A short intro: this is a site where you choose one item, and 2-4 other items are placed in your virtual bag for you. The retail value is over $100, and then you are free to trade with others that have a bag that is also unshipped. It's super fun, and really addictive. I actually ordered two my first month. The subscription rate is $49.95 a month, the non-subscription rate is $59.95 a box. Plus shipping and tax in CA and NY. It is SO MUCH FUN.
Here's their link: http://lbb.ag/OHb
After much wheeling and dealing, I ended up with a bag that I am thrilled with! Here it is:
Upper left, clockwise:
R & Em reversible tote, one side says Lover, one side says fighter, inside is striped $38 retail
Anthony Nila satchel $80 retail
Echo scarf in pink and orange $28 retail
I had four items on my list that I would have loved to have in my bag at the end of trading, and I ended up with 3 of them. I am super happy with this purchase. It came shipped in a large carton, wrapped very well.
The R & Em tote is a great size, taller than many totes, and sturdy cotton.
It's also got a messenger length strap, great for when I'm toting multiple bags. That's in addition to the hand straps. It's also got good shape to it, it's not super floppy so that things easily fall out of it if you are not careful. It's sassy, and made very well. This was not in my original bag, I traded and traded like crazy and finally ended up with it.
The Anthony Nila bag was my reason for ordering the Little Black Bag. I checked the measurements and thought it would be perfect for work. I needed a bag that would hold a book and a few other things but not be too big. It could also hold a kindle or a netbook, though it's not padded.
The material is pretty soft, so the shape does not hold up perfectly when you put it down, but it's very light. The turn key closure is not something that I am used to dealing with, but it does keep thing secure. I needed a bag with the optional cross body strap, because I am often carrying multiple bags or at least a baby at the same time, so a shoulder or hand strap is not practical for me sometimes. I was expecting this bag to have purple trim. It's more of a blue, but in some light it may be called purple. However, the tone of this blue/purple is really unique, and I'm very happy with this bag. There are 2 small pockets on the inside front of the inside, and a zip pocket on the inside AND the outside of the back. The back zip is the perfect size for my phone, which I'm super happy with. The bag descriptions on the site are not so great. They have just one or two pictures, which could be improved upon. I did not see the back or the inside of this bag when I ordered it. They didn't even say whether there were or were not other pockets on this bag at all. For my purposes, it's perfect and I love that I can throw it around without worrying about it, unlike some of my leather bags, which I baby so that they will stay looking new.
Last up, scarf by Echo. When I saw this, I thought it would be the perfect way to try out the trendy color of the season, orange.
It is a lovely color in person, bright but not neon, and I love the print and the combo with pink. I had not idea how LARGE this scarf is, but it's made of rayon, and very lightweight. I could wear this as a pareo, that's how big it is. It's semi sheer and a great color, and I look forward to trying it out. I am always attempting to build a scarf collection but often I just end up not using the piece, so we'll see how this goes. At least this is a low commitment way of trying it out!
I had so much fun making trades with the other girls on this site. Even now, without an open bag, I watch the news feed. Also, there have been a ton of new products up this week, and even though I log in several times a day, I was surprised this morning to see a new bag, already sold out! The items can move fast, so if you see something you HAVE to have, I suggest that you open a bag immediately.
Here's their link: http://lbb.ag/OHb
This was bought with my own money, I just loved it so much I wanted to share. However, if you click thru my link, I do get a bonus item for referring you. If you love how this website sounds, I'd appreciate you using the link! I had a blast and really look forward to my next bag.
