Did you regret buying an expensive handbag?

[Saurus72]

I seem to have developed a crush on a beautiful (to me anyway) Ally Capellino handbag, which is £380 - massively more money than I have ever previously spent on a bag. I've been to see it lots of times in Liberty, kind of hoping that my crush would wear off but no - it's getting stronger, and I'm pretty certain that I would love and use the bag to death.

I guess I'm a bit apprehensive of spending so much only to the regret it. Or, worse in many ways, feeling that I can only keep the bag 'for best' which would be the opposite of what I usually like to - if I have nice things, I like to use/wear them, as there seems to be no point in keeping them pristine at home.

Have you bought an expensive bag and later regretted it? Did it not live up to expectations maybe? Any experiences would be good to hear about, positive or negative. I know £380 isn't a lot compared to some handbag prices, but it would be a lot for me

Here's a link www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/product/LibertyNavy-Elin-Leather-Bag/100907

Ive got a few too many expensive bags and haven't regretted buying any of them. I make sure I look after them and store them carefully. Personally I use them all of the time and don't save them for 'best'.

I am careful in selecting leather that is no too delicate, although I do have some bags that I won't use in inclement weather. I do find that with lighter coloured leather than I have to be careful with colour transfer as I do tend to favour jeans on a weekend.

It's gorgeous. Have now got a serious crush myself. I love my bags and shoes. And boots The only one I've kinda regretted was my Mulberry Roxanne as it's so heavy. Still love it though. I reckon you'd use it all the time as it'd go with nearly everything!

Ooh what a cool bag - love it!

I've not been in the habit of buying designer although I have my eye on a YSL clutch... I think that bag does look worth the money and I wouldn't hesitate personally.. In fact, I'd consider it myself!

Looks like you'd get £50 off at the moment :)

Saurus

I have an Ally Capellino- the beautiful soft leather satchel and it is worth every penny.

The only Handbags that I would NEVER pay for again are Mulberry. The Roxanne I have is fine because its in pebbled ox leather and tough as well, an ox. But the Alexa in calf hair leopard is a pile of crap. Worn, sloppy and looks like a leopard mauled it.

I have a lot of 'designer' bags (hate using that term) and they do vary. The better ones are ones that are either from a company with a long and illustrious tradition of leather work- Bottega Veneta, Loewe and Hermes, or bags that aren't limited editions which are often made to appeal to high spending foreign customers who don't need their bags to last.

Loewe are amazing and their bags last. Like many decent brands, their bags are made in Spain/Italy by highly trained craftsmen who learn for decades and take great pride in their work. Their bags are not made by a fourteen year old in some foreign sweatshop.

I particularly like my vintage Celine sack bag that has lasted well over a decade, a Chanel yellow lambskin flap over given by my Mother and a McQueen Novak bag, also from my Mother- these are all bags that I notice as wearing well. At the moment I am alternating a new Missoni navy blue zigzag shopper, the brown suede vintage Celine and a trusty tangerine Merci leather tie envelope that was only £60 or so. I bought another of these in yellow. Another fave is a red envelope scrunch top clutch from Accessorize for £18. That looks MUCH better quality than the price suggests.

Not a bag I bought myself, but ex boyfriend bought me a very expensive bag which I never really liked - it was the wrong size and I didn't really like the colour.

The window of opportunity when I could have told him I'd like to exchange it had been & gone and it was excruciating trying to use the bag when it wasn't really the right size to use as an everyday handbag. And when I'd asked to exchange a present he brought me before (a necklace which I would never, ever have wanted to wear) he made me feel so bad about it I felt guilty for ages after.

So, I'd ask yourself - is it really the size and style I need? Will I really use it?

I've never spent that kind of money on a bag and, if I'm honest, I never would as I just couldn't justify it. But if you love it and can afford it then why not? I have to say though that I'm a bit underwhelmed by the picture....it looks very average...sorry!

OP I bought a really expensive handbag a few years ago at Harrods. (To be fair my Dad bought it for me as a Xmas gift but first time ever ...I'm not a princess).

I scoured the entire floor of bags at Harrods (bliss) and plumped for a black Alexander McQueen bag. Very sturdy handles, black heavy leather and so fine... Was just under £1k (gulp!)

Have been so pleased. It has lasted and lasted due to the excellent quality, still looks great and I think it's been worth the price or will be if it lasts a few years!

Before my McQueen experience I would have said 'don't buy the Capellino' but now I say go for it.

Lots of people here seem to alternate different handbags. Do you? I tend to buy one and use it every single day. I also cram it full of stuff - make up, book/Kindle, lunch, purse, hair brush, phone, work tablet, note pad, pens, you name it. Do you do that?

My point is that some people are careful and some aren't! My handbags work hard for a living. Who knows, maybe a £200 or £2000 bag would last longer than a £30 one, but I don't have faith that that would be the case. How do you generally treat your stuff?

Have to agree with JohnCusacks-not a particularly exciting bag for that amount of money! Guess it's all in the name....

Nope! I suppose it might all come and bite me on the bum one day though.

