I have a Longchamps bag and I consider that sort of high end. I also have a Hobo bag that is pretty but I consider that mid-range. I have one leather Coach bag that I also consider mid-range. I think of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi and others that start at well over $1000 to be truly high end.

Not a high end leather, but I love my Brighton purse son gave me 2 years ago.

I decided years ago I would only use leather purses. I consider anything over $50 expensive. By my definition, anything over $50 is high end, meaning "out of my league".

I received a Chanel hobo style purse as a gift in high school. It lasted many, many years before I got tired of the style and gave it to my Mom. She still uses it in her purse rotation. I'm not really a shoe or purse kind of person, but I do like the classics with a modern twist. I tend to avoid Coach or Louis Vuitton because even though I like some of the styles, I see them everywhere - mostly fakes I'm sure. I tend to like things that aren't seen on every other person...

I'm with Jannie....only leather....and only "used". I'm currently carrying a Stone Mountain purse that retails for $100, I got in like-new pristine condition for $3. My thrill isn't in spending money...it's a Dave Ramsey used Mercedes thing....:0)

But I'd love to see what others are buying...

I like leather, can't stand plastics, and I buy Coach handbags. Frankly, they pay for themselves by wearing better than fake "leather" and cheap, flimsy liners.
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I like leather, but I never buy high fashion bags. My purses generally last at least 20 years and I admit that I have never spent more than fifty dollars for a purse.

I bought a leather purse with matching billfold on QVC for around $100.00. The brand is Tignanello and I love it. Before that I had a Scarlett Blake that my mil bought me that was wonderful also.

High end to me is Hermes, Chanel, etc, then Jimmy Choo, Prada, Valentino. Mid range, Michael Kors, Tory Burch, Kooba. I know there are so many more, I love purses, and shoes!

I have a mid-range purse that I carry every day - a Dooney my husband bought me as one of my cancerversary presents. Got it on sale (with a coupon!) at Macy's for $195. It has held up better than any other purse I've had. The lining is perfectly intact, all stitching is still in place, the little Dooney duck badge is still firmly attached, the inside cellphone pocket is still completely stitched. The leather is not scuffed or faded, and the handles show little-to-no wear. Plus, it still has the wonderful leather aroma. I've had this purse THREE YEARS. It's awesome. :)

Those of you that haven't been purse shopping since the 90's will sh*t if you do! The prices are crazy for anything leather...most bags these days are vinyl and not even nice looking vinyl, plasticy looking junk. Bags even at Kmart are around $30. Cheap vinyl bags at department stores are close to a hundred dollars with leathers being over $300. Back when I used to work at a department store in the 80's you could buy a very nice leather bag on sale for probably $50...the same type bag now would be well over $300.

I always bought moderately priced leather purses and got years and years and years of use from them. Leather gives much more service than plastics. I bought a Nine West nylon purse for travel years ago that has straps that unzip to turn it into a back pack style for when my hands are full. I am now using that one all the time because it is so light weight.

I have Coach and Cole Hann leather bags, I have several of the fabric Dooney Burke, everyone has been bought on sale.
I have a crossover Kipling I use for Vaca's~~another bigger Kipling bag I use when I go to yoga workshops, holds so much. I bought a 'blue' Tignanello on a great sale @Macy's for my own Christmas gift;)

My DD#1 is the absolute most crazy woman for buying purses I have ever meet in my life! It is nothing to her to pay $1,500-3,000 for a bag! If she would just give me her cast off's~~~~she is a collector she says. I think she is a bag and shoe hoarder.

I admit that I have a purse addiction. I don't buy expensive clothes but purses are my thing. Some are pretty inexpensive some are quality on the upper range, some new some used some were gifts. I have some Coach, Dooney, prada, brahmin, Etienne Aigner, and other nice name brand, but the thing about brands like Coach and Dooney etc is they are guaranteed for life. Anything that happens to it they will fix it or replace it with no problems. I have one older red coach bag that had a discolored area on it after years, they replaced it. In many cases you do get what you paid for and in some cases that is excellent quality and customer service.

I also have several I have found at used stores.

However the one I am using right now is a really cute green bag that I got at the goodwill store. lol If I like it I like it.

my dream purse is the Hermes Berkin bag in the blue or pink crocodile but that is not even something I can afford to dream about. one sold at auction in Dallas for $203,150.00 now that is a real high end purse!

i like stone mountain and tignanello. :)

I have a Brahmin that I got about ten years ago and it's worn better than any bag I've ever had. During that time I also got an Aigner, which was compltely worn out in two years. I've recently bought another Brahmin, but the only problem with it is that it's very heavy. I like their bags because they seem more classic, with not a lot of the "in" things like chains and bows that will soon make a bag look out of style.

