What's the most you've ever spent on a handbag?

C.K Dexter Haven

Looking at this, just wondering what's the most money you'd ever spend or have ever spent on a handbag?
Would it be anywhere close to nearly 30k euro?:eek:

Winfrey, who is one of the richest women in the world, said she asked the sales assistant at the Trois Pommes store in Zurich to see a 35,000 Swiss franc (€28,500) crocodile handbag but was told that she would not be able to afford it.


As a guy, I just don't understand women's obsession with the topic of handbag buying- is there a course I can go on?

Chattastrophe!

Probably about €30 max. And I'd even find that much hard to justify for a handbag.

Legs.Eleven

E50. Reduced from 370.

Ice Storm

€70 but I had a voucher for €50.

And I used it until it started falling apart, and then some! I haven't actually replaced it yet.

m'lady

About €80 and It would have been as some sort of kris kindle pressie or I'd have had a voucher!

I love bags but can get as much enjoyment out of one from say penny's as I'd get out of BT!

sunbeam

About 100 euro for a large good quality leather bag that doubles up as a laptop bag. I expect to use it for many years.

Before that £60 for my work bag that I used almost every day for a decade.

Other than those, I've bought several lovely evening bags on ebay for about the maximum of a tenner.

Twee.

I got a pretty pricey bag for my 21st, around €400 I think. It still gets great use a few years later. It's quite a simple, functional design so I don't see it going out of style any time soon.

pwurple

About 35 euro.

Handbags, while I don't go in for them myself, I understand them as any other luxury item. The male equivalent is probably luxury cars or watches. Sportscars, tissot watches and the like.

Ciarabear

Far, far too much. I regret nothing

Legs.Eleven

The amount of money I've spent on crappy quality bags only for them to fall apart on me after a few months. False economy. I wouldn't condone spending huge money on a bag but most women use their bags on a daily basis for practical purposes and it's well worth investing in a good one made well.

vitani

About €30. And that was only once.

I just don't 'get' bags like some other women seem to. I only recently got interested in shoes but even still, I haven't extended my collection beyond some pretty pumps and one or two pairs of heels.

username123

Close to a couple of hundred I think, back when I had more money than sense. Strangely I never loved it as much as I loved cheaper bargain bags. Last week I spent 50 euro on a bag (it was reduced from 70) and I do love it.

A female colleague of mine once went on a weekend shopping trip to London and spent 3.5k on a handbag. I think it was Chanel. It was a lovely bag, but being honest Id prefer to have 35 bags at 100 a pop than one 3.5k bag! Her partner was pretty loaded and she came from a rich background herself so she didnt see anything unusual in it.

I dont mind spending a good bit on a bag. A good bag could last years (same for shoes/boots).

Chattastrophe!

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

The amount of money I've spent on crappy quality bags only for them to fall apart on me after a few months. False economy. I wouldn't condone spending huge money on a bag but most women use their bags on a daily basis for practical purposes and it's well worth investing in a good one made well.

I just absolutely abuse my bags, always packing them way too full and throwing them round the place, etc. I always buy cheap ones, and I don't expect them to last more than a couple of months, and I don't mind when they inevitably fall apart ... it's an excuse to go shopping for a new one.

I think that even if I invested in a great quality one that lasted me years, I'd just be sick of it after a few months. . At least when you stick to cheap ones, you don't feel guilty about the price when it's time to replace it!

Pretty Polly

I spent about €70 on a bag from River Island 3 years ago. Looking back it was a complete impulse buy. I regret buying it as I never use it and I don't normally buy things on impulse.

The two bags I use most often are.. a bag I got on sale for €12 in Arnotts 3/4 years ago, it looks expensive though (well at least I think so!!).
I got a bag in a charity shop 2 years ago for about €3 that I wear a lot of the time as well. Its a handy size as I can fit a lot into it but its not bulky when its empty. Their colours mean that I can wear them with practically any outfit.

Pang

Around 130 on a lovely leather handbag for my mother in Rome many years ago. Was very pleased with the price at the time.

I always said I'd love to get an expensive handbag like a Prada Saffiano which I love, but I can never justify spending it on one bag. I would rather a few pairs of nice shoes and boots for the same price of the bag.

14 euro
I've been gifted more expensive ones, but carrying around heavy books and everything else tends to be hell on their straps and the 14 Euro one has lasted by far the longest

rannerap

about 60 euro or so, which would be quite a lot for me, it was a birthday treat!

