5 Places To Buy Preloved Luxury Bags In Singapore

As more and more people lean towards sustainable fashion, we are beginning to embrace the “less is more” mentality. Known figures such as Marie Kondo and Fumio Sasaki help us to treasure what we already have and to lessen our material possessions. One of the best ways to shop consciously is by purchasing preloved or secondhand items.

You are not only saving the environment by going for preloved items, but you are also saving money by paying less. Moreover, shopping for preloved designer bags can be fun as it lets you discover the unique pieces form past seasons or decades. Standout from the crowd with a unique piece as you discover the following places where you can buy or rent preloved designer bags in Singapore.

#1: ZALORA

Zalora is one of Asia’s fashion e-commerce giants. If you are looking for preloved designer items from shoes to bags, look no further than Zalora Singapore. It has partnered with Singapore-based second-hand luxury company StyleTribute to offer over 10,000 preloved fashion pieces. You can also pair a preloved designer handbag with a vintage jewelry piece from the same store.

#2: REEBONZ

Reebonz is a well-known website that hosts a wide range of new and preloved luxury bags and accessories. The website curates designer labels from affordable luxury brands such as Alexander McQueen and Tory Burch to high-end luxury brands such as Prada and Hermes. Some brand new bags are offered on discount too. As you browse the shop, do not forget to read the condition or description of each bag. You see, they have a grading system from unused quality to good condition.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#3: MADAM MILAN

With several physical stores in Singapore, Madam Milan is a popular place where you can buy or sell your luxury bag. What is nice about Madam Milan is its ability to collect limited edition bags, vintage bags, and in-season bags. Furthermore, you may pay thru a monthly scheme (e.g., S$50 per month). Visit the physical or online store to learn more.

#4: STYLETRIBUTE

As mentioned a while ago, StyleTribute is a marketplace with highly curated pieces. Every luxury item is authenticated by a team of in-house experts. You can either purchase a preloved designer handbag or sell yours through their white glove service. Your item will be collected and listed or you can upload your listing using a mobile app.

#5: LENDOR

Taking the last spot is Lendor – an Airbnb for personal belongings. From hiking equipment to luxury bags, you may rent fashionable items for affordable rates. You have the option to rent a luxury bag that you will only use for a single event. Shoppers have the ability to try out their dream luxury bags before committing to a purchase. For instance the Celine Luggage Bag is listed as S$30/day.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Lendor’s mobile app may be fairly new to the scene, but it is certainly gaining a fair amount of buzz.

Source: 1

 

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28-year-old League of Legends e-sports coach earns 2x of a fresh university graduate’s salary

League of Legends e-sports coach Jenson Goh

A mechanical engineering graduate and League of Legends e-sports coach Jensen Goh, reveals that his salary is about two times that of a fresh university graduate’s. The 28-year-old Singaporean began his e-sports career as a shoutcaster way back in 2013. Over the years, he made the switch to coaching.

Mr Goh stumbled on an audition for shoutcasters, who provide running commentary for e-sports events in 2013, just a few days before his first-year university exams. He took a leap of faith and passed the audition initiated by Garena, a gaming corporation, and began his freelance shoutcasting vocation for League of Legends, a well-known online game.

Remunerated up to S$1,000 doing commentaries

After being exposed to League of Legends by a friend, Mr Goh only played the game for a year. But clearing the auditions marked the beginning of his professional e-sports career.

Working as a shoutcaster for four days a week making various live game responses, he received up to S$1,000.

Mr Goh bashed the teams’ game strategies when commenting for the Singapore and Malaysian circuits in 2015. He decided to “put his money where (his) mouth was” and therefore called out to these teams to lend a helping hand.

Held several responsibilities as a student
National University of Singapore

Image Credits: todayonline.com

Mr Goh had to coordinate shoutcasting jobs and to train amateur teams as an undergraduate student during his years at the National University of Singapore.

In 2016, a decisive moment emerged when he had to pick between an engineering internship and a Garena internship. He would be entrusted with the viewership growth, overseeing advertising content and player activities in the latter.

Mr Goh eventually picked the internship with Garena, which bolstered his commitment to pursue an e-sports profession.

Coaching a professional team for the first time in 2017

He got a coaching opportunity with the Taiwanese team Fireball at the beginning of 2017. It was his first time managing a pro team. He was stationed in Taiwan for the first four months of the year, balancing full-time coaching responsibilities while finishing his university capstone project.

“I had to submit (engineering) plans and drawings to people in Taiwan, so I had to write everything in Chinese,” Mr Goh shared. He was pointing to blueprints and sketches for his engineering project that he was undertaking. As part of his final-year assignment, he had to deliver planned designs of a smart trash bin.