My daughters have always given me purses--I must have a Dooney in every color, but my fav is the cross body Dooney that I've had for several years. One daughter gave me a Coach, and that thing was so heavy BEFORE I even put anything in it, that I never use it. I do have a "31" cross body puses that I use the most. I have a small Coach I take to church, b/c I just need one big enough for mints for the granddaughter, and my phone. I like it, but it's a small clutch. I, too, love purses--don't care anything about shoes, but it's a disgrace how many purses I have. Most of them are gathering dust.

I am so not a fashion plate but I have been looking for the "perfect" purse for about 10 years. Not perfect as to material or brand, but for the number and size of the pockets, zippers, areas, easy-of-carry, etc.

I finally realized my seven-year-old canvas beach bag, from J.C. Penney, with a zippered top, three inner compartments and various outer pockets/zippered compartments is the perfect bag for me. Even though it's yellow, with multi "Island"-colored stripes, I've been carrying it year round. It holds all my "stuff" for regular out-shopping or running errands days.

I've found a leather source in Oregon. I'm going to draw my own patterns, based on the bag I have, and sew a sample bag in canvas. If I'm happy with it I'll order the leather pieces to make my own leather bag. I'm not paying more than $50, excluding the zippers and D-rings.

It will be about 2" shorter and 2" more narrow than the bag I have now, with a few more inner pockets. I have a 1950s-era Pfaff industrial sewing machine. (Free from FreeCycle.) It will breeze through the soft leather.

Raven, I totally agree with you about the Hermes Berkin. I love the classic style and would love to have one but even with my addiction to nice purses I couldn't pay that much for a purse. I have several Burberry bags, one that is at least 10 years old and looks brand new. I always get comments on it. My mid-range collection are Dooney's and Coach bags, also have some Kate Spade.

I also want one of those Hermes belts with the H as the buckle. I think I could probably afford one of those.

To me, high end is anything over $20 when it comes to purses.

I'm sitting here with my mouth falling open at the purse prices listed here.

For a purse? Something you toss all sorts of things into, and then toss around in your car, on floors, take into restrooms, etc? Something that's likely as not going to be stolen before you're done with it? Guess I'm a lot poorer than some, but I simply cannot justify spending much more than $15 on ANY purse, I don't care what it's made of. And my cheap purses last for years of everyday use, usually. Admittedly, I did splurge on my last one--got it on sale at Boscov's for $17. But where I live, if you have expensive shoes, purses, clothes--you're just asking to be robbed of them. Far safer not to put oneself in that position.

Like someone else said, it's the configuration that's important to me--main compartment MUST zip, there must be at least 3-4 zippered exterior pockets (one for my phone and gift cards, one for tissues and my pocket watch, one for the meds I carry, one for pens/comb). It has to have a shoulder strap. And must have large metal rings (I have my keys on brass clips, and clip them to the outside of my purse for quick location). Inside, there has to be room for 2 wallets, one of which can be hidden; my shopping bag, hand sanitizer, note book, Kindle, and a water bottle.

I have a few Fossil leather bags, the last one was $200 and the one before it was $160. I only carried the last one for 3 months before I was unable to carry a purse so it has sat here for over 5 years. I recently dug out a cheaper leather Fossil that is more classic styling than the others and smaller but it works better for me now. I have always bought what pleased me and cost wasn't always the determining factor. I currently have Brahmin clutch that was $130 and inside it is an off brand credit card holder that was $35. Both of these were more need based for function but I like them My DDIL gave me a really nice Liz Claiborne 6 years ago that fell into the same category as my last Fossil. I have a lot of nice purses sitting on a closet shelf and have passed some down to my daughter who isn't a "purse person" but took them anyway..... They will all probably end up at Goodwill when I die!

I have told my husband I want a Birkin before I die, then just throw my ashes in it!

lol terilyn I hear you!

I have several nice Fossil leather bags, when I lived in Dallas one of the goodwill stores got all the bags and other items from Fossil factory that had blimishes or small imperfections.
I have several that I never found the problem on them.
I got a lot of really nice Fossil items there.

I guess we all have our something that we love,some have shoes, some have clothes, some cars, boats, etc.to each their own if they can and want it then it's certainly not my business, if it makes you happy ...

Azzalea, I'm with you, it has to have all the pockets and compartments that I want. I do carry a lot of stuff in my purse, 'my home' away from home.

