**Chic Stash are offering changmoh readers a $15 discount off any $100 purchase between now and the end of September. Just enter the discount code ‘changmohgirl’ when you check out **
I love a spot of eBay shopping. There one problem with living in Singapore is that ebay.com.sg is hardly used by anyone and any eBaying I do is on the UK site (which I usually start doing in earnest a month or two before my darling Ma comes to stay so she can kindly lug it all over for me).
Anyway – for those who share a passion for online shopping and never say no to tip-top quality secondhand bags, clothes and even shoes – think hardly worn Gucci heels at 70% off – ChicStash has arrived in SG.
Started by two sisters who’ve moved here from New York and spotted a gap in the market, their website aims to fill the void that eBay here doesn’t come close to touching.
Everything’s beautifully categorised on the site so you are presented with an edited selection of things vs a chaotic eBay muddle; they have a ‘Hot Stash’, a ‘VIP edit’, a sale page and so on.
And here’s the clever bit: they sell designer as well as lower end labels with prices ranging from around $17 to $17,500 (yup that rather astronomical figure is the price of a second hand Birkin; it makes me shudder to think what it might cost new). What unites everything is that it’s all been personally selected and approved for sale by the founders, so there is the all-important element of quality control, again something that’s rather lacking on eBay.
The launch party was last week, held at Denise’s stunning, airy Balanese-style villa which felt like a holiday home despite being just a stone’s throw from the rumbling traffic on Farrer Road.
They had a delicious selection of handbags on display…
…including a classic, hardly worn Prada tote that was selling at $2,150 vs the original price of $3,800 (I loved how on the back of the tag you have the seller’s name as well as the original price).
There was also a barrage of butter-soft Birkins and Kellys but I’m not quite in the market for one of them just yet, even at their second hand price. All bags are verified as originals with the relevant retailers before making it on to the site.
If I do ever buy a Birkin though, one thing is for sure, I will be buying a second hand one, preferably a third hand one. And providing I shut up about it (unlikely – let’s face it) then no one will be any the wiser.
I did manage to snap up a very comfy Paul & Jo navy and white silk dress which will be so useful for work and days when I need to look smarter than my usual shorts and T-shirt; yes, sadly once again I fall in to the buying category.
If however, you need help shutting the doors on your overflowing designer closet then these guys offer a ‘Premium Concierge Service’ who will come to your house and collect and categorise whatever you want to sell. Sellers can then be profiled on the site or remain anonymous, as they wish (I rather like knowing who owned the bag before I bought it – it’s a nice touch somehow).
Where they’ve been clever is the overall selection of clothes on chicstash is not just super high end; there are ‘normal’ brands on there too like J.Crew and even Warehouse (maybe I could sell some stuff after all).
Worth checking out when you’re looking for something specific too. I explained my on-going hunt for the perfect red day bag to Diane – it’s gone on for 3 months – and she told me they’re going to be launching a virtual notice board so that people can pair up ‘wants’ with ‘no longer wants’ and sellers can target buyers directly with exactly what they’re looking for.
ChicStash will also be launching a kids section in a few months time which I, for one, am thrilled about.
