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. We have been featuring 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 Goyard.
A Little History
Honestly this French fashion house was saved until the last in this series of blogs not because it is the most exclusive handbag maker (it is) but more because we were like “Goyard? Who dat?” After researching this lesser recognized luxury brand, we learned why you don’t see Goyard bags everywhere such as fashion powerhouse Louis Vuitton.
Dating back to one year before Louis Vuitton started, Goyard was formed in 1853 but the company’s roots date back to the House of Martin in 1792 (how’s that for history!). Like many of the other luxury houses created centuries ago, Martin, and later Morel, specialized in boxes, packing and luggage. Francois Goyard came on as a teenaged apprentice who eventually took over in 1853 and continued it as a family business until it was sold to Jean-Michel Signoles in 1998. Signoles, who had been a number one fan and collector of all things Goyard, currently leads the fashion house with the help of his sons. They continue to keep Goyard exclusive while also expanding carefully.
Goyard Bags
Don’t be surprised if you’ve never seen a Goyard (pronounced Go-yah) handbag: they are only sold at their own Maison Goyard stores and less than a handful of retailers such as Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman. They have no online sales and do not advertise.
Known for their unique chevron pattern, their exclusive “Goyardine” material is made from cloth of hemp, cotton and linen and then finished similarly to Louis Vuitton creating a look of leather. The design is easily recognizable but very hard to counterfeit.
Goyard’s popular Tote Bag
The St. Louis tote is one of the most popular handbags and second up is the Saigon, a boxy bag than can be carried by its leather or wooden handle and optional shoulder strap. But the rich and famous prefer to customize and special order their own unique bag like Kanye West and his personal backpack. Despite its rarity, new Goyard handbags are not priced out of the luxury purse cosmos, some even coming in under some comparable brands like LV. However, like Hermès, they are more elusive in the aftermarket sphere.
Goyard is famous for creating one of kind pieces such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s writer’s trunk and more recently a customized gardening trunk. They do turn down commissions if they don’t think it fits with their brand, such as the time they refused to create a trunk for a big screen TV.
The secretive brand does not speak to the press – ever. They published a book about Goyard history but only made 233 copies, so today you have to make an appointment to see the book at its flagship store in Paris.
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!