Closet Confessionals

Closet Confessionals 18: This 18 Year-Old Student Is Unapologetic About His Bag Passion

Right now his pursuits are mostly funded by his parents

Some of us learn to love bags as we get older and source them ourselves, while others come from a privileged family that already loves designer bags and expose us from a young age. This confessional is the latter. Right now as a full-time student, his collection has come mostly from his parents and his love for bags is strong. Read more about an 18-year-old and his bag collection thus far below!

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The Basics

Age: 18
Gender Identity: Male
Location: Born and raised in California, now going to college in North Carolina
Occupation: Full time student and aspiring scenic designer
Industry: Design and Production
Salary: n/a
Household Income: $1,000,000.00

The Bags

Are you a PurseForum member? Yes

How many bags do you own? 8 High-end Designer Bags and 5 Designer SLGs

How much is your collection worth? Approximately $13,500

What is your most expensive bag? My most expensive bag is definitely my Goyard Voltaire in black/tan. I got it in London a couple years ago, and I highly recommend buying overseas because of the VAT. The bag was around $2,500 before the VAT. It was purchased for me in the spring, and later given to me for my birthday in June.

What are the most important brands or pieces in your collection? My most important piece in my collection is my Louis Vuitton District MM in Monogram Macassar Canvas. This was my first new designer bag I ever got. My mom always told me growing up that she wouldn’t buy me a designer bag unless I could buy one myself. So I started saving up for my first bag at around 12 years old and bought it at 14 years old. I worked for some of the money doing odd jobs and the rest came from gifts from relatives from holidays and my middle school graduation.

What age did you get your first designer bag, and what was it? My first designer bags weren’t high-end. I think the first was from Jacobs by Marc by Marc Jacobs, the menswear diffusion line from Marc Jacobs. It was a Leather tote bag with contrasting straps. It was around $150 on sale. Before that, my mom had let me borrow a bag on occasion.

Any particular bag that holds a special sentimental value? Aside from my Louis Vuitton Messenger bag, I have an old Pochette that was my mother’s. It’s from the Murakami collection and has flowers on it. I always loved the piece and would stare at it when I was little. She officially gave it to me a few years ago, because she hadn’t used it in a while. At the moment it’s in my closet, but I’m looking to display it in my room.

Do you feel like your bags change people’s perceptions of you or how you’re treated? Yes, though it isn’t always a good thing. Because of my age, people have said thing in passing about bags I carry. It doesn’t really bother me because I know why I carry them, and it isn’t for anyone but me. On occasion I have noticed I will get better service depending if I have a bag with me. Especially in high end stores.

I carry the bags I do because I appreciate their design and style rather that their monetary value. Their are bags I love that have little monetary value and don’t consider to be contributing to my “collection” but I still carry. Tote bags are my best example of this, I have a couple canvas totes that I’ll carry around simply because I like their style.

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The Shopping

How often do you buy new bags? I’ve gotten new bags for the past couple years for every birthday and winter holiday season.

Which stores do you frequent the most? I online shop a lot these days because my college is not in prime shopping location. I usually look at Barney’s, Saks, or Neiman Marcus. For clothing, I buy mostly from J Crew and Uniqlo because they have great basics for decently affordable prices.

Do you ever buy second-hand bags? Where do you buy used? I haven’t bought any pre-loved bags, but I have nothing against them. My sister has a gorgeous vintage Dior Rasta bowler from The Real Real. I’m looking at Fashionphile and The Real Real at the moment because I want to find either a Murakami Louis V. Sac Plat or a vintage Dior piece.

Do you sell old bags to pay for new purchases? I haven’t sold any of my own, but I’ve sold one or two for my mom on Depop because she was tired of them and though it was silly to have so may bags she doesn’t use.

Do you ever feel societal pressure to purchase more bags? Sometimes to keep up with trends, but that isn’t so much societal as it is that I like new trends sometimes.

Do you consider your bag purchases investments? Yes and no. At the moment, all of the bags I own have decent value but I do not plan on reselling them. An investment bag to me is something like a Classic Flap or a Birkin, you know you can make a profit or at least break even.

Who influences your buying decisions? No one really influences my decisions on bags. I know what I like and what I don’t. If I see a style I like, it doesn’t matter who it is on.

Are sales associate relationships instrumental to your shopping? At the moment they aren’t. If you are trying to get a specific bag that is rare