Rent a Handbag

Is Handbag Renting Right for You?
If you're like most fashionistas, you relish the thought of carrying designer handbags. What fun it would be to gallivant through the streets of some exotic city with a trendy Marc Jacobs in tote. Although this fantasy seems divine, it can quickly be interrupted by inconvenient words like budget. The truth is that nearly no one can afford to splurge regularly on Chanel, Louis Vuitton or Gucci handbags. Us real girls have real mortgages to pay. If your need for fashion outweighs your budget, renting might be an attractive solution. Listed below are things to consider before taking the plunge.

Finding the Right Company
There are two e-commerce companies that rent designer handbags, but the one we recommend is From Bags to Riches [FBTR]. Another well-known handbag-rental company is Bag Borrow or Steal [BBOS]. After testing both services, we found that FBTR is slightly cheaper, offers friendlier customer service and has more bags in stock than its competitor. Unlike BBOS, FBTR does not mandate a monthly membership fee, meaning you can rent at your own pace. Overall, FBTR was more forthcoming with their prices. Shipping was included in all handbag prices. On the other hand, we felt slightly duped by BBOS -- initially their service appeared much cheaper, but additional fees like shipping and insurance quickly drove up the cost.

What Type are You?
There are two types of handbags owners. Type one is an avowed fashionista and splurges on trendy handbags. On the other hand, type two is a pragmatist and invests in classic handbags that are likely to stay in style for years. In our opinion, renting is best suited for type one. In fact, in this scenario, renting makes the most sense. The trendiest handbags are often on the shelf for one season before they are replaced by a new IT bag. Unless you have a vast disposable income, buying a bag with a three month lifespan makes little sense. On the other hand, renting the same handbag for a fraction of its retail value makes a lot of sense.

Renting actually makes it possible for a third type of handbag enthusiasts
to emerge. This type owns a few of classic handbags, but wants to tote trendy styles as well. More and more handbag renters are finding themselves in this category. They are not exactly splurge spenders, but have a strong interest in fashion. Regardless of what type best describes you, renting allows women the same extravagance that celebrities enjoy. And that is news that every woman will appreciate.

The Advantages of Renting
A lot of women assume that renting handbags is an activity reserved for the true handbag enthusiast. These women feel that they are too modest to indulge in handbag renting. The common misconception with renting handbags is that it is a continuous thing, when in reality it's not. We mentioned before that we recommend From Bags to Riches as a our handbag service provider of choice. One of the reasons we stand behind their service is because they offer their customers a considerable amount of flexibility.

Many women have no interest in renting a designer handbag by the month, and therefore, would not be interested in subscribing to this type of service. Bag Borrow or Steal requires membership before allowing customers to rent handbags. FBTR, on the other hand, allows customers to rent what they want when they want. This type of flexibility caters to women who may want to rent a bag on a very limited basis, like for a wedding, company party or even a high-school reunion. The point is that whether you want a new bag every month or a new bag once a year, renting may be an option of interest.

Common Concerns

How used is the bag?
The most common concern among those considering renting handbags is how the handbags will look. Nearly no one wants to rent a designer handbag that appears to be used. Both From Bags to Riches and Bag Borrow or Steal claim to adhere by extremely high standards. When we rented from FBTR, they provided us with a brand new bag -- tags on and everything. BBOS provided us with a bag that was in good condition, but appeared slightly used. Our conclusion, both companies provided us with good bags, but you can't beat the brand new bag provided by FBTR. If for some reason you are unsatisfied with the condition of your rental, both companies allow you swap it for another bag.

Is the Bag Real?
With all the faux handbags emerging on the market, it's no wonder that women are worried that the handbags they rent are not authentic.Both From Bags to Riches and Bag Borrow or Steal purchase their merchandise from authorized wholesalers. When under past ownership, it was rumored that BBOS rented out faux Gucci bags. However, since changing ownership, no problems have been reported. FBTR has never had any complaints about renting faux handbags. The bottom line is that both BBOS and FBTR are established companies who value their reputation. Neither would be very likely to rent out fauxs and ruin their hard-earned company image.