How I Manifested My Dream Vintage Bag in Japan
Although I don’t often speak on my material manifestations, my experience with this in particular had so many little lessons along the way, I thought sharing the story with you will inspire you to also manifest something from your own vision board.
Also, we often talk about how to manifest more money, more love, more success, more health. It’s also nice to manifest the other things which make us feel good but are less serious.
Since sometime last year, I went on a quest to find my dream vintage bag.
I wanted something timeless, from a designer who had been consistent with their craftsmanship, a bag that when I carried it I felt like I was already the best version of myself.
Not just any bag; a vintage 90’s Ferragamo, a 90’s patent black piece with gold hardware which I had on my vision board for about a year.
I would imagine what outfit I would wear with this bag, and how the bag felt.
I replayed scenes in my mind of me opening and closing the clasp of the the bag as I reached for car keys, money, lip gloss…
With Japan being a hotspot for thrifting and the best vintage finds, it seemed like the perfect place to find my dream bag.
And despite it not being one of the more popular luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, and Hermes, I was determined I was going to own a vintage Ferragamo bag.
But as you can imagine, it was like trying to finding a needle in a haystack.
During my visit, my sister and I decided to take a quick trip to Osaka, the best city for vintage shopping (much better than Tokyo). And go in search of my dream bag…
After searching around four to five different vintage stores, it wasn’t looking good.
Not only did they not stock my dream bag, they didn’t stock Ferragamo at all!!
So close to giving up we decided to at least visit ONE more store on our list before we completely threw in the towel.
On our way to the last store my sister decided she wanted to stop at a Sin an ju (a Boba shop). Opposite the shop, I spotted a gorgeous vintage store called Ameri.
At this point I had let go of the idea of finding my dream bag. it obviously wasn't meant to be found on this trip, but I still wanted to look inside because I could see they sold other gorgeous accessories and vintage pieces, besides, I wasn't going to get my bag, I might as well satisfy my retail therapy with a different purchase.
As I browsed through the racks I could see something beautiful in the distance, perched on the shelf, waiting for someone to notice her- no way!
A VINTAGE FERRAGAMO BAG!
A small, snowy white shoulder bag, with gold hardware and in perfect condition. In fact it looked better than the one on my vision board.
I went back and forth in my mind over whether I should just end the search here, put my sister and I out of our misery (although she looked quite content with her bubble tea) and make the purchase, especially since it was the only vintage Ferragamo I had spotted, so far.
I left the store to discuss with my sister over what I should do, and we decided maybe it was best I purchase this bag.
Before I could turn back, it dawned on me...
Did I really like the bag, or did I just like it because it was the first Ferragamo to stumble across my path?
I mean, I liked the bag, but did I LOVE it?
Is it everything I ever wanted and more?
No.
I realised this is the part in the manifestation process where I was being tested.
How much did I really want the bag I had visualised for a year?
Because here I am being offered a substitute, one that checks almost every box, and I'm ready to settle just in case I'm not ever offered what I really want.
"WE'RE BEING TESTED!" I loudly expressed to my sister whose response was a little confused.
Or maybe she was just more focused on the tea?
But after explaining, she understood that meant we must be close to finding my dream bag, it must be in the area, and the only thing to do is to keep making our way to the shop we had intended to find.
It wasn't too far of a walk until we finally made it to Hedy, the store which was on list of shops to find.
I waited next in line to enter the store but from the outside I could already see what I had been visualising up until this point.
The exact bag from my vision board! A shiny, sleek black, patent, gold chain, with gold hardware shoulder bag! The search was over.
But there was a plot twist.
Right next to it was another Ferragamo, a classic, grey leather, timeless cross body with gold hardware and even more my style. Like, much more.
I was torn.
It was my turn to enter the Cave of Wonders, (aka the Hedy store), and come up close and personal with a brand new decision. Should I stick with the bag I had visualised all this time, or should I go with this new discovery?
I realised the universe was not just fulfilling my vision but also presenting me with something even better. It was almost as though I was being rewarded for not caving in earlier on the white bag at Ameri.
It was a powerful reminder that sometimes, you ask for something, a relationship, or a job, and you don’t get it because something better is meant for you.
The ‘plot twist’ bag was hard to resist. It exceeded my expectations on every level (it was even in better condition than the ‘vision board’ bag) and it started to feel more like a gift from the universe.
After switching between the two, trying them on, going upstairs to see what else they had, leaving the store, then coming back. A decision had been made.
The only thing which made sense was the ‘plot twist’ bag. Not only was it the most beautiful vintage Ferragamo I had seen.
It was a testament to my journey of practicing the process of manifestation and a symbol of my growth.
I manifested something even better than I had imagined, proving that if you can see it in your mind, you can hold something better in your hand.
Final Thoughts
I hope through this story you were able to resonate with some of the lessons I had to discover on my way to something such as manifesting a bag.
Maybe for you it’s not a vintage bag on your vision board. Maybe it’s your dream car, your dream home or your dream partner.
Whatever it is you want to manifest into your life, whether it’s material or even something greater, the process remains the same, all you have to do is know how to use it to your advantage.
