Does anyone remember Handbag.com

[onedayinthefuture]

It was probably early to mid 2000s? It was an online women's magazine site but most people used the forums? It was such a busy place, much like mumsnet with a variety of discussions. I used to love the personalised avatars (which helped recognise posters straight away) and enjoyed whiling away the hours at work on there even making some friends. This was all before social media so was my go to. Not sure why it died a death, it went from being a thriving women's chat site to being completely dead and now long gone. I wonder if there are any old handbaggers on here? ;)

Yes. I had a handbag email address and only used it for that. I really saying I was [email protected]

Yes I joined in about 2006, no idea why it went.

I used to use it, I think it died a bit of a sad death when they started making it only 5 posts per page, to increase how many ads everyone saw. I mean, that's why I gave up!

Yes I remember it, I used it a lot. It all went a bit weird as I recall, wasn’t there some big falling out between the mods and the guy who started it? Something like that anyway.

Yeah I used it all the time!

I was a bagger I miss handbag me sometimes.

It died because they merged all the magazines into all about you forum... Which didn't work. It was clunky and slow and people just didn't take to it.

Also a bagger - to the extent that I ended up having sex with two of them (not at the same time!)

It was brilliant. I spent most of the day in my first boring job being a bagger

Yes I remember that...blast from the past

I remember it but didn't use it. Does anyone remember Babyworld from about 2001? Looking back, it is strange that we all used our real names and posted so much private stuff about ourselves! But the internet was so small back then so it felt safe.

Gosh hand bag could have made a fortune! What an epic fail!!!!

I wish they had archived it. There was some right laughs lost forever when they deleted the place.

Oh I loved it too! IIRC they split it into mums and non mum stuff and I didn't fit in either place.

I was on there but also ivillage?? Does anyone remember that?

I was a handbagger too, during my uni days!!

Wasn’t it owned by Boots at some point?

Used to love it, and waste far too much time on it, much like MN really (but dare I say it...friendlier?!)

Liked the fact it showed how many posts a member had and their avatar, also very few trolls (not sure if the two connected!)

I loved Handbag, I used the baby forums an awful lot, my birthday were announced on there!

Around the time they split off the family forums Damsels was formed which was also great for a few years. Anyone remember Damsels?

Not handbag but was on babyworld and BMC.

Ooh yes I spent hours on it when I didn’t have any work to do in my first job! Was pretty addictive. What a wasted opportunity for them!

Yes! I was. I think it was my first web email address. I remember using it when working in London pre-DD so it must have been 2000? A lifetime ago.

@MeganChips I loved Damsels too.

I think damsels died a death as well. So did the lounge and the baby splinter board eventually.

Seems like ions ago now

Wasn’t there also a hair salon page that tried to spin off and take posters with it at some point??!

Aww yeah there was a popular bagger who passed away, I always remember that

Yep Handbag, Hunnybeez and BW. Remember all the tickers? The pages used to take forever to laid due to flashing tickers. I was still on dial up then! Seems a lifetime ago. Good times!

It was originally a JV between the Daily Telegraph (!) and Boots.com, but Boots exited after a few years. Then it got sold onto Nat Mags. I think it eventually went the way of many a "Lifestyle" site over the last 10 years -insufficient big brand advertisers, and a move from the publishers to leverage magazine brands more.