KARACHI: “If you are not a frequent traveller, buying second-hand or used baggage is the best thing for you. Come to think of it, frequent travellers, too, may like a change of baggage sometimes and new baggage, as much as it costs these days, may not be a plausible solution,” says Mohammad Khan, who sells old suitcases, handbags, backpacks, etc, from his cart at Pakistan Chowk.

“You pull out an old suitcase from above your closet to realise that its wheels are broken and the zipper is stuck. Maybe its lock has rusted or its key lost. If very old, maybe it doesn’t even have wheels. Then if you don’t travel so much, why go for a new and expensive thing from Rs8,000 to Rs20,000 and above? Just come here and get something to carry your belongings in and under a couple of thousand rupees,” says Khan.

“And if you are a frequent traveller, even then you must be getting tired of using the same old bags. Suitcases today come in a variety of shapes and styles, and maybe it is time to go for a change. Perhaps you have a soft-bodied fabric suitcase and want to change to a hard-bodied piece.”

The used luggage sellers on the footpaths of Pakistan Chowk, around Light House and M.A. Jinnah Road boast of the latest styles. They say that sometimes people come loaded with gifts for family and friends and are far lighter when returning. “So they leave their bags behind. We buy and sell old luggage so these get recycled,” the man explains.

The used bags being sold by the vendors seem to be in good condition but when going to a used bag, you should check inside for any cuts in the lining, if the locks work and if the key or keys being provided with them are really of those locks. Check the wheels, too, as sometimes they get jammed and won’t move and if you force the suitcase to move anyway, they may just fall off.

“I thought I had a good bargain when I bought a used imported backpack for Rs1,600 only to learn that its lining was coming out after just a few days of use. On closer inspection, I realised that the original had been replaced by a cheap rexine lining, which had been sewn in by hand,” says an irritated buyer.

“A few days later, when I was wearing it to work with my laptop inside, it just fell off my back, damaging my laptop. I realised that even its straps had been sewn by hand with some cotton thread. On the outside it had looked as good as new but it was all an illusion created by these smart second-hand luggage sellers,” she says. “A good backpack is a good investment, I have learnt the hard way since then,” she adds.

“When buying used stuff, you can’t be so gullible to go for anything that looks neat on the outside. Then who says that you buy from the roadside vendors only? Good used luggage, even the expensive known brands, are available on websites such as Alibaba, eBay and so many other such websites. All you need to do is look them up on the internet,” says another, smarter buyer.

“When it comes to luggage you need to be practical. It is no fashion parade that you need to get expensive pretty stuff, to just lie there in the plane’s cargo for no one to see anyway during your travels.”

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2016