Today, we’re checking in with a collector in her early 50s who’s no stranger to the collecting process. CC 253 has been collecting bags since she was in her 20s, and her love affair began with a Dior bag that was passed down from her grandmother.
Over the last three decades, this collector has honed in on her tastes—she knows what she likes and sticks with what works. Many of her bags possess sentimental value, either because they were gifts or because they belonged to her mother or grandmother. In the post-pandemic world, CC 252 prefers to shop online and enjoys the time to really think through each purchase fully before pulling the trigger.
Read the full CC below, and don’t forget to submit your own!
Basic Bio
Your Age? 52
Your Gender Identity? Female
Where do you live? Athens, Greece
What is your occupation? Director of Content and Community
What industry do you work in? Events
What is your annual salary range? Total household income? $70,000
Are you a PurseForum member? No
Onto The Bags
How many bags do you own? 50+
What bags are in your collection?
- Black Chanel Flap bag
- Loewe Heel Knot
- 2 Loewe Raffia Baskets
- Bottega Veneta Small leather bag
- 2 Goyard St Louis
- Celine Canvas
- Telfar M
- Telfar x Eastpack S
- Marni leather tote
- Balenciaga Day
- 2 Marc Jacobs leather bags
- Anya Hindmarch leather clutch
- Anya Hindmarch suede bucket bag
- Victoria Beckham leather clutch
- YSL Cassandre envelope
- Marni canvas tote
- Marni plastic tote
- 3 Tod’s leather bags
- Isabel Marant leather and canvas Botsy
- Vanessa Bruno Suede tote
- Vintage bags from my grandmother and mother, etc.

How much is your collection worth? No idea.
What is your most expensive bag? The Chanel flap bag (2.55).
Do you ever experience buyer’s remorse after purchasing a bag? If so, how do you deal with it? I usually purchase a bag after some serious thought, so I never have buyer’s remorse. I have, however, felt let down by the quality of a certain bag (I won’t name names, though)—the thing is, it was a gift from my late mother, and I could never part with it.
Do you feel a desire to downsize your collection? If so, what factors are driving that decision? Sometimes, but I don’t even know where to start. Also, I tend to go back to certain bags after many years, so I really think I’ll miss them once they’re gone. Not to mention that I could never part with certain bags due to sentimental value.
What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? 20+ and it was my mum’s Dior canvas bag.
Is there a specific bag you are looking to purchase next? Loewe Puzzle Fold.
Do you have a ‘holy grail’ dream bag you’ve always wanted to own? Not really. Maybe an Hermès Constance? Although, I don’t really have “holy grails”, but I do know what I like.
Any particular bag that holds a special sentimental value? The Balenciaga Day bag my late mum gave me as a present and all of the vintage bags I got from her and my grandmother.
Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it and I’ve never really cared. The people who know me, the people I call my friends, my colleagues, know who I am. All the others, I really never bother with.
I think this is a matter of why you buy bags, clothes, shoes. Do you buy them for you or to make a statement? Do you buy them as a status symbol or because you recognise the craftsmanship, the design process behind them? I buy them for the latter.
How do you take care of your bags? Keep them in fabric bags and in boxes—sometimes their original ones. If something happens to them I either take them to the brand store I bought from to repair it or, if the brand does not support repairs or if they are vintage, to specialist shops.


On Shopping
How often do you buy new bags? Usually every season.
How has your bag collection changed during the past few years, and why? I try to buy not as impulsively and after serious thought. I try to think why l want this bag and if I own something similar. Then I buy it anyway.
Do you prefer shopping for bags online or in-store? Why? Usually online. I think that after the pandemic I became more of an online shopper. I like it because I can scroll in my free time and add to basket and then rethink it and go back some other time and buy it. Usually, when I go to the shops I feel overwhelmed and sometimes disappointed about the things they stock.
Which stores do you frequent the most? Net-a-Porter, MyTheresa, 24S, LuisaviaRoma.
Have you ever returned a bag after purchasing it? Why did you make that decision? No, I have never done that.
Do you ever buy second-hand bags? Where do you buy used? No. Never done that, either.
Do you ever donate or gift your old bags? If so, to whom? Yes. I have gifted a couple of Prada bags to colleagues in the past—I hope they like them and use them.
Do you feel that social media or influencer culture pressures you to buy more bags or certain brands? Yes, I do. But these are the new rules of marketing and brands are taking advantage.
Do you consider your bag purchases financial or emotional investments? Emotional. Definitely.
Do you follow the latest fashion trends when deciding on your next purchase, or do you prefer classic styles? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. It all comes down to what I like at that particular moment. When buying for a bag I usually take my time to decide—probably because they take up space and I don’t like to part with them.
Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? Not really.
Do you enjoy shopping beyond just acquiring something new? I am a bit of a shopaholic, but that’s because I’ve studied fashion and I genuinely love fashion. However, this applies more to clothing—my bag purchases are never that impulsive.
Have you ever felt you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity, or gender? No, never. I just feel that in many—even brand— boutiques the personnel is not well trained. And this is a general trend; from restaurants to hotels to boutiques, the people working there are less and less professional.
What factors may dissuade you from buying a bag, even if you like it? If I want to do something other with my money at the time—99% of the time, travel.
Is there a brand you outright refuse to buy? Why? Louis Vuitton. I own one in Damier, but I think everyone has them. I think you can see them everywhere on everyone—especially nouveau riche people buy them as a starter bag. To me that is a huge turn off.
Do you ever rent designer bags? If so, from where? No. I have never.
How do you feel about the concept of “quiet luxury” vs. “loud luxury”? Definite prefer quiet luxury. Except certain bags (Chanel, YSL and a couple more) most on my collection have either a discreet or no logo on them.


On Budgeting & Perceptions
Who pays for your bags? Myself and sometimes my husband.
Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? No, not really.
Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? Never.
Do you use financing or payment plans (like Afterpay or Klarna) for bag purchases? Not really.
Do you think owning luxury bags helps you in professional or social situations? How so? I never think about it and I don’t really care, but I’m not naive to think that they don’t.
Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? Have you ever lied about the cost of a bag to avoid judgment? From my husband, never. And I usually don’t discuss cost with friends—I find it a bit vulgar. Sometimes they ask me, but I always keep it vague, say I don’t remember.
Do you ever resell bags on platforms like The RealReal, Fashionphile, or Vestiaire Collective? Never tried.
Have your friends or family ever criticized your bag-buying habits? If so, how did you respond? I know there are people (usually members from my extended family) who do, and sometimes to my face, but I never respond. It is my life, my money, my choice. I never question and care what they do with their money why should they?
Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? Have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? No, never.
Let’s get personal…
What is your greatest extravagance? Travel and shopping.
What is your greatest fear? Losing the people I love and spiders.
What is the trait you most admire in others? Perseverance and honesty.
Which living person do you most admire? Malala.
What or who is the greatest love of your life? My husband and my best friend (unfortunately he lives in London and I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like).
What is your favorite journey you have taken so far? Life? And probably Africa. The feeling you get there is primordial—no wonder they call it “Mama Africa”.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Travelling with my husband, eating great food and drinking great wine, doing together the things we like. Being surrounded by our pets on a Saturday morning in bed…
Any parting words you would like to share with our readers? Don’t be afraid to be you and don’t take other’s opinions so seriously. They’re probably as lost as you are.
She sounds like a really cool lady!