a purse thread :)
 

what the fuck is up with outrageous prices for handbags? $200--$300 just for a flippin' PURSE! It's common.

I almost --- ALMOST--bought myself a sweet Ed Hardy bag at Dillard's. $230! I had a gift certificate, but I would still have had to shell out over $100 still. And it wasn't even leather--it was canvas.

I backed away slowly.

But come on--most of those purses at Dillards were in the $150 to $300 range, and there are plenty purses out there way more than that.

WTF?

Plus, I have very specific requirements for purses--they have to be big enough, not divided in the middle, have pockets on the outside, etc.

AND -- a further rant: stupid short handles that you can't sling over your shoulder.

AND, just to be thorough, here, a final thought: All those damn purses have got to be made by men--black interiors, black wallets--none of us can find a damn thing in there!

C'mon, some perspective here:
http://cellar.org/showpost.php?p=408197&postcount=4138

Mine cost around $10-$20. I'm very specific too. They must be completely black -interior and exterior, with long straps that can we worn over the shoulder or backpack style. Zippers -none of that tie or magnet closure malarkey. Several compartments/pockets. (I always assume the ones with impractical fastenings were designed by men..... ;) )

kinda my point, Zengum. Purse manufacturers/designers obviously expect NORMAL working women (as opposed to starlets or something who are NOT normal, and who can buy thousand dollar Hermes) to shell out $250 for a stupid handbag.

Kind of like those magazine articles citing "best buys" of $400 dresses.

Ahh yeah....'Catwalk fashions on a highstreet budget'...bullshit.

I've bought a few Coach purses in the past few months which is unusual for me because 1) I am a tomboy at heart, and 2) I normally carry the same 'ol beat up Target purse

But, I quit drinking so that saves me about $25 a day, so if I want to buy a $300 purse, well.... I'm gonna buy it.
I'm not sure what I will move onto next....maybe designer snowshoes...lol

I used to be a $20 purse addict--I could never find one I really liked, so I kept buying new ones thinking maybe this one would work out better. Then a couple of years ago I had one custom-made by a local lady for about $60, which is really expensive given how simple the design ultimately is, but it's made exactly the way I want it--long handles, pockets in the sizes and places I wanted them, exactly the right depth, in fabrics I chose out of her collection of about 300. It's lasted long enough that it long ago paid for itself in $20 impulse-purse-buys.

I can't buy one online for that reason--I really have to see it, to see the size, placement of compartments, etc.

I've recently taken to carrying around the nice "travel wallet" I bought for travelling--INSIDE my larger bag. The travel wallet has my cards, enough room for my keys and phone, etc.--and a long strap. That way when I don't want to lug around the big bag (which has to be big enough for books, shoes, cosmetics, stray underwear . . . ) I can just slip it out and carry that.

I started buying Coach bags back when I had a job and haven't bought another brand since. I'm not into trendy bags, just small, simple, plain leather. And they last forever.

A great handbag I got was actually a part of a gift bag when I purchased some items from the Shisedo counter.

It looks very chic, but it didn't cost me a dime (other than the products I bought which I was planning on buying anyway).

Then why more than 1?

Black, brown, lt brown, backpack style, tiny, etc. I still have them all.

how much time do you spend transferring your shit from one to another? or do you only really use one of them?

I mostly just switch between black and brown. I don't have much stuff... a wallet, chapstick, a couple coins... maybe an old piece of gum...

I just bought three purses a few months ago....$1 each. They fit my keys, wallet, gloves, photos, gum, cell phone, and other random things I need to carry. They're small with no compartments (which I normally hate) but since I'm mostly only using it for work to home and back, they're working out great. I buy most of my other purses from thrift stores, so I pretty much spend under $10 for all of them. Thrift stores always have a big selection, and they're cheap, sometimes you can even get the designer whatevers if that's what your into, (if say, someone got one for christmas, but they already had 17 of the same kind.)
My most faaaaavorite purse of all was a thrift store buy. $5... it's black and square, about the size of a sheet of paper, with lots of compartments and an adjustable shoulder strap. It zippers shut. Awesome purse...I think I'll switch back to it now in fact! *runs off to dump out purse*