Ny taxi receipt

I’d be receiving Watson and the 3.12, what do you guys think? I grabbed Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniel’s at 1.01 and 1.04

Im up in my draft right now and Ladd Mckonkey is my target at 2.02 (12 team SF). I was offered Christian Watson and the 3.12 for the pick. That’s a smash accept right? I picked up Caleb Williams at 1.01 and Jayden Daniel’s at 1.04 so I need to address my WR room

I have the 1:12 after a few trades thinking about getting on of two RBs brooks, or benson.

Kata (L) and Reference Only Store (R)
*No sellers are aware of the below review. I felt a more *storytime* review was appropriate for this long winded comparison. Hope the mods aren't mad at a story time review <3
First off, I'd like to acknowledge that since my first purchase of this bag, Vogue has labeled it the "New Birkin". While a fun way to drum up drama for the bag and get it to sell out everywhere... A Birkin is still a Birkin. Finding an auth version of this bag IRL at a store has become impossible, though if you're in NY or LA, I've heard from Row expert Neelam Ahooja that they restock on Tuesdays at the boutiques, so you might be able to fondle one there for rep comparison purposes.
Expertise: My first rep was from Venice Beach boardwalk in the early 2000s. It was a rainbow Louis Vuitton in a weird shell shape and I was the happiest 10 year old. Fast forward to my 30th birthday and discovering that article. I've worked in fashion, handling luxury goods on photoshoots for years, and the thrill of being able to afford the bags only my bosses had been able to afford was bliss!
Seller: Ever since I've been buying from Amelia. Her prices are the lowest I've been quoted, she has an extensive library of factories, and her shipping times are fast - often arriving within a week of being posted. Bottega and the Row were top of my list! I started with Bottega, found some absolutely A+ reps from Top Factory and decided it was time to get a new work bag AKA The Row Margaux.
For your reference:
Authentic
Factory Photos for Kata
PSPs for Kata
My Photos - comparisons between Kata and Ref Only Store. The color gets a bit extra red because of my blue/green sofa in the detail shots
Prices:
Kata: 1980CNY + 580CNY shipping = 2560CNY = About $350
Ref Only Store: EDITED TO ADD: I just remembered I could search my CC statement, and the bag was $504 before the extra $34 shipping charge). [I deleted my original receipt 🫣 but I believe it was around $400 for the bag + $40 shipping. I do have my receipt for extra shipping added on January 3rd for an extra $34 so the bag wouldn't get crushed in shipment.]
Backstory: I tried the NS Park store, but they weren't great to wear around my row obsessed colleagues. I looked at the bag IRL and online, comparing factory photos to the real thing, especially to figure out which size to get. I was a researcher possessed, thinking non-stop of this damn bag!!!
I stopped by a luxury store in Nantucket (lol) and tried on both sizes. Both worked great on my 5'8" frame but the 15 seemed a bit younger and fresher, less destined as an overnight bag. I regret this decision later on.
Late last summer, the Margaux was selling for around $1,500 on resale sites like The Real Real, something that I could have realistically afforded at the time, but I was all in on reps. And I was on a ROLL with my reps. I had found the best Bottega's but I now wanted The Perfect Work Bag TM. Having worked with Amelia before, I submitted my request for a Margaux 15 in Tan Saddle Leather. Factory photos looked generally good compared to the bags I'd seen IRL, but it's all in the details with a bag like this. The leather didn't look as smooth or shiny as the authentic, but I figured my newfound bestie leather honey would be able to help.
Kata Margaux 15: The bag arrived promptly, and immediately I was discouraged by the leather. It's not a saddle leather. It's smooth, but has a tight grain unlike any saddle leather I've seen before. It's soft, but the leather should be a bit stiffer upon arrival. It looks great but once you touch it it feels... weird. I've never felt a luxury bag that feels like this. And most importantly this leather DOES NOT SCRATCH. This bag and leather should get scratched up by the gentlest snag of the nail. It makes me wonder if it's a leather composite rather than saddle. The quality is just not there. But that being said, the leather honey helped! It got a beautiful sheen and softened up a bit and the buffed in oil added a bit of slip. The hardware is a bit off in shape, a bit more rounded, but it's only obvious in comparison next to an auth, and out and about it's visually a perfect rep. The measurements math the Row site's perfectly. I have gotten so many compliments on this bag walking through SoHo on my way to work in the morning.
