Shopping Odds and Ends (22) “Little Treasures” Found on Mercari & Second Street

Good evening.
I'm the kind of woman whose fingers automatically open the Mercari app whenever I have a spare moment.

The real thrill of second-hand shopping is the treasure hunt.
The excitement of finding that one perfect item has a charm that's different from buying something brand new.
This time, I'd like to introduce some of my favorites.

Bao Bao shoulder bag

I was looking for a small shoulder bag that could hold my wallet, phone, and lipstick, and I found just the right one at Second Street.
It was almost brand new and cost 25,000 yen.

Since I don't have the confidence to spot authentic designer goods, I rarely buy them second-hand.
I did ask the shop clerk, 'How do you authenticate these?' and they replied, 'The appraisal staff seems to use some kind of criteria.'

Well, it wasn't a very clear answer, but it's probably authentic. It doesn't look any different from the genuine ones I own. This time, I trusted my own eyes and intuition and made the purchase.

It only holds the bare essentials, but that's exactly what I need.
When I have other things to carry, my go-to lately is using a pleated bag from me ISSEY MIYAKE as a secondary bag. It's light, cute, and perfect.

The fact that the back side is black is also a nice bonus.
It's like getting two for the price of one. It's practically half price.

I finally bought it! A Johnstons stole

I wanted a stole to go with my HYKE coat. I had my eye on the classic Johnstons!
But I was intimidated by the price, which was close to 100,000 yen.

I spent days at the store flipping the price tag over and putting it back, thinking, 'I want it... (glance, glance) but it's so expensive... (glance, glance).'
I mean, it's just fabric, right? It's even more expensive than the coat.

This is exactly when Mercari comes in handy. Unlike clothes, items where you're unlikely to have the 'it didn't look right when I tried it on' experience are perfect for buying online.

I used AI to simulate which color would go best with my camel coat. I don't like to make mistakes.

This stole was about 26,000 yen.
As my first 100% cashmere stole, I could tell just by touching it that it was high-quality fabric.
It's fluffy, soft, and substantial, yet not heavy. Yes, it's just like the first time I ate high-end premium bread.

When I wear my favorite coat and bury my face in this fluffy stole, I think that winter isn't so bad after all.
It was a very satisfying purchase.

Why this pattern? A CABaN cardigan

I happened to find a CABaN cardigan, which is taking the world by storm, while wandering around Second Street.

CABaN cardigans have a sophisticated image, so why this pattern? I imagined that maybe someone bought it on impulse but couldn't pull it off because it was too unique, and headed to the fitting room.

I grew up in the subculture scene and was raised in vintage shops; anyone wearing a patterned shirt is basically my friend.
If there is such a thing as a personal color, perhaps there is also a personal pattern.
What is your personal pattern? Mine is a mysterious pattern.
Strangely, it fits perfectly and looks great.
I figured there aren't many people who could pull this off better than me, so I took it home.
The price was about 10,000 yen.

I hunted for these on Mercari! Various earrings

I love earrings.
Unlike other jewelry, the risk of failure is low, so I use Mercari heavily.
This time, I'd like to introduce the ones I particularly like.

Earrings I fell in love with at first sight because of the Herkimer's transparency and the diamond design. The price was around 30,000 yen.
I bought them immediately because I felt they would sell out quickly if I hesitated. Hunt before you get hunted!
You don't really get this kind of thrill when shopping for brand-new items.

The Swarovski earrings were something I fell in love with online and then tracked down on Mercari.
I can't get enough of the gaudy, sparkly look, like toy jewelry!

However, because of their volume and weight, my thin earlobes couldn't handle them... In reality, they almost never get worn.
At the very least, I'll show them off here.
I love the colors and design too much to ever let them go, even if they aren't practical. They are the pride of my jewelry box.

These vintage French hoop earrings were something I bought about two years ago.
They are simple, yet delicate and beautiful.
The purchase price was 37,000 yen, but at the time, I didn't have the financial sense to spend tens of thousands of yen on earrings, so I remember agonizing over whether I should really buy them for a while.
Looking at current gold prices, I'm really glad I bought them. If anything, I wish I had bought more things back then.

Thinking back to my student days, when I had no money but just wanted clothes, I frequented every reuse shop I could find, starting with Second Street.
Setting aside the condition of the items, I was just happy to be able to easily pick up clothes from brands I was too intimidated to even walk into the stores for.
That might be the origin of my love for fashion.

When I find something I like on Mercari, I check the product description and the seller's profile until I've practically memorized them.
Sellers who write polite descriptions and provide many product images often have clean items and good packaging.
After all, a person's character shows in their writing.

As for reuse shops, the lineup varies significantly depending on the store's clientele, and areas with larger populations have faster inventory turnover, which makes them interesting. If you can find a store that is well-stocked with your favorite brands, I think it becomes the ultimate hunting ground.

Wishing you all a happy shopping life.