How much would you spend on a nice bag?

[marghini]

Lately I have been thinking about purchasing a very expensive designer bag. It is around £1000, so it would be a huge investment. I really like it, but I don't know if a bag, albeit very nice, is ever worth spending so much money. I've never purchased such an expensive bag, the bags I already own are in the £200/300 territory.

What is the maximum you would be willing to spend on a bag? Do you think it ever makes sense to spend a lot on it?

I've been struggling with this one recently as although I can afford to spend £1000 on a bag, I can completely see that they are not 'worth the money' in any real sense.

My most expensive bag was about £500 in a sale, so I do have a £1000 bag iyswim. It's beautiful soft leather, very well made and I get lots of complements on it even after a few years regular use. I still thought it was a splurge and couldn't have brought myself to pay full price.

Most of my bags are in the £200-£350 range, or would have been at full price.

I'm always amazed at the amount of Mulberry and Prada on show in my industry (I'm in FS). It often seems like every female middle manager has to have a Bayswater . I'm increasingly seeing young, junior colleagues carry them when, so have wondered if prioritising buying a designer bag is more of a thing these days than 10-15 years ago (of course they might not have bought them for themselves).

Most expensive to date is £5000 on a hermes jypsiere, but have a few chanel 2.55 reissues and minis, chanel gst, chanel totes and messenger bags ranging from £3700 to about £2000.
I did have a specific list of classics i wanted to own, i now have most of them which will last me for a long time.

I reverse i wouldnt dream of buying a high st bag for a couple of hundred quid, as i dont see it as an asset. I could sell any of my collection for a decent return if required, i couldnt do that with high st.

My handbag cost £28 from accesorize .

I think you all live on a different planet to me...

Sigh. There's always one.

My bags don't reflect anything other than my taste and maybe my personality. That is true whether i spend £18 on a bag or £1k. They are just bags. They certainly don't tell you anything about my "values". I can't imagine saying that about the posters with the £18 Accessorize bags.

Ffs! Why can't we ever just have a chat about something we like and enjoy without some po face arriving to deliver a mini lecture on how shallow we are? Piss off!

Yes, we definately do all live on the same planet!

Everybody is just answering the question OP posted, and we all have different levels of income and interest and different reasons for making our purchases.

Ah. And here we go.

Blingy and Nicki perhaps they think we're shallow because they are out of their depth.

Check me with out with the philosophical quip.

I can't see how it's possible to have sensible discussion on how much you'd pay for anything without mentioning values.

I didn't say people who spent a lot had no values. I said they were different to mine, possibly.

If the question was really' Can you afford to spend £300 on a bag or £1000' that's different. The question though was how much would you spend (so income and taste do have to come into it.)

There is really no need to swear and be rude.

I don't think it is flaunting your money though, as most people probably don't even notice the bags other people carry. I guess it's about having something that looks and feels fabulous to you and thats all that matters really.

30 years ago it wasn't a thing in the City. I'm not sure it's a "thing" amongst the 50 somethings I know personally and professionally. I wonder if bags have taken over from furs. Which 40 years and possibly even 35 were a "thing".

shedragon can I ask you about the Celine luggage? I want one but haven't got it because I couldn't make up my mind on colours. I didn't know it was heavy though! Are you able to compare to say a Bayswater or a Marcie?

Marghini I love love love the bag you're looking at. I have the double zip tote but that one is even nicer. Do you know how it closes?

I have 3 Chanel bags, and a smattering of others: Celine, Miu Miu, Prada, etc.

They are all beautiful and I've carried them all forever. I made a few missteps along the way Fendi Baguette but my core collection is pretty timeless. Big neutral totes with gold hardware are safe bets.

I am now looking at even more handbags and pinning away

I need a good bag for travelling - so spacious. I know the LV neverfull is very popular and it would work well for me but not keen on the monogram - anyone have one in the epi?

Or have other recommendations?

MrsCB, I bought it as a present for my dsis which I now regret because I think she would have preferred it in epi. I did look at the epi and they are beautiful looking and feel lovely. She has had the purse in epi leather for yonks and its lasted well.

150 quid tops. I could afford more if I felt strongly about it but I trash my bags and can't be arsed transferring stuff over so I just have one work one and one weekend one (both fully stocked with pens, handcream, lipstick, notepads, sanpro etc) and transfer purse between them on Friday and Sunday nights. Work one normally needs replacing after 12-18 months.

My current off-duty bag is an M&S slouchy number which cost about 80 quid with a discount and which I still love to pieces, it's wearing really well.

£100 would be my maximum, I think.

I'd go for a Prada tote MrsCB

These discussions never end well.

Polly, what values do you think a bag purchase expresses? My values are that a) I do not believe in wasteful spending, b) I do not wish to support exploitative employment practices, and c) I believe that things are beautiful when they are useful. As a result, I only buy Hermes bags which are useful, non-bling, extremely well made by artisans, and are designed to last many, many decades. Artisanally designed and produced goods will cost much more than those made with cheaply produced materials, but I am willing to pay this premium. My bags have no obvious logo. The designs have been around for many, many decades (Kelly bag from 1930s, Birkin from 1980s) and will still be around for many more.

Just because a person spends 4 figures on a good bag does not make them superficial, vain and frivolous creatures.

Epi is nice, it is hard wearing too, have a matching duffle bag in it for travel, it looks good and is much more understated. Damier check is also another option.

Mrs CB - if you are looking for a great travel bag which is LV, the Sofia Coppola range perhaps? If not, I prefer Goyard.

They will offer you one mrsCB, don't listen to all that fluff about how difficult to get one, I got one on my third visit, but its a slippery slope, ,

I don't buy bags as a commodity, that's insane, bags are Meant to be worn and enjoyed, I don't baby my birkin ,its a bag it has a purpose and I like the design , always have,that's all there is to it, , plus,If I sell I don't expect to make profit as if my life depends on it,thats the most ridiculous thing ever ,I think the word " investment" in the sense that it retains its value and can provide a steady income like a property you invest in does,or shares you buy is misunderstood, its not like that, the only way I see it is that I can give it to my dd when she grows up,hermes bags even the ones that are 30-40 years old are still in good shape ,provided the are stored and cleaned regularly, and I hope and pray to have another DD , and of course I can't leave her out so she needs a birkin too, I always tell DH that the baby making should start ASAP before the next price increase ,

Agreed Lara, except I don't baby my birkins, kellys, evelyns, vicorias..... They are just bags!!!! I love them because they take serious abuse (stepped on, being vomiied in, chewed on) and are still in amazing shape. Yes, DS used my box birkin as a sick bag, and it was just fine - that is what I paid for!!

Yes lara, they are assets, and you wont get back what you paid for them necessarily, but they will provide some kind of return, as opposed to high st which you might as well throw away,.
They must be used i agree, i think some get far better with age.

The 'investment' thing is a red herring.

Most leather bags which are cared for will look good after 30-40 years unless they have been used daily. You don't need to spend the price of a car or even a small house on a bag to make it last :)

The reason these bags are coveted is because they are in some people's eyes a status symbol, in short supply relatively (like a luxury, hand-made car) and are unaffordable to 99.9 % of people.

The idea they can be passed down the generations unlike a cheaper bag is not true.

Yes, I like to think my DD will have my bags in later years. In fact she has just got an ancient blue LV speedy to play with this weekend as I have been de-cluttering.

I'll look at goyard and prada and the epi - thanks!

I do think people should not keep things for best really. I wear good bags/jewellery all the time.