I've carried it everyday to work since I got it, and really put it through the wringer. It's softened up and gotten slouchy like I know so many hope for. The feet are now scratched and reveal 3 layers of different metals under the gold lol. It's a hand held only bag and can kinda be held over the shoulder if you also hold the bottom like they do on the Row runway. A 13"/14" laptop slides in perrrrrfectly between the folds of the sides and is kept upright so you can easily access your stuff inside. This is the best thing about this being a work bag, and I don't see enough people singing this praise. It holds a lunch, workout clothes, a notebook and small water bottle with room for copious lipsticks and other stuff. The width is perfect for throwing things in but still being able to find them easily. It's not too tall which helps with this as well. I leave the buckles undone most of the time so I can easily get my laptop in or out. Three interior pockets is a perfect amount for holding extra lipsticks and hair ties and whatever other random stuff that would otherwise end up on the bottom of your bag. And as much as it is a little annoying that it doesn't really fit over the shoulder except in the lightest of layers, I think only being able to hold it has done wonders for my neck and shoulder pain. But, it gets SO heavy SO fast and makes picking up groceries on the way home incredibly uncomfortable. I think I was commuting with a 20 pound bag some days.
Only a few months into owning it, the edging on the handle started to peel off. The stretching and compressing of the handles from carrying the weight of my daily essentials caused the edging to disconnect from the handle. After a few weeks of trying to hide this I peeled it all off so it wouldn't so obviously be flapping around. Now, I was mad. I was anxious it was a giant red flag that read FAKE. This $300+ bag is falling apart already?? My dream bag???
So, I ripped it off, figuring I'd figure out how to repaint the edging eventually. It looked so much better without it on the handles, but less obvious. No one noticed until I told them, and the edging is so notoriously bad for these bags that no one was surprised. It took me weeks of after work research and being told by multiple cobblers that they couldn't replace the plastic edge painting (lol) to find the appropriate edge paint type - a polymer (aka plastic) that gets layered on first as a base coat, and then the color. It's relatively easy to do after I practiced on cardboard a few times. But, it took me foreverrrrr to get the courage to actually paint the edges.
Quick interlude into story time for the brand of edge paint I used: Giardini Max Edge Pro, in colors: Black, White, Tan 69, Light Brown 59, and Basecoat Dense. If you find yourself in a position to redo the edging on your Row Cuir colored bag, you will need all 4 of these shades to get an exact match!
In the meantime, I was mad. I was anxious. I thought my bag was SCREAMING to anyone that looked in its extended vicinity that it was a fake all because of this goddamn edging. I lost my mind. No one was looking. My coworkers in fact, who have also worked in fashion for years were fondling it and drooling over it. No doubt in their minds at it's originally. My big big boss was in fact one of them and she's worked in fashion magazines for decades! She carries a Kelly to the office! Another coworker (tbh a weird freelancer) grabbed it without my permission and went through it talking about how she wants one and then asked if she could have a lip balm of mine (?????). This bag passed the fondling when not next to an authentic test with flying colors. BUT I couldn't see past the flaws.
Ref Only Margaux 15: So, unable to rest easy, I purchased the Reference Only Store Margaux 15 in the same brown saddle leather right after Christmas. The NS Park tote I got from her earlier last year was absolutely perfect with no discernible difference from the auth when held next to each other in the store. Edging, logo, leather quality, all are perfect. I had very high hopes.
It took months to ship, which was disclosed upon purchase. It was a preorder from their supposed contract factory whipping these up over the first few months of the year. My plan became to get this one, fix up my well worn handle myself with the above edge painting and rehome it.