Although his peers were encouraging, his family was worried that he would not complete his final year and even quit school. But thankfully, he was able to deliver his project and graduate as anticipated in 2017.

Trained nine professional League of Legends teams thus far
Splyce League of Legends

Image Credits: Inven Global

To date, he has led nine League of Legends teams in seven countries. He would fly to the city when working with overseas groups, and mentor them in person. 

Among them are Evos, who won the internal championship in Vietnam, and Splyce, who subsequently won the tournament in the Spanish European Regional League in Spain and finished in the top eight of the grand prix.

He was sometimes the staff cook and even cleaner when captaining smaller teams with less support. 

“In e-sports, there is no real certification to be a coach… no hard and fast rule,” he commented. “It’s the nature of the e-sports industry. Even till this day, there are many people who are trying to get into the industry.”

His biggest takeaway from e-sports as a career

Knowing how to manage diverse cultures is the largest lesson from working in e-sports. “It expands your horizons,” Mr Goh said. “(It makes you) think about and compare and contrast your experiences.”

At the end of January, he will fly to the United States to mentor the Immortals Academy, an American team. He is assumed to be the first Singaporean to become an expert American League of Legends team lead trainer.

He will be residing in Los Angeles and aims to grow Immortals Academy players to become a squad that individuals will respect and see as worthy challengers of the trophy.

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Businessman loses litigation against kids over gold bars passed on to them

gold bars

A retired Indonesian-Chinese businessman, Mr Soemarto Sulistio, challenged four of his children to return his wife’s 122 gold bars but lost his lawsuit here in the High Court.

The story goes something like that. In 1989, Mr Sulistio and his wife Soemiati purchased gold bars using their joint account at the United Overseas Bank in Singapore.

At first, the couples kept the gold bars under both their names. But Mr Sulistio, now 87, signed documents to pass possession to his wife in 2016. In 2017, she passed away. He later learned that she had willed the gold bars to four of their five children.

Sued his children following an unsuccessful challenge to the will
sued in court

Image Credits: The Australian

He sued the four after a failed appeal to her will in Hong Kong. The signing of the documents did not modify the original intention to preserve the gold bars as joint possessions, Mr Sulistio said.

He asserted that he was the rightful owner of the gold bars, as the sole survivor. But Justice Valerie Thean rejected his claims.

The judge claimed in a written decision that there was no doubt that the pair originally had a collective goal of possessing the gold bars for their mutual good. However, she noticed that there was enough convincing evidence of a shift in their aim in 2016.

Signing of certificates as part of a wider agreement

Justice Thean discovered that as a component of a larger deal between the pair, Mr Sulistio endorsed the documents. It turns out that Madam Soemiati had requested for the gold bars in return for having their son Rudy to handle their Indonesian territory.

Mr Rudy was left out of the will of Madam Soemiati and came to the defence of his father in the lawsuit.

According to the judge, Madam Soemiati wanted to possess the gold bars for her interests. That is, if she were to pass on without using the gold bars, she would like to favour the defendants.

The couple’s marriage broke down in 2012
rose gold wedding bands

Image Credits: The Wedding Vow

In the 1950s, Mr Sulistio and Madam Soemiati were married and had three daughters and two sons. They stayed in Hong Kong as a couple.

Their daughters said their parents’ relationship deteriorated in 2012. It was partly because of the strained relationship between Madam Soemiati and Mr Sulistio’s nurse. Their eldest daughter suggested that Madam Soemiati was disappointed that the nurse bullied her, but Mr Sulistio did little to rectify the issue.

An attempt to guarantee her financial security

The court acknowledged the defendants’ allegation that the gold bars’ legal movement was part of an arrangement under which Madam Soemiati sought to ensure her financial stability.

Madam Soemiati, who was severely ill with increasing medical costs, was worried that her savings were depleted. This was due to vast amounts of money moved from joint accounts with her spouse to Mr Rudy.

Mr Rudy also did not dispute the acquisition of roughly US$7.2 million (S$9.5 million) between 2010 and 2016. Furthermore, according to the verdict, at least US$1 million remains unsubstantiated for.

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Possessions vs Experiences: Where Should You Spend Your Money?

Congratulations! You have survived one of the most challenging years of your life – 2020. As a reward, you may either purchase new possessions or new experiences. Personally, I saved up enough money to purchase a Nintendo Switch Lite. My hesitations rose as January 2021 came. I realized that I want to spend this amount on experiences instead. Surely, I will spend numerous hours on playing it for the first few weeks. However, happiness attached to things fade quickly. Instead, I can invite my significant other to a fine dining restaurant or a relaxing staycation.