C.K Dexter Haven

Tlachtga wrote: »

Probably about €30 max. And I'd even find that much hard to justify for a handbag.

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

E50. Reduced from 370.

Ice Storm wrote: »

€70 but I had a voucher for €50.

And I used it until it started falling apart, and then some! I haven't actually replaced it yet.

Ciarabear wrote: »

Far, far too much. I regret nothing

A few apologists, then BAAM!

I love it:D

hfallada

I'm a guy but I have noticed walking around dublin 2 there is a lot of Hermes birkens in Ireland( like 2 in a day sometimes) meaning people have spent about €5,000 on a bag. Although it is hand made in a Paris by a single person and takes over 35 hours but still isn't worth it. Although the price reflects quality unlike coach and MK bags which are both made in china.

I do interesting how very few Irish people buy fake handbags compared to the likes of Americans. If you can't afford the real thing in Ireland people don't buy it

sam34

i adore handbags - a nice handbag can really complete an outfit.

I own about 50, many of which I've had for years. about 10 of them cost between €200 and €350, I've never spent more than €350 on one. most of them were in or around €100.

I see them as longterm purchases, I'll have them for years and will be able to pass them on to younger relatives in time. my aunt gave me some of hers which I still cherish.

I change my handbag with my outfit, so get good use out of all of them. best thing about handbags? even on the fattest of fat days, they'll still look great!!

Ice Storm

A few years ago, a colleague and I passed exams at the same time and we both got a bonus as a result.

She used hers to buy a designer handbag, mine went towards a holiday. She'll have the handbag for years but I think I got more enjoyment from my holiday.

Whispered

Tlachtga wrote: »

I think that even if I invested in a great quality one that lasted me years, I'd just be sick of it after a few months. . At least when you stick to cheap ones, you don't feel guilty about the price when it's time to replace it!

I'm like that about cars!

So you can probably imagine how cheap I am when it comes to handbags. I'm a penneys girl through and through. €20 was the max I spent. I tend to fill them up with receipts and old make-up and throw them into the bottom of the wardrobe.

meeeeh

About 250 or 300. I don't shop much and I keep my clothes, shoes or bags forever. For bags and shoes I prefer leather, so that brings price up a bit. I don't like idea of disposable fashion so my spend for that sort if stuff is probably way under average. I just prefer one nice thing than 10 not so nice.

Lia_lia

About €30. I always say I'd love to invest in an expensive one..but never end up saving!

Gauge

I'd generally spend anywhere between €10 and €60 depending on the bag (I'd have a few 'going out' bags and one 'workhorse' bag that I use daily until it falls apart) but this year I splashed out and bought my first ever designer bag for about €430. Technically I only paid about €150 of my own money for it, the rest was made up of BT/One4All vouchers I'd saved up over the past year from Christmas and my birthday.

It was my first time ever buying a designer item and I'll say it felt really strange to drop so much money on a single item but when I thought about how much I must have spent on lesser quality bags over the years it helped me justify the expense. I consider it an investment piece; it's a fairly classic, simple design, really well made from good quality materials, I plan on taking care of it and having it for a very long time.

Wibbs

200 quid for an ex's birthday and 80 quid for a "I've been on holliers and here's what I brung ya back" for my mum. I'm sure Freud would have a field day with that.

Daisy78

Usually about 100 to 200 but thats because I prefer leather as it does tend to wear better than the plastic variety. I did splash out on a designer bag for a milestone birthday....wouldn't do it again, it went to **** entirely after 2 years even though it was used as an occasional bag rather than an everyday bag. Learned my lesson the expensive way.

jaffacakesyum

How anyone can spend into the hundreds on a handbag is beyond me.

Toast4532

The most expensive bag I have cost about €40, my bf bought it for my birthday this year. It's been used daily since I got it and it's still in perfect condition.

My dad bought me a RI bag a few years ago and within weeks of using it, the zip broke, the charms came off it, the threading started coming apart. It was a bloody expensive bag too (well, expensive for me) and wasn't at all worth it. I think it cost £50 or something. Never again.

I did get a satchel from RI for €25, but haven't used it yet. I wanted it so much for months so when it went into the sale I snapped it up. I can't wait to start using it, but I'll wait until my current bag is a bit more battered.

All my bags I use until they cannot be used any longer. I use one bag 24/7, I never swap bags with outfits etc. One bag does all, for me anyway.

baby and crumble

I don't understand handbags in particular, but I have a ridiculous amount of messenger bags.

