Are all leather bags crap?

[Chocamochalatte]

Or just the ones I buy??

I've had one from M&S, all scuffed, with almost a hole at the back of a clasp, one from Miss Selfridge and the popper thing on the front came away from the leather. But the most disappointing is a Betty Barclay bag I've had since May, used most days and now has little rips / scuffs, cracked handle which is about to break any minute and a hole where the edge of the logo has pushed through the leather, I paid £35 for it in TK Maxx but the label said it's rrp was £200!

I thought leather bags were supposed to last a long time... Where am I going wrong???

I got a Lucia for £50 on eBay. I'm very happy with it for that price (it's much better than the Oushka bag I have), but I'm not sure I would be happy if I'd paid full price.

It's just a tiny bit insubstantial in the body and at the base, compared to the great stiff heavy flap that folds over the top; I don't think they've got that balance quite right. And the lining feels a bit cheap. I do like it; but not as much as I'd expected to after the raves I'd read on here.

I'm vegetarian and don't buy leather bags ( though I have an old M&S one that is 10 years old and still going strong) I used to be able to tell immediately which bags were leather and which were not simply on price, but now there seem to be a lot of cheap leather bags about, and when you have a good look the quality is very poor - I suspect it is leather sourced in 3rd world countries where animal welfare is not good either. Unless it is a sale reduction I suspect you need to pay £70 - 80 to get anything that will last - though Clarks sometimes have nice bags at the bottom end of the price scale. I wish it was possible to get better quality synthetic bags, often the metalware lets them down. I tend to pay about £40 in Warehouse or similar shops and they last about 2 years. Synthetic bags can be very lightweight and plasticy, with zips that break. I'd be happy to pay leather prices for something v. good quality.

a slight hijack - sorry OP!
could i get some opinions on Oushak bags? Have got my eye on one (Nubuck suede) and debating getting it - do they really not last long?

TIA

oushka !

I posted a while ago about how disappointed I was with the quality of a tan leather Kew bag that I bought less than a year ago for 80 pounds - a lot of money for me at the moment. The leather looks dehydrated iyswim, scaly, faded and un-supple. There are also a couple of water stains despite regular treating with leather conditioner. So this thread interests me as I'd love to know how much to save up for a decent leather bag. Otherwise I'll look for a decent nylon bag like the ones I used in the 90s!

No worries Cobbler! Thinking I may need to start a thread about alternatives to leather for bags!