A study by Dr. Thomas Gilovich, a psychology professor at Cornell University showed why possessions have a fleeting effect. Our excitement fades because we get used to new things. What once seemed novel quickly becomes the norm. We adapt.

I remember purchasing my first designer bag. I started collecting lower-end bags and began to grow fond with high-end bags. As I buy more designer bags, my expectations increased. I became more particular with the brand and the price. My increased expectations led to increase expenses. We keep raising the bar with possessions. This leads to the desire of wanting new and better things.

Lastly, possessions foster comparisons. You may purchase the latest designer bag, but feel empty when you compare your collection to your friends. There will always be someone with a better item than yours. These reasons highlight why it is better to invest on experiences than on possessions.

THE POWER OF EXPERIENCES

1. Experiences help you invest on purposes and passions.

If your guiding principle in life are possessions, you may be in trouble. You will never feel fulfilled chasing after the next “must have” item. Real happiness can be reaped through experiences. Follow your purpose and passion.

2. Experiences become a part of your identity.

You are a culmination of your experiences. Buying an iPhone is not going to change who you are as a person. Completing your first triathlon will certainly change you. You were shaped by the things you have done, the places you have been, and the people you met.

3. Experiences fuel less comparison.

Our experiences are subjective. It is hard to compare the quality of vacation two people have. A person may have a short and meaningful vacation, while his peer may have a long and wasteful one. It is difficult to quantify the relative value of any two experiences, which makes them more enjoyable.

4. Experiences foster anticipation.

Anticipation of an experience is important in increasing one’s excitement and enjoyment. While, anticipation of obtaining a material possession can cause impatience and frustration. Savor the moments of planning all the way to the memories that you will cherish forever.

5. Experiences introduce you to a whole new world.

Image credits: unsplash.com

Unlike material possessions, experiences introduce you to new perspectives and moral lessons. For instance, travelling can instill gratitude and acceptance. You will begin to appreciate and understand different cultures as you travel to New York City or Manila City. Let your wallet take you to places you have never been before!

Sources: 1 & 2

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30% of Singapore employers intend to provide no wage increases in 2021

Singapore employees out for lunch

A global study of pay increases has found that 30 per cent of employers in Singapore intend to provide no wage increases in 2021. Compared to other countries, Singapore has a more significant percentage.

Based on research done by global consulting firm Korn Ferry recently, around 16 per cent of firms worldwide aim to bypass pay raises completely this year. Across 150 nations, the wage survey gathered data from 25,000 companies. 

Korn Ferry reported that roughly 450 organisations in Singapore were part of the survey. Here are some notable global trends:

  • Wage increases (if any) will be smaller than in past years. 
  • In 2021, more companies are planning stagnant wages than last year.
  • Organisations are primarily preparing to direct their restricted funds to talent acquisition and invest in those with vital roles.
Less than half planning to give an increase
Singapore residents at a traffic light

Image Credits: The Straits Times

Only 46 per cent of the Singapore employers who responded to the survey said they aim to offer a raise to at least 9 out of 10 employees this year. These businesses expect wage rises of 2.1 per cent in actual terms, which is still smaller than the 3.1 per cent pay rise introduced in 2020.

All in all, participants from Singapore are targeting a 2 per cent rise in terms of median incomes. This places Singapore in the lead compared to countries like France (1.3 per cent) and the United kingdom (1.9 per cent). But falling behind all other nations in Asia, except Japan and Hong Kong (both 2 per cent).

Pay raise dependent on inflation
women in masks working at a desk

Image Credits: Kelly Services Thailand

The findings showed that workers could also see a greater rise in their actual wages in countries where inflation is especially low. Based on official projections, Singapore’s inflation rate has predictions between -0.5 and 0 per cent for 2020.

Mr Kartikey Singh, a senior client partner at Korn Ferry Singapore, commented that jobs would be mainly contractual, temporary, service-led and technology-driven in a recovering economy.

“While the overall pay increases might look sanguine, talent scarcity for areas like product and application development, cybersecurity in certain sectors like e-commerce, technology and fintech can drive significant pay premiums for these job categories,” said Mr Singh.

He added that such a phenomenon would push companies to practice differential compensation plans for different staff and expertise classes.

Organisations need to focus more on a “total rewards” approach
professional development

Image Credits: The Straits Times

Mr Don Lowman, Korn Ferry’s global leader of rewards and benefits, shared that ensuring their employees continue to feel appreciated and commended will be essential for companies in the future.

Such a strategy entails non-financial incentives, like opportunities for professional growth, mentoring and guidance, and providing an energetic workplace culture with productive employee tasks.

“Korn Ferry research has found that while financial rewards are key to attracting talent into organisations, non-financial rewards can be key differentiators in retaining talent,” said the consultancy firm.

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