I completely understand spending on quality for certain things. If I'm carrying a laptop, iphone, camera, kindle, etc. in a bag, I have no problem spending money for quality knowing the strap won't snap as I am crossing the street! €100 or so so protect €2000 worth of my stuff is fine by me!!

Then again, everyone has their quirks and things they'll spend on. I collect fountain pens, and would happily spend a few hundred for one I wanted- I know a lot of my friends would think that's mental. I don't judge anyone for spending their money. That is, if they have it to spare. Spending a few hundred on a bag/ pen/ jewellery when you can't pay rent... well that's a different kettle of fish altogether!!!

meeeeh

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

How anyone can spend into the hundreds on a handbag is beyond me.

If you can afford it, I don't see a problem.

Btw I think that there should be respect for quality. Not in ostentatious way but some things just can't be cheap.

C.K Dexter Haven

sam34 wrote: »

i adore handbags - a nice handbag can really complete an outfit.

I own about 50, many of which I've had for years. about 10 of them cost between €200 and €350, I've never spent more than €350 on one. most of them were in or around €100.

I see them as longterm purchases, I'll have them for years and will be able to pass them on to younger relatives in time. my aunt gave me some of hers which I still cherish.

I change my handbag with my outfit, so get good use out of all of them. best thing about handbags? even on the fattest of fat days, they'll still look great!!

Yep. You're the reason I started this thread:D or at least, someone like you.

I'm actually surprised how many people are saying they spend less than 100 euro on a handbag. I would have though 70- 80 would have been minimum- anyway, about that course?:D

Lyaiera

Wibbs wrote: »

80 quid for a "I've been on holliers and here's what I brung ya back" for my mum.

You mean an "OMG It's so pretty if I can't justify it for myself I can justify it for someone else" for your mum present. :P

(All presents should be like that.)

I never had a grá for bags but I saw someone walk into the pub with this small messenger bag type bag that was definitely a handbag. It was kakhi and had the U.S. Army medical cross on it and my eyes popped out of my head. I've never felt lust for a handbag. I think this had something to do with being a child of the 90s.

metaoblivia

I think the most I've ever spent on a handbag was about $120. I really like handbags and sometimes browse the designer stores, but so far I just can't bring myself to pay any more for a handbag. Perhaps one day I'll find one that I really love and take the plunge...

Esoteric_

My most expensive handbag is a designer one that cost a little under 1,000 euro. I didn't pay for it, though, it was a birthday present for my 19th birthday. It's a lovely black leather bag, doesn't look out of date because it's a pretty simple design, and I've had it for 5 years now and it still looks brand new.

Most I've ever paid for a bag for myself is about 120 euro.

Lia_lia

Esoteric_ wrote: »

My most expensive handbag is a designer one that cost a little under 1,000 euro. I didn't pay for it, though, it was a birthday present for my 19th birthday.

:eek:


I probably got a €15 scarf for my 19th birthday!

Conor Bourke

Approx a month's rent on one bag. It is gorgeous though and I will have it for life. I don't regret it in the slightest :cool:
(That said, I'm not sure I could ever justify spending that much money on a bag again)

My "day-to-day" bag is a tan leather one from River Island. It's almost 6 years old, I got it on sale for about €30 and it is just the best bag ever. Goes with went thing, the more abuse it gets, the better it looks. As someone pointed out earlier, it's one of those bags that doesn't look bulky when empty but yet it can hold a phenomenal amount of stuff if needs be. My mates call it my Mary Poppins bag!

Das Kitty

I think I've bought fewer than 20 handbags in my life so far (I'm mid-30s). The most I would have spent is probably around €60. I like bags, I just reckon that I like other things more and never justify a bigger spend on them.

I would like a nice leather satchel at the moment though!

lazygal

About 1.5 k. I love bags and I sound like a snob but I don't like or wear cheap bags or shoes. Its one area of clothing I pay for quality over quantity. I hate knockoffs, not because I feel cheated spending money when I could have bought on Canal St in NYC but because the stuff looks awful. My next purchase will be a Chanel bag, I've wanted one for years and I put away money to save towards it. I don't spend a lot on nights out every weekend or other extravagances and I've gotten so much pleasure from having nice bags that I have no guilt whatsoever.

miezekatze

Most of mine were between 30 and 60 € I'd say. The most expensive bag I've bought myself was an Orla Kiely bag I got in the sale for around 100 €. I got one or two other bags as gifts that were a bit more than that.

rainbow kirby

If my laptop bag counts, around €80, otherwise €30-ish.