Opening the Ref Only Margaux was an emotional journey. First off, THE LEATHER IS FUCKING AMAZING. It is soft and buttery and will age so well. It scratches like it should. The smell is divine!!! The construction is beautiful. I realized that the stitching should be a bit wider on the horizontal than the edges and this one has it! But, the measurements are an inch off in either direction. The handle drop is 2 inches longer than it should be?(?). BUT at least this means that it easily fits over my shoulder lol. The glazing is too light, but the color of the leather looks much more auth. The handle strap attachment is a little puffy instead of concave? Not at first glance an obvious issue, but the way it reflects light is all wrong. I've seen a few other people who got theirs and had the same issues and complained about this beautiful leather, but I would like to point out that anyone complaining about this leather scratching needs to get a grip and realize that is very much a sign of the quality, not whatever bonded shit they're used to (shots fired, not at all sorry, sometimes we need a reality check on what we're obsessing over, myself included). The logo on the buckle looks ok, somewhat similar to the depth on newer bags (see Net-a-Porter screenshots). BUT the feet are terrible. They look like they're done with a laser cutter, not cast in like it should be. The stamp is small and deep - and from what I can tell this color and leather should be shallow.
All in all, I think it's too different to swap to this bag from my Kata one after my whole department has oohed and ahhhed over this bag. It will have to be a catch and release. Overall this bag isn't worth the money if you live in an area that knows the Row. BUT, if you live somewhere where you're the only one who knows, or you just don't care and are looking for a quality bag with this shape, this one is it. The quality is better, the leather is better, but it shouldn't be thought of as a Margaux.
Repairs: So, getting this bag and losing all hope, I was finally mentally prepared to paint the edging on my old Kata. While practicing on cardboard helped a ton, the first strap was a bit clunky to do, but by the second it was muuuuch easier to get clean lines. If anyone finds this post while looking for how to fix the rubberized edging on theirs, I highly recommend USING LITTLE CLAMPS to keep the side narrow while the paint dries so it doesn't harden in a stretched out state. It was very necessary to getting a clean finish. You only need to use them on the first coat and then it will be set. Don't worry about any wrinkling that might happen as subsequent coats will even it out.
It worked! And then.... the handles kept stretching. The edging disconnected AGAIN. I redid one, and it's disconnected AGAIN. I've given up on fixing this bag. I've shoved both away into my closet. I bought an auth Mansur Gavriel on sale to carry in the meantime.
Now I want to buy an authentic. I've started checking the Row website nightly to see if any are in stock, and they sometimes are on there. They're impossible to find and that is saving my wallet. I figured I can always upgrade to the 17 and tell my coworkers that I wanted to be able to wear it over my shoulder. I got a promotion so it's not too crazy of an idea. UPDATE: my partner successfully talked me out of dropping $5k on a bag I technically already own. Instead, I bought a pebbled leather taupe Margaux 17 from Weipan factory from Amelia. She says it's the best quality so my hopes are.... reservedly high? It arrives tomorrow and I want to test it to give y'all my comprehensive thoughts on how it compares. I don't recommend the saddle leather, especially in this color, from either Kata or Ref Only so far.
TL;DR: Don’t get the saddle leather! Don't get this tawny brown! Go with Kata for accuracy in pebbled or suede! Dark brown or black are your safest colors. BUT if you're hearts on the saddle, for reference store's is a great quality option if you're not surrounded by the Row obsessives like me.
Lol I also saw a very bad rep with multiple layers showing through on the side in soho last weekend. Stay vigilant ladies. Keep on repping.

Just finished our rookie draft. How’d I do with the draft. I know I’m light a RB, but guys just didn’t fall to my spot. What should I do going forward? League is a 1QB half PPR.

12 Team 1PPR 1QB Dynasty. I will try for bowers at 1.04 I think. Would 1.06 be too early to pick up a RB in my position.