I love my new leather satchel that I’ve purchased a month ago. I can really tell a difference in quality in that bag’s material and construction versus the faux leather purses that I’ve bought in the past. Considering that those purses often cost $20-$40, I consider the extra cost money well spent.
But I am ALSO glad that I didn’t pay over $100 for my leather bag.
As I’ve used the bag 2x – 4x a week, I notice little scuff marks or scratches on the leather. I try to be careful, but wear and tear is bound to happen. If I had a really expensive bag (say, $500+), I would be scared to set it down!
Also, I believe that the higher you go up in the handbag scale (i.e. from a $20 Payless purse to $50 Nine West to a $500 Coach purse to a $1,500 Prada bag), the marginal improvement in quality decreases and the percentage of the incremental cost that goes to the “brand” increases.
For completely illustrative purposes, this is how I think of it: the $30 difference between Nine West and Payless might be allocated 80% quality ($24) and 20% brand ($6), whereas the $1,000 between a $500 Coach bag and a $1,500 Prada might be allocated 40% quality ($400) and 60% brand ($600). The quality will still be better every “step” up in branding you go, but you will be paying a proportionally greater differential for the brand.
This is not to say that paying for brand is wrong or unwise. In fact, with a designer brand you are usually buying good design, superb construction, innovative styling, cache, a special purchasing experience (i.e. if you purchase the bag at Neiman Marcus instead of at a sample sale), recognition, etc. If those aspects are important to you and you can afford it, then more power to you! (And the economy thanks you).
I just don’t think I can take the psychological pressure of carrying around a bag that costs more than my rent. Which just goes to shows – I shouldn’t be owning such a bag. 
Right now, I think ~$200 / bag is my limit.
Investment advisers have counseled clients to see if their asset allocation pass the “sleep test” – I think material possessions should be viewed in the same way. If the thought of losing a $2,000 bag makes me break out in hives (or a $40,000 car whose every dent will be like a dagger to my heart), then owning these things probably won’t bring that much joy to my life. I’d worry too much!
Related posts:
My price point is around $150, but I’d rather pay less than more.
With that being said, I do love, love, love my yellow leather handbag for $180.
But I also have other colourful, graphic cloth purses that I had paid $30 for and love.
One of the perks of real leather is that scuff marks, scratches, and some stains can be buffed out or they just kind of blend in after awhile. It just adds to the character of the leather and makes it look better. Unlike fake leather where once it’s scratched, there’s nothing you can do about it. You can also get your purse professionally cleaned for like $30 (at a dry cleaners or a shoe repair shop) and it’ll look brand new.
$300 is most I’ve paid for a purse (Coach) but now I prefer thrift stores. I’ve gotten a brand new, all leather Longchamp for $6.50, classic style, all leather Dooney for $9.50 (mint condition) and a high end Italian suede bag with amazing leather flower detailing for $7, etc. Coach Willis bags are a dime a dozen at most thrift stores and you can get them for $10-$20. Spend another $30 to get it cleaned and polished and, voila! You saved yourself $200.
I tend not to buy purses for myself, which means I tend to wear my purses out….I usually get them as gifts (as a bit of a hint that I should stop using the old one), or when my mother takes me out shopping when she visits (also to remind me to update my purses when they’re past their prime). But even then, we usually go to Kohls. And, of course, there’s always a sale. So I or my mother spend $20-40 on a purse once a year or so.
I know that quality is important, but I can get nice leather purses for not too much, and that makes me feel all the better when I end up tossing my purse on the floor!
Oh no, my blog name is correct, I really am cheap! I just spent $24.99 on a cream-colored Nine West bag (that I’m in love with by the way, thanks TJ Maxx) and I thought that was a little high! (I’m used to buying a $20 bag on sale or something…ha ha.)
Although, I do have dreams of a Coach bag and I think one day, I might just buy an expensive purse for myself.
I tend not to spend a lot of money on purses, but a big part of the reason is I’m vegetarian and don’t believe using products made of leather. When I’m not toting around a large bag with notebooks, folders, and sometimes my laptop. I’m using a smaller (but not so small bag). My two main bags are probably in the lower-mid range. The large black canvas tote is by Kenneth Cole, which I bought years ago. My smaller purse is by Nine West.
I agree with what you’re saying here.
Having said that, purses are a guilty pleasure of mine and I have a few too-expensive-to-mention bags in my collection. One of the other things you’re paying for is service (which, I suppose, is part of brand). I have a Coach purse that I received as a gift and just three months after purchase the edging on the bag was falling apart. I went into the store and expressed my surprise at this. After all, a nice leather bag should have a longer life under normal conditions. What I really wanted to know was whether Coach offered repair services. Instead, they insisted on replacing the bag for free. Not sure that the same could be expected at a lower end retailer.
Just looking at the pix of the four bags there… the ones I like most are the very cheapest and the most expensive, lol.
All my bags have been cheapies – a few were gifts, but all have been pretty hardy actually. I just spent a record $50 on a bag, although I have NO idea what it’s made of. I agree that the higher up you go, the less goes to quality and the more goes towards paying for the brand name.
Until about 2 months ago, literally every single purse I’ve ever owned in my life came from Target and cost less than $25. I typically carry these cheap purses for a year or more and only switch out when I am well and truly bored of it. Even then, I hold on to them because I’ll no doubt get bored of the new one and go back to an old one at some point.