When I got a new job - my dream job, what I'd wanted to do since I was about 5 - I bought myself a Celine Nautil bag in tan. I decided I wanted a fab bag and walked around Harrods for ages looking at lots of different ones all at different prices and got the one I really fell for. I still love it now, it's about 8 years old but I love it. I mean it's great quality, its a renowned designer, but it's about how it made me feel.

Only problem is it was meant to be my only designer bag... I now have Mulberry, Miu Miu, several Marc Jacobs, Botkier and Anya Hindmarch to keep it company. I do Ebay stuff to pay for my bags though, and often resell at a profit or little loss. I'll never sell my Celine though

I would suggest going and asking to put all the stuff in your bag into this bag, so you can see how everything fits and whether the bag will fit into your lifestyle. I would try it 'on' full see how it looks.

I have a couple of expensive bags and no, I haven't regretted buying them. I do not keep them for best, they are my everyday bags. Buy and enjoy :)

Oooh, lots of replies thanks.

I agree with people saying it isn't exciting - it isn't exciting, it is a lovely, understated, opposite of bling 'designer' bag, which is what appeals to me. I have another Ally Capellino bag bought from a sample sale last year, and it is fantastic quality, I've used it pretty much constantly since I bought it.

I'm trying to move away from buying lots of cheaper things that I like but don't love, towards buying fewer things that are great quality that I can envisage using in 5-10 years time. I know expensive doesn't = quality though.

Cheddar I'm not too much of a crammer really - for work I always take in a handbag plus a tote for my miscellaneous crap. The Capellino one would definitely accommodate my day to day detritus - iPad mini, purse, phone, make-up bag, iPod, medication, diary.

mignonette re: sweatshop, yes, that is definitely not good. This one I'm looking at is Made in England which makes me like it more!

Chottie have already tried it on, that's when the crush turned into obsession

Toothy yes, £50 off, plus I have a £50 Liberty gift card from Christmas which means it would 'only' really cost me £280 .
So I think I am going to buy it - the question now is do I buy it now or see if it reduced in the Summer sale - that's only about 6 weeks away, scarily.

3 years ago I procrastinated for months over an expensive bag I liked. I eventually succumbed and spent £480. I don't regret it as it is my 'special bag' and I treasure it. I still get a lift when I get it out of it's dustbag and use it. I probably won't spend that much again but it was my one special purchase.
To add I actually bought it from Selfridges in London, had a guilty panic at the cost a week later and returned it. Then talked myself back into it and went back and bought it again a month later.

You desired bag is lovely - simple and chic which is the best if you are going to spend a lot, you want something that won't date. A lot of expensive bags currently have jangly chains and hardware and will date.

Buy it.

I think it's ok if its leather and if it's classic. I spent the equivalent of a months mortgage on a D and G handbag once because I loved the colours and the style. Its canvas and plastic. It stained within a couple of uses and doesn't go with anything in my wardrobe and it didn't even come with a dust cover! Deeply regret that purchase but yours op is a different story!

No I don't regret it, I love the little orange one I have.

Bags are amazing and I have bought a couple of expensive ones under a birthday present guise. If you have the money and can't think of anything else you'd like, then it should be yours. Not sure about sales at Liberty but they'll be coming up soon - could you hang on?

My friend always asks two questions when considering a big purchase...
1 - how long would it take to earn the money?
2 - would you be jealous if you saw someone else with it?

Go for it! I had the same longing for a black mulberry bayswater! I saved for a looong time. Bought it and don't regret it! It's heavy -but I knew that. It's bomb proof. And I love it! Plus I used to buy a cheap handbag every month or so-and now I'm such a snob I wouldn't look twice at one from next or river island!!!!

I did regret a couple of bags,I bought in the past,one was the YSL muse,it started to lose its shape quickly,and just wasn't impressed with it after a while,a Stella m clutch is another regret of mine,I did buy it on sale and it didnt cost as much as it does nowadays,but again it wasn't worth it at all,

But Im very happy with the rest of my bags,they are so worth ££££,the leather, stiching and quality is so superior I can't find any fault with them, currently saving to get another bag,

That bag you link looks very nice,but I don't know if they go on sale though,

I say if you can afford it go for it. I saved up money from my Saturday job, over 30 years ago and bought a Gucci handbag. When I got my 1st job after graduation I bought a Louis Vuitton duffle bag with my 1st pay cheque. I still have these bags, they are battered and worn and the CPW must be in the pennies. I sometimes dig them out and wear them. They make me smile as they represent my youth, money well spent I say.

Thanks all for your comments. So, I have formulated a plan.

1. Go to the next Ally Capellino sample sale which should be in a couple of weeks. I'm looking for one of these, in olive green www.allycapellino.co.uk/mary-changing-bag , which at the last sample sale were around £100. This will be a great, big everyday bag. I have money allocated in my budget this month for this. Plus I can see if there's anything comparable to the navy one in Liberty.

1. If there isn't anything like the navy one, I have up until the end of May to use the £50 discount voucher for Liberty, so I can go after the sample sale and buy it. Don't think I'm going to wait for the Summer sale, as can't risk that it would sell out