When I shared a longer piece on the brand Telfar last month, the bags were nearly impossible to get your hands on. Telfar used to release unannounced drops, with hints on social media leading up to the release that left people clamoring. We’re talking thousands of comments on single Instagram posts, the Telfar brand name trending on Twitter, and more memes than I thought possible at the disappointment not being one of the lucky few to grab a bag. The last major drop in late July wound up with a bunch of bot shoppers purchasing majority of stock and Telfar closing down its site for over a week to find a way to combat the issue that plagues other incredibly sought-after brands as well. Supreme has faced this problem too: bot shoppers scooping up product only to immediately list it for double or more on the resale market.
The brand’s founder, Telfar Clemens, wants his brand to be for the people and has handled this lack of supply and bot shopping outrage really well. First order of business was closing down the shop to weed out the bots. It wasn’t made known if orders were cancelled, but that may have been part of what happened. Next, the brand began to announce a couple of bags at a time drops at specific times, allowing shoppers to plan ahead and hope to nab that specific bag. And lastly, the brand announced its Bag Security Program.
In an Instagram post, Telfar announced a way for everyone to be able to get the bag of their dreams, by opening up pre-orders on every single bag in every single size. The bags will ship by January 15th at the latest, which means there is a wait, but this allows anyone and everyone to get the exact bag they want at retail value. Telfar’s post shared, “But we are not about hype and scarcity. The whole point of our bag is accessibility and community. But when thousands of bags sell per second we can’t even know how many to make. We plan production 6 months in advance. It takes time and money to make bags and we are 100% self financed.”
While many brands thrive on the sold-out scarcity tactic, one that frustrates customers but also hooks many in, making them desperate to get the bag, Telfar approached this issue head on and said it’s not what they want for their brand. The brand’s beloved Shopping Bag may not be for you, but a brand that is honest and truly wants for customers who love the bag to be able to purchase it deserves a lot of praise in my books.
If you have wanted a Telfar bag, now is the time to get the exact bag you desire. Each bag will need to be paid in full and you’ll need to wait for a few months (delivery date is slated between 12/15/2020 – 01/15/2021) to get the bag, but this ensures you can get the exact bag you’ve had your eye on. The program ends tomorrow, August 20th, at 9am EST, so place your orders now. Prices range from $150 to $257 for these vegan leather bags, and there are three sizes offered with a multitude of colors.
