Why do people buy designer bags/shoes?

[ettieb]

I have seen a few threads recently with people discussing designer handbags and I'm absolutely baffled why people are spending so much money on a handbag.
What can be so special about a handbag (or a pair of shoes) that people will pay hundreds of pounds for them when they can get a decent leather bag for a fraction of the cost of a designer bag?
There must be a limit to how good the quality of a bag can be... surely no bag is worth £800?
The most expensive bag I have ever bought cost £35 and I felt very guilty as this is a lot of money for a bag in my world.
Is it a status thing? Do they buy and carry these bags so other people will know that they have lots of money to waste?
I honestly don't get it, it just seems obscene to me. I get that people can spend their money on whatever they want but it just seems such a waste and so show-offy.

No I couldn't. It was directly relevant because I was talking about the things I like to buy with my own money and asking why anyone feels the need to justify their spending with the OP or anyone else.

Why do you give a shit about the things I buy? It's not like I'm asking you to pay for them. I don't give a shit about the things you buy

You and me both @Violinist64

Do you ask men why they spend on cars, golf clubs or season tickets? No of course not. HTH

Err because they can afford it, and because they want too.

Don't sign up to Tescos dating agency. You might end up with a bag for life.😃

Endlesssummer wins the thread.

I don't understand what people pay 40k for a car when one at 20k will still drive you places 🙄
Same applies to bag. Their money their choice.
Isn't just status. Many very exclusive amd expensive bags have very small logos such as hermes.
Many bags won't be recognised by most people like the puzzle but still expensive

More expensive doesn't necessarily mean better quality. I used to work for Burberry. A lot of their clothes and bags are sewn with man-made materials such polyester and polyurethane, nylon, elastane, polyamide. They are largely not manufactured in the UK / Italy anymore either. You pay for the name and the designer.

@ichundich I take your point. There are expensive clothes and then there are very expensive clothes. Anyone who's seen Gwyneth Paltrow in court over her ski-slope altercation can see that.

As someone who's worked for Burberry you would undoubtedly know that.

But what does it matter to you? if someone buys something from Burberry say, and they are happy but you don't think it is very good, why burst their bubble?

It would be one thing if you used your expertise in the luxury goods market to direct them to manufacturers that you did think were better value. Surely you know. I do.

I would direct someone to the high street retailer Massimo Dutti. I don't know how they do the things they do. I'd even direct people to M&S for reasonably-priced cashmere jumpers. It's not going to set the world on fire but it's solid as long as you steer away from the patterned cardis.

Or are you saying that no luxury goods are good and we can get the same down Deptford Market? Surely not. That would just be silly and suggest to me that anyone who says that doesn't know anything about luxury goods.

“Or are you saying that no luxury goods are good and we can get the same down Deptford Market? Surely not. That would just be silly and suggest to me that anyone who says that doesn't know anything about luxury goods.”

Agree, you are Correct, I buy for quality, yes there is some rubbish out there,but some extremely beautiful quality stuff too.

Expensive stuff isn't always better quality. But unless it's been reduced for some reason, cheap stuff is always going to be lower quality.

An item isn't a bargain just because it's cheap. A bargain is when you get something for less than it's worth. A piece of crap sold cheaply is just what it's worth.

An item isn't a bargain just because it's cheap. A bargain is when you get something for less than it's worth.

@ReneBumsWombats I'd agree with the first point but a bargain is what you will pay for it. I might pay full price. In the sales I wouldn't pay for anything less than 40 per cent off, but if I really wanted it I wouldn't wait for 70 per cent off and risk it going.

I've occasionally bought stuff - food mostly - and realised they were paying me to take it away.

But I wouldn't pay for anything I didn't want or wasn't going to use just because it was cheap. That is the definition of a waste of money no matter how much it costs.

Lots of people don't understand that value for money doesn't equal cheap. And lots of people think that expensive means being ripped off. There are some of them on this thread.

If you'd pay full price, then it's definitely a bargain if you get it in the sale!

A bargain is when you get it for less than it would normally sell for. If you get a piece of cheap crap, it's not a bargain just because the price reflects how rubbish it is.

Wow, that touched a nerve. I can only repeat that I thought that passionate advocates for consumerism had long since faded away. My mistake, I am clearly wrong. But I'm not going to head out and buy more stuff. Especially pretty sparkly things, and things with corporate logos. If it works for you, enjoy.

I assume by "that touched a nerve," you mean "that made someone politely disagree with me!". Not sure it merited a "Wow".

Wow, that touched a nerve.

In my humble experience, people who say that really reckon themselves.

Because quality only answers why someone would spend £200 on a bag rather than £30.

There’s a ceiling where the extra cash doesn’t equate to better quality- I know to my cost that some v. Expensive bags don’t last as long as they should.

it’s like wine- ask any wine expert…spending £20 on a bottle of wine gets you an infinitely better bottle than a £5 one, but spend any more than about £45 and you’re paying for rarity / vintage/ personal preference…

basically there’s only so good a wine can get. Same with handbags.

let’s face it, the immigrant workers hand sewing some of these bags earn very little. You aren’t paying for their amazing skill !

I had a £300 bag brought for me. Not high end but very expensive for us at the time. I've had it nearly ten years and it still looks perfect!! That's money well spent in my opinion!

@ReneBumsWombats I think we agree but anything less than 30 per cent off retail is not worth it unless it's white goods. The margin on white goods is low. Not a lot of people know that.

But value for money is what you will pay for it, or sell it for. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If you don't want to do it, don't do it.

I bought a fancy candle. Basically burning money. But it will give me joy

And you hit the sweet spot! You spent enough to pay for quality, but not so much that you were paying for the brand ambassador/ advertising.

Some of these comments are so rude. Honestly just because you don't see the value, you don't need to shit on how other people choose to spend their hard earned money.

I have about 5. I bought several classic mulberry bags when the quality was better (12ish years ago) that are still looking great, though I agree the fakes in Turkey are similar quality. Same leather just no brass fittings.

More recently I've bought Coach or Michael Kors on theoutnet and I love them, great quality and 300ish vs 1k plus. Only one I was disappointed with was the Alexander Wang Rocco which I saved for ages for. Clunky zip and so heavy with the studs.

To show that they can afford to.

To show that they can afford to.

But that would only work if other people recognise that it was a designer bag.

Hermes train their artisans for five years before they are deemed competent to work on their own, especially on stitching the bags. The saddle stitching is done by hand but only by the very highly skilled. One bag takes at least 48 hours to complete. They are therefore very highly paid as only the best make it to artisan level and they usually stay with the company for the rest of their career.
I can’t speak for other companies though…. I understand that Chanel look after their employees (or associates as they’re known) very well.
Both companies have quota bags to ensure that their products will never be mass produced or sold in quantities of any kind. For example you can only buy one classic flap Chanel every six months and it is even harder/almost impossible to get your hands on a Hermes quota.