Am currently using a satchel that cost around £10, reduced from £25. Navy with cupcake print and I think it's cute.

eviltwin

650 old irish pounds. I had won a Brown Thomas voucher and had always wanted to buy a good quality handbag. I would never spend anywhere near that much of my own money on a handbag. In hindsight I wish I had spent it on shoes, the handbag is great but I'm a bit embarrassed about it now, anytime I take it out I feel a bit show offey especially in the current climate. I'll pass it on to my daughter in a few years so hopefully if its looked after it can be used for years to come.

lazygal

Why would you be worried about showing off? If you have nice things, why not use them? I wouldn't let what others thought put me off enjoying what I worked hard to buy!

eviltwin

lazygal wrote: »

Why would you be worried about showing off? If you have nice things, why not use them? I wouldn't let what others thought put me off enjoying what I worked hard to buy!

Thats true, I don't know, its a bag that is clearly designer, logos all over and the few times I have taken it out I have seen people look at me and that was before people were cash strapped. I don't want a bag that screams "look at me!", the circles I mix in most people would have bags from Pennys or Dunnes. It looks very out of place. I'm also terrified it might get stolen.

lazygal

I'd use it and enjoy it. Not everyone I mix with has designer clothing, but they might have a very pricey engagement ring or a fancy car. Things are bought to be enjoyed and I wouldn't let anyone else's reaction put me off.

I think people might look and admire it, but TBH there's a lot of people with pricey logoed bags about, you mightn't stand out as much as you might think.

Roesy

I got a gift of a lovely Mulberry handbag for my first graduation about 12 years ago. I think it cost about 3-400. It's still perfect and because the design is fairly classic it won't date. The most I've personally spent is €60 on a bag that was reduced from €90. I love it, it's my current day to day bag.

username123

lazygal wrote: »

About 1.5 k. I love bags and I sound like a snob but I don't like or wear cheap bags or shoes. Its one area of clothing I pay for quality over quantity. I hate knockoffs, not because I feel cheated spending money when I could have bought on Canal St in NYC but because the stuff looks awful. My next purchase will be a Chanel bag, I've wanted one for years and I put away money to save towards it. I don't spend a lot on nights out every weekend or other extravagances and I've gotten so much pleasure from having nice bags that I have no guilt whatsoever.

I'd never feel guilty over spending my own money on something I wanted for myself! Sometimes if I spent a lot on something that I then don't use I feel bad about it, but if its something I like and use, no guilt, ever!

I used to be like you on shoes, but in recent years have gone cheaper purely because the man made materials are getting better and better.

ellie_sun

I love bags and have splashed out on a few 400-600 euro bags. Treated myself to a Chanel a few years ago and adore it.

Would love a second but I'm not convinced I have the need for two as I'm really careful where I use it (there would be serious tears if anything happened to it, even a scuff mark!). I would never use it as an everyday bag as they usually end up trashed from laptops and make up incidents.

jaffacakesyum

meeeeh wrote: »

If you can afford it, I don't see a problem.

Btw I think that there should be respect for quality. Not in ostentatious way but some things just can't be cheap.

If I had the money I still wouldn't buy an expensive handbag, I'd buy smartly. I do actually like fashion. I have some designer handbags and other items of clothing but they'd be bought from sales or outlets. You can buy a perfectly fashionable and quality handbag for under €100 IMO.

People are free to spend their money how they wish, I just think it's ridiculous. But then again I think spending a huge amount on most things that you can get for cheaper with the same style and decent quality is sily too.

But that said, I spend most of my money on experiences not things. Different strokes for different folks.

meeeeh

jaffacakesyum wrote: »

If I had the money I still wouldn't buy an expensive handbag, I'd buy smartly. I do actually like fashion. I have some designer handbags and other items of clothing but they'd be bought from sales or outlets. You can buy a perfectly fashionable and quality handbag for under €100 IMO.

People are free to spend their money how they wish, I just think it's ridiculous. But then again I think spending a huge amount on most things that you can get for cheaper with the same style and decent quality is sily.

That is a valid point of view when the only price that matters is the one charged to you and there is no regard for the cost to those who are making the products.

I think some things are worth a bit of money. I like original art. I know Matisse or VanGogh are way better than anything hanging on our walls. But somebody spent hours making it and I would rather spend money on that than reproduction printed in some factory. Yet it is silly.

pwurple

meeeeh wrote: »

That is a valid point of view when the only price that matters is the one charged to you and there is no regard for the cost to those who are making the products.

I don't think big name designers are excempt from using sweatshops and exploiting workers.