles and re-uses shipping materials and packaging that would otherwise find its way to landfills. You many see previous postage marks or unrelated branding on shipping boxes, or receive an Amazon mailer turned inside out with our goods inside, but those marks should be badges of honor–an outward sign of part of our Race to Zero pledge.  We’re so sass-y.