In August 2019, Albert’s Pawn partnered with Entrupy, a luxury handbag authentication service, and began buying, selling and making pawn collateral loans on pre-loved luxury handbags. In the months following we will feature in our blogs the luxury handbag designers we buy, sell and pawn at all four Albert’s locations.
The designers we can authenticate using Entrupy are Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Coach, Chloe, Dior, Fendi, Goyard, Hermès, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Celine, and Prada. In this blog we will take a look at the House of Balenciaga.
A Little History
This fashion house’s story reaches back to January 21, 1895 when Cristòbal Balenciaga was born in the Basque region of Spain. In 1917 Balenciaga set up his first shop in Spain and quickly shot to the top with his original take on fashion which pushed the boundaries of contemporary norms. When the Spanish Civil War broke out, he moved to Paris in 1937 where he was quickly hailed as visionary and enjoyed much success. During WWII, his designs were so sought after, customers braved getting tangled up in the war just so they could have his latest creations.
His star rose even higher after the war as he played with waistlines and transformed dress silhouettes. Some of his famous creations are the tunic dress, balloon jacket and baby doll dress.
Mysteriously, after experiencing great success, Balenciaga closed his fashion house in 1968 and returned to Spain where he died in 1972. This fact is repeated all over the internet but nowhere is a reason given why. Balenciaga was extremely press shy, with only one interview on record. It’s not until 1986 when Jacques Bogart buys the rights and reopens Balenciaga that the fashion house has a second life.
Today the brand is owned by the French Luxury Group Kering and continues to create clothing but is best known for its motorcycle inspired handbags created by Nicolas Ghesquière.
Balenciaga “It” Bags
During the “It” bag beginnings in the 2000s, the Balenciaga Lariat bag was one of the first. More commonly referred to as the City Bag and the Motorcycle Bag, the design was rejected by the “higher ups” and it wasn’t until model Kate Moss went crazy for it that the bag shot to “must have” status.
The bags were unique in that they looked casual, lacked a visible logo and were lightweight yet surprisingly durable. Because of very limited production, they were extremely difficult to come by thus creating exclusivity.
The bags come in a wide array of colors, a hint of fringe and are made of soft, thin leather that continues to break in like your favorite leather jacket. Worn on the arm or with the shoulder strap, they are loved even more for their weathered look that makes each bag unique.
Pre-loved Designer bags at Albert’s Pawn
While there are a lot of online retailers selling pre-loved designer luxury handbags, the difference is at Albert’s Pawn you can inspect the handbag before you buy and you can start enjoying it now. Buying from Albert’s Pawn means no waiting for your purchase to arrive, no concerns about it being authentic and no shipping for you to deal with on returns. As the program grows, so will our inventory.
Because we can authenticate these pre-loved luxury handbags, we can pay the highest prices for buys or pawns. Customers can be assured when they purchase a pre-loved luxury designer handbag from Albert’s Pawn that it is authentic and purchased at a great price with an Authentication Money Back Guarantee.
If you can’t find the bag you are looking for in our stores, our wholesale handbag supplier may have what you’re looking for. We can special order for you so stop by one of Albert’s four locations to check our inventory or to get a pawn loan on your pre-loved designer handbag! Here are nine things to know about Albert’s Pawn in Tennessee.
Albert’s has been family owned and operated since 1927. No matter where you are in the Tri-Cities, we have a convenient location to serve you. With four Albert’s Pawn locations (Downtown Johnson City, North Johnson City, Bristol, and Kingsport), getting top dollar for your items for pawn loans and shopping for that item you’ve been looking for at an unbeatable price has never been easier. Stop by and see why Albert’s Pawn is the premier pawnshop in the area!