I wouldn't recognize one of those high end purses if I saw one. I don't change purses, if I find one I like and fits my purpose I carry it year round until it falls apart and I have to go on a hunt to find another. I do try to find another one to keep in reserve.

My purse shopping is from thrift shops and yard sales.

i like stone mountain and tignanello. :)

MY favorite purse of all time came from Walmart about 7 years ago, maybe 8. It is black vinyl with zipper pockets on each side, not too big not too small...then the handles got dry rot and would pinch my arm...it was a style with the two short hand held straps, not a shoulder bag(can't stand those). So sad when that thing bit the dust and have been searching for a replacement ever since. It was a nice looking bag and looked leather. Now Walmart bags are pitiful looking and so cheap looking and no good organizer styles.

I read these posts and think of all the wasted money on all those unused purses. What a waste! Sell the darn things on Ebay, they are not selling for cheap either! What is the point of wasting $3000 on a purse. Who are they trying to impress anyway. Most people wouldn't know the difference between a LV bag and a fake LV bag!

I keep an old 1992 chevy truck in my driveway with most of the paint peeling off just to keep the would-be robbers away. I'm sure not going to advertise that I have that kind of money to throw away on a purse!

I wouldnt consider my leather bag to be "high end". It is a Coronado concealed carry bag. It is however the most I have ever spent for a purse. (around $250)
Coronado has a lifetime guarantee (limited to wear)
I have carried for 2 years and it still looks great. I do wish it had more pockets.
I might get another just to have one to switch out.

I have a smallish leather Coach purse that I bought 30 years ago and still use regularly. I don't like big bags - only need enough room for my wallet and cell phone.

Where are you guys getting good purses at Goodwill stores? Around here, you almost never see them, and if you do, the stores know what they're worth and price accordingly.

I'm a LBYM kinda gal.
Wouldn't even recognize a high end purse. Can't imagine yearning for one.

I now have a Coach, but it is one of the light weight bags.It also only has a small label that says Coach. I would not use anything that blatantly advertises a product. I agree, that I don't like the large heavy bags out there. I have had cheaper leather bags, but they last only two years or so.
For those that don't want to spend a lot but want good quality, go to Marshall's or TJ Max. They always have a large selection group by color. I have tried different names brands from those stores.

When I graduated from high school in 1965, my mother's friend gave me a clutch type wallet, and I have carried one ever since. I have tried purses a couple of times, but they hurt my shoulders. Holding up my boobs is about all I can muster.

I always tell people that my car (truck) is my purse. I keep a make up bag in there, my hair brush, and anything else I need. Recently though, I did find a nice little leather purse....I don't even remember the brand, but I thought it would be handy for when I go to the flea market, but my daughter saw it, liked it, so I gave it to her.

I love the look of a good bag. It is the one thing you carry nearly everywhere you go. If it is a cheap thing that you have been hauling around for years, it makes your entire outfit look messy. It bothers me to see a dirty, tired looking bag. The really nice leather bags are soft and the zippers run smoothly, the snaps snap well and the magnets stay in place. They are often planned well, with all the important compartments and dividers. A good bag is definitely important to me. I saw a gorgeous Kenneth Cole bag on sale at Nordstrom's for $166 the other day, down from $300. When I went back to get it, it was gone. Boo hoo.

I do check out the bags at TJ Maxx when I am there and have seen some good ones but the majority don't appeal to me. They often have too many decorative doodads,like those big swirly "flowers".

Go look at yourself in the mirror while holding your bag and see if it looks nice and crisp or old and tired. It's your most important accessory in my opinion.

To each his (or her) own. It makes no sense to most people that I own hundreds of cookbooks and it makes no sense to me when women pay a lot for a purse. I can understand owning one expensive bag a little more than I can understand owning a closetful of them.

I pick up the nicest brand new purses at yard sales for $3 or less (most often $1 or less). Not Coach but lots of brand names. At some point, women who can't stop buying purses find the need to purge and getting a dollar for one at a yard sale instead of just dropping it off at a thrift shop sounds like a good plan to them and that's where I step in. I'm not a stickler for material or brands - if it feels right to me and looks right to me, it's right. I don't need a purse that's going to last for 30 years. I had a nice leather bag I bought for $30 in TJ Maxx that might have lasted for 30 years but it got stolen after about 10 years. That irked me but I had lots of yard sale purses ready to take over.

I own only leather bags. My favorite purses are from Michael Kors; I get compliments on them all of the time. In a seminar a few years ago, I was introduced as the lady "with the good taste in handbags;" that shocked me.

