During Japan’s economic boom in the 1980s, European luxury brands saw a surge in demand, with Louis Vuitton leading the way. Lovintage owner Zijian noticed that Hong Kong women were especially drawn to CHANEL, so he chose to specialize in pre-owned CHANEL bags. Over eight years of effort, expertise, and persistence, he built one of Hong Kong’s rarest havens for vintage CHANEL handbags.
In this first installment of the special series [Love for Vintage Bags], we explore how Zijian evolved from a casual eBay seller into the owner of a vintage handbag shop with monthly turnover reaching one million yuan.
Photography: Gong Jiasheng
Zijian and his little kingdom Lovintage. (Photo: Gong Jiasheng)#
During the pandemic, many small and medium-sized businesses collapsed under the pressure, and major brands withdrew from prime retail districts, reshaping the city almost overnight.
Near Times Square in Causeway Bay, a second-hand bag shop called Lovintage has remained unchanged — quietly sourcing pre-owned CHANEL bags from far and wide, as though time had stood still. Lovintage sits on the first floor of a building on Sharp East Street. A prominent sign on the otherwise modest exterior is visible from Times Square. Zijian’s small kingdom has been here for eight years in what feels like a blink.
Eight years, full of stories.
Lovintage is located on the first floor of a building on Shadong Street. (Provided by the interviewee)#
Zijian founded Lovintage seven or eight years ago. While working in Japan as a web designer, he stumbled upon the country’s second-hand handbag market. He gradually built up both knowledge and a genuine passion for vintage bags, then began selling them on eBay and launched his pre-owned handbag business.
A few years later, Zijian returned to Hong Kong. At first, he had no plans to open a physical shop, nor had he settled on pre-owned CHANEL as Lovintage’s focus. One day, while walking through the quiet Tsim Sha Tsui Lai Chi Shopping Centre, he met an elderly tenant. The two hit it off immediately, and the man even offered him a shop to rent. Although the mall was largely deserted and plenty of affordable spaces were available, Zijian took the unit next to his new acquaintance — drawn by the low rent and the idea that “having a shop is better than not having one,” treating Lai Chi as a trial run.
Transforming from an eBay seller into a shop owner with monthly turnover in the millions within eight years was no small feat for Zijian. (Photo: Gong Jiasheng)
Today, online resellers and second-hand luxury stores abound, and some online sellers have built substantial fortunes. Zijian opened a physical store because he wanted to establish Lovintage’s credibility. “Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. If the store is not well known, why would anyone spend tens of thousands on a bag from you? Online sales depend heavily on trust. It is not easy to sell a bag worth tens of thousands through a website alone… When people know there is a physical store in Causeway Bay, they are more willing to come and see for themselves.”
Within just one month of opening, Zijian moved past the painful stretch of selling barely a bag per month and achieved sales in the hundreds of thousands. Yet he still remembers passers-by peering at the CHANEL bags in the window of his sub-100-square-foot shop and saying, “Wow, I have never seen these models before — they must be fake!”
Lovintage has a wide variety of handbags in its store. (Lovintage)#
Fortunately, Zijian always believed in what he was building. A regular customer offered an offhand remark that stuck with him: “When you are selling something this expensive, it makes more sense to sit down and talk in person.” Zijian decided to relocate, and the Lai Chi “trial run” ended after just six months.
Zijian set his sights on an upstairs shop in Causeway Bay. Lower rent was one factor; customer positioning was the other. “We operate a typical O2O model. Many customers spot a bag online, then visit the store to confirm its condition in person. As a result, our average transaction value is quite high. Our shop is not aimed at the mass market. To maintain quality, we would rather serve fewer customers — but nearly every visitor ends up buying.”
Lovintage mainly sells second-hand CHANEL bags. It took eight years of time, effort and knowledge to create a rare paradise for second-hand CHANEL handbags in Hong Kong. (Photo: Gong Jiasheng)#
With a clear niche and effective promotion, Zijian built his Causeway Bay kingdom. Before the pandemic, the shop typically stocked around 200 pre-owned CHANEL pieces, many of them rare and collectible designs. Dozens of buyers visited daily — an impressive figure. Even amid the outbreak, Lovintage continued to source more than 100 pre-owned CHANEL bags and maintained steady business. That resilience, many believe, comes from Zijian’s eight years of dedication and the reputation he has earned along the way.
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