About us
I check every bag myself.
Every piece in our shop has been in my hands before.
Here you can read how it all began, what I look for during the inspection and who else works on your new piece besides me.
It started at home
I was born in Düsseldorf. I went to Idar-Oberstein to study gemmology.
After that I was back in Düsseldorf and, already a gemmologist, worked in a pawnshop. That is where I learned how the day-to-day business works. A short internship at an auction house in Cologne then showed me how much is out there and what is possible.
I had already registered the business by then, but I had not really started yet. The wish was there. Then I plucked up my courage and told myself: come on, just try it. I so wanted to work for myself with these wonderful things.
I opened my first shop in Sangerhausen in the southern Harz. That came about because my mother had moved there. It held two Louis Vuitton Keepalls and some jewellery. Above all, though, the shop was the base for the online shop.
Long before, I had put my savings into gold. I then sold that gold, moved to Krefeld with the money, built up the online shop and expanded the range.
The way back to Düsseldorf
Idar-Oberstein
Training as a gemmologist and diamond grader.
Düsseldorf and Cologne
The pawnshop in Düsseldorf and a short internship at the auction house in Cologne.
Sangerhausen
The step into self-employment. My first shop of my own, mainly as a base for the online shop.
Krefeld
An office just for online sales. This is where the range grew.
Lorettostraße, Düsseldorf
Our boutique. A new milestone, back in the city where it all began.
“In nature, almost every colour fades. Flowers wilt. The colour in a gemstone stays.”
Why gemstones?
It still fascinates me today: that the colour is trapped in the stone, how old these stones are, and that nature creates something like this entirely without human help.
I am a professional member of the German Gemmological Association (F.G.G.) in Idar-Oberstein. At first glance, that has little to do with bags. But there I learned to examine things step by step until you can say: this is it. That is how I approach every bag today.
How I check
First I take the piece in my hands. How does it feel as a whole? Only then do I look at the details: the stitching, the hardware, the smell. No single feature decides on its own. It is about how everything works together, and that has to add up.
By now I have had many thousands of pieces in my hands, counterfeits among them. Often the owners themselves have no idea. Of course I do not take those in.
What bothers me is this: people who only know fakes think the quality of the originals is poor. The opposite is true.
Where the pieces come from
I buy worldwide. Many pieces are offered to me directly. For some, I am happy to make a short trip.
I only buy beautiful pieces. As a rule, I turn down heavily used items, because whoever owns them next should enjoy them for a long time.
Cleaned, not restored
After we buy a piece, it is cleaned. That is all we do: we do not touch anything up or restore anything. You receive it in its original condition, just as you see it in the photos.
Who else is part of it
When I write “I” here, I mean the inspection and the responsibility for it. Everything else we do together: I have help with the photos and the listings, and then there is packing and shipping.
We show new pieces in our WhatsApp group, in the shop and often on video. Every parcel is sent insured.
I am very grateful to the community that shares my enthusiasm for these pieces: more than 27,000 people on Instagram and more than 10,000 on Facebook. Thank you for being part of it.
What I love to have in my hands
Louis Vuitton luggage and trunks. Keepalls, especially the special ones. Rare and limited editions.
I think Hermès pieces are wonderful, if only for the quality. I am just as pleased when a special piece from Bottega Veneta comes in. My favourites are unusual pieces where you can really feel the craftsmanship and the quality.
If you are looking for a particular model or would like to part with a piece like this, write to us.
Visit us in Düsseldorf
Almost every piece we have is one of a kind. If you would like to see one before buying, just let us know.
I look forward to your visit.
Vinzenz M. Ohme