Yes, expensive purses are out of my range. Closest to Marilyn's way, I have a "second purse" (her truck)--my bag that has all the stuff I would want to put in a purse(contact solution, lens case, extra cell phone batteries, umbrella, huge lipstick palettes, etc.), but really, it's not necessary. Not the "need" stuff, the "want handy" stuff. I just toss the 2nd purse into the trunk of the car and carry the main purse for the day. I own two Dooneys and I never carry them. Heavy as can be. The rest are really inexpensive, less than $25. Maybe I should get one really nice bag, but not so far. It'd take a raise for me to find that a need.

I never have owned a leather bag. I would not want one that lasted that long as I like to change the look of my purses. Right now I have a Thirty One purse and I like it as I can get different skirts for it and I can make some too for it. Today I have a black corduroy skirt on it and pinned to it is a pretty black flower.

Sue

I don't have too many purses but I do like them small. I only have a few that I paid full retail for. The rest were bargains!

I have a small brown Coach leather shoulder bag (bought with my first bonus 18 years ago), a large burgundy Coach station bag (gift; rarely used anymore), a Tignanello backpack (Marshalls $20), a Nine West backpack (used $10), a Harley Davidson little teeny leather shoulder bag ($75), a cheap vinyl nude color small shoulder bag, a super cute bright orange leather crossbody bag and a large Delsy black bag that I just picked up as a travel personal item, since my purses are so small.

I love a quality purse but I'm not going to spend a lot of $$$ on them. I ride a motorcycle (hence all the back pack purses) and have never needed to carry that much stuff with me.

Interesting read!

over the arm $13 target wallet...hard to find though anymore...and for under $50, what i call buttery leather bag, the same "feel" as one at sams club for 3x the price...

I dont even carry a purse. When I was in Michigan a few years ago I heard a lady call herself a pocket shopper. I guess thats what I am. My mother very seldom carried a purse. Last time when we were in Michigan my DH brought a purse in DD house and asked whose it was. It was one I out of my deceased DM things. I had takens it along but I never took it out of the trunk while we were there. He thought it was DDs. I remember a long time ago I had bought a purse probably at a thrift store and I walked into my in-laws house and my FIL said just think how much more money you would have if you hadn't bought that. I could never wear one with a shoulder strap. I used to very big busted and I even have a groove on my shoulder from my bra staps. The strap would never stay up on my shoulder though and still doesn't. That might be another reason I don't carry a purse.

I am missing the gene that cares about purses. I like over the shoulder messenger bag type purses, and my bff is an amazing seamstress and makes me one every couple years. She knows exactly what size and style I like and she makes really cute ones.

I would never in a million years even pay $100 for a purse. Even if I was rich. They are just aren't my thing and I don't get it. But whatever floats your boat! I probably drop money on things other people think are ridiculous, so to each their own is what I say.

I've never carried a purse, only handbags, evening bags and shoulder bags.

I've had good bags and really inexpensive bags. I like both. When I'm done with my bags ...I'm done with them and I give them to Catholic Charities (our second hand shop).

I refuse to carry a heavy bag. But it has to be large enough to hold my few items and my Kindle.

Right now I'm carrying the bag my girls got me for Christmas. Definitely not leather. some kind of plastic. My girls try to keep me stylish, lol.

I really like it a lot. I can adjust the strap and wear it cross body if I want.

My friends call me a purse snob cause I only carry Coach. To REAL purse snobs, Coach isn't that expensive, but I guess I have low-class friends. :) I get them all at Coach outlets, usually one new one every year. I'm getting a pretty good collection because they never wear out.

Leather is my favorite, though I have a couple of Coach fabric purses.

Red Lover - I have a purse by the same designer. It was one of my souvenirs from my trip to Ireland. The designer's name is Orla Kiely and although she's now based in London she was born in Ireland. Her main shop is in Coventry Square, London and I found her bags in many shops throughout Ireland. She recently opened a store in Manhattan and also designs clothing, textiles, linens, furniture etc.

While she creates leather bags most of her bags are a laminated canvas. Your print is Tapestry Stem.

Here is a link that might be useful: Orla Kiely

This post was edited by maire_cate on Thu, Jan 10, 13 at 7:56

Maire_cate

Very cool to know. Well my girls have good taste. I wear jeans a lot and this bag goes with my casual wardrobe. I will have to gush to them a little more than I did. Thank you :-)

I have a few small leather handbags, all from Goodwill - I would never, ever spend good, hard-earned money on a purse, even though I could - I am way too cheap to pay over $5 for a purse!

It would weigh on my conscience terribly if I did so, knowing there are people right on my street who can't pay their rent or buy food for their kids.