Mulberry bags....thoughts please

[JustAnotherDayWorkingAtHome]

I have been coveting the Loewe Puzzle bag for some time now but I have decided I simply cannot and never will be able to justify the £2,400 price tag.

I have recently been looking at the Mulberry Billie, in chalk, I know it is not similar but it does look like a really nice bag and it is a third of the price tag and is the size and idea of the kind of bag I want.

I can't put my finger on it though but there is something I am just not sure about with Mulberry....will this last the test of time?

Mulberry Billie Small Classic Grain Leather Cross Body Bag, Chalk at John Lewis & Partners

@narniabusiness I think you make a good point about paying for innovative design - if we want designers to be creative, then it's fair they are rewarded for that effort. Especially as others will copy at a lower price point. So it's fair to pay more for the original.
I think maybe that's a separate thing though, to prices being put up excessively, on designs which aren't particularly innovative, but are just part of the brand.

The last mulberry I bought was years ago - a mini kite. It's beautiful to look at (croc oxblood) but it's unlined, doesn't have a zip (clasp close), so need a handbag insert if I want to stop everything from spilling out. And as much as I love it, the strap isn't the most comfortable.
I keep eyeing up a mini lilly but I have chain strap bags that I barely use because they aren't comfortable to wear, so I don't know. I might buy it anyway at some point because I'll never be able to afford Chanel (and even if I could I'd not want to part with that amount of money for a bag).

I've almost bought a lily a couple of times. It's a gorgeous bag, but the impracticality of the chain and flap has stopped me.
The islington will be a more practical alternative, so that's going to be my next bag (when I get bored with my current one!) 😆

For me peak Mulberry was the Emmy and Roxanne era, but we're talking 20 years ago. I had a Rosemary (baby Roxanne) in darwin leather which was absolutely gorgeous, from 2003. I just sold it for £200 so there's still demand.

No, the Far East is Mulberry's main market. The difference in the quality of bags for the Asian and UK market is easy to spot. The bags destined to the Far East are of a higher quality. I know this to be a fact as I used to make them. If you own a bag made between 1998 and 2019 with a plaited handle there is a strong chance I was the one who did the plaiting.

They were pretty big in Germany when I lived there, about on a par with their own mid range offerings like Picard, with a large concession in the fancy department stores / airports.

You're paying for the name. Nothing else.

And a status symbol.

Coach has lovely bags (and some people would say they are expensive) but for £300 (and 50% off twice a year in their sales) you can get a bag very similar to the one you linked to.

The bags destined to the Far East are of a higher quality.

In what way?

@LadyBird1973 I used to have a Mulberry kite. I also found it impractical, the clasp was too faffy to open and close and the big opening used to attract a lot of dust. I sold it in the end. But I love my other Mulberries - Leighton in a rust colour, and a Tessie satchel in oxblood.

Agreed. I also love Strathberry and Aspinal of London, gorgeous bags at fair prices.

The leather is a higher grade and the QC checks are more rigorous.

Would you not rather go on holiday?

Is that why you buy bags, so other people will know? 🤯

I see where you're coming from...but ultimately that's a matter of opinion isn't it? Regarding the Puzzle bag, what you consider innovative design put me firmly in mind of the leather seats in my dad's old Volvo.
It's all meaningless. Really.

Look on vestaire, they have authenticity-checked second hand stuff and often it’s cast offs from rich girls who have barely used it. I’ve picked up unworn chanels etc for a fraction of their sale price.

I would really recommend not to buy a Mulberry. Mine are gathering dust at the back of the cupboard, they really are not fashionable any more.

There’s a broader point though not very clearly expressed by the poster. If you buy a chanel bag tomorrow, or a rolex watch, or a painting by a well known artist, and then decided the next day to sell it on, you could sell it for near its retail price. These classic items hold their value, and part of that is because there is global demand for them. If you buy a Mulberry tomorrow, as soon as you walk out the shop it’s pretty much worthless.

If you love it and will love it forever, absolutely anyone should spend their money on what they want, but Mulberry is just not a high end designer like YSL or Chanel or others, and I feel they are cheeky to charge as much at they do.

Maybe the OP hates flying or is housebound or has relatives who need caring for or doesn’t like holidays. People like spending their money on different things.

How does that work? The alexa for example, is there one section where the alexa is made for the UK market and one section where the alexa is made for the more discerning far east market? I'm imagining the staff in the far east section are getting more money (hush money? 😠) and like longer tea breaks and stuff.

@cactidream fair do's .. I don't like it but happened to see it the other day and it's leather so thought it was worth sharing 🤷‍♀️

oh that's interesting! Both the fact the FE market gets a better grade of bag and that you were involved in the production of the bags. Do you often spot your craftswomanship when you're out and about?

I think some people do buy for conspicuous branding to broadcast its a costly item eg LV bag popular at my nursery with the mums and it’s fucking hideous, it’s not even leather. Coated canvas with leather detailing

Beyond a certain level, the quality of bags and their functionality is finite.

They can't be better, better, better.

It' s a handbag, not an Aston Martin.

I quite like some Mulberry designs. Would I pay over £1k for a bag?
No, it's obscene and a rip off.

And I'm not someone who wants to impress others by owning an expensive bag- or even one costing £10K.

I could afford dozens of Mulberry bags.

But sometimes, once you can afford something 'luxury' you begin to think about what the attraction is beyond the label.

I appreciate some women like to spend a lot on a bag but there are some lovely bags in the £300-£400 range (still overpriced) but some of my friends (who are very well-off) think anything close to £100 is crazy.

I could afford dozens of Mulberry bags.

You had to drop that in though...

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/3846790380-loewe-nano-puzzle-bag-tan

A reminder that Puzzles (all Loewe) are really popular to counterfeit right now and there are some very high quality copies out there, including special editions.

Same goes for Chanel, if anyone follows Zeko on IG here, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

I'd be very unlikely to spend £700 on a designer bag from Vinted. At least on Vestiaire you can pay for authentication.