That said, I recently bought a Lucky Brand bag at DSW. Lucky is no Prada (or even Coach for that matter), but it’s certainly a step up from Target. The bag I got retails for $150, and DSW was selling it for $100 with an additional 50% off, so I got it for $50.
I really don’t think I could ever bring myself to spend any more than that though.
I never really cared one way or another about handbags and accessories until I did a series of articles on Italian leather manufacturing. Now I care. I can tell the difference but definitely can’t afford to pay retail. So like Carrie – I find outstanding bargains at TJ Maxx and thrift stores. These bags last forever and can be refinished pretty inexpensively. These days I wouldn’t go more than $30 on a bag – but that goes pretty far at Goodwill lol
I like to switch bags a lot and use them until they are beat to death. I have a container of all my different bags and I think the most expensive one was probably $25. I buy most of my bags at Target or TJ Maxx.
Theoretically, I like the idea of an expensive bag, but I think I would worry all the time about keeping it in good condition.
While a part of me would like a pretty, designer purse, I’m way too cheap to buy one! I might try the TJ Maxx/Marhshalls route for a nice one (although spending more than $25 on a purse makes me cringe! I know there’s better quality, but I’m afraid I’ll find the lemon!), but for now I have cheap Target purses–but I mostly use one I made myself. Actually, I’d like to sew a few more for myself, instead…
I buy Dooney & Burke. Classy but not showy (no labels, but a subtle duck-ha ha). I will spend up to $300, and I wear them out. I have a brown purse and a black purse that I interchange with my outfits. It may not be the latest fashion, but it’s good quality, and I feel good using it. I haven’t bought a cheap purse in a really, long time and have no interest in doing so. I buy quality, no matter what the price.
My comfort zone is right around $150 for a high quality, classic bag ($200 if it’s the holy grail of bags that will go with everything forever and ever, amen, but I have yet to find it). I have a few B. Makowksy bags, which I feel, especially when bought at a discount at TJ Maxx or Marshalls, have the best value and get the most use, which I know you’ve discussed before. I’m not interested in ever, EVER spending money on a luxury (prada) or entry-level-luxury (coach) bag… then again, I might change my mind/values if I ever become filthy rich, but I doubt it.
My comfort point is about 100 bucks…that being said, the most I have spent on a purse was 400 (including tax) for a lovely buttery fuschia leather Marc by Marc Jacobs… but I used the purse every day for 2 years…up until last week when I found a lovely suede Furla handbag marked down to $79 at Marshall’s!!! It’s currently being sold on Bluefly for 250, but the original price was 425! I will probably end up wearing this one out too
I have two purses, black and brown, which cost $15 each and were bought at Ross. One is Nine West, I don’t remember what the other is. I’m very glad they were inexpensive because, like you, I don’t want to be worrying about my bag all the time. In my case, I also don’t find purses as interesting as other things, so I only care about size, durability, pockets inside, etc. For a purse, no more than $25, I guess, though I look for them at places like Marshall’s and Ross so I can find better brands than the uber-cheap ones.
I have a nice $80ish messenger bag which I carry to work every day. I appreciate the quality and durability it’s shown, as well as its handiness. I can’t imagine paying more than $100 for a bag like it, since I could make one for less.
Sometimes I just sew them.
Coach outlets are a great place to go for a quality bag at a good price. They may be from last season, but they have plenty of classic pieces that still look current. I have gotten $350 bags for $75 if they have a sale on top of their normally lower prices. Plus their customer service is wonderful. My mom ordered a purse for me for my birthday & it came in 1 day later than they said it would, so they sent me a $50 gift card.
When even knockoffs/cheap purses cost 50-60 & only last a few months, I’d rather spend a little more & get something that will last.
This post is very timely to my life right now.
I have no shame in admitting that I am a sucker for Dooney & Bourke bags for their quirky, yet fashionable spin on handbags. I am a SUCKER for Coach. I have several…most of them bought as gifts for me.
I’m also a handbag whore, for what it’s worth. I have more handbags than I have pairs of work pants. True story.
Recently, I spotted a very trendy red patent leather handbag with gold hardware at a local event. The cost was $40. To some that may seem expensive, but compared to my $200-300 (and sometimes even more) daily handbags, this seemed like a bargain for a trendy bag to carry this season. One week into its use, it broke. While I was shopping. I was forced to cram it into my Victoria’s Secret shopping bag.
I was able to get all my money back from the seller, but the lesson?
I’d rather pay more for quality…any day.
$150 is my comfort zone — I LOVE T J Maxx and Marshalls. Target has awesome bags $50 and under every now and then too! I do have an Gucci that was a little over $700. It was a Mother’s Day, Christmas, and birthday gift. A splurge, but I absolutely love it! My 6 year old daughter is eyeing it already. She’ll get it one day…
The most I ever paid for a handbag was $400 (or so). I justify spending that much money on a purse by the fact that I wear my purses to death and only buy styles that I can wear now and a few years from now. I would never spend a lot of money on a trendy bag that will be out in a few months… Also, I love Coach bags, but refuse to buy them at the Coach store because they never offer any discounts. Instead, I buy my Coach (also Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs and other designers) purses at Macy’s and other department stores when they are 25-40% off… would never pay full price for a purse. Eventually, they all go on sale!
.., handbags are investments.. as long as it surely last a lifetime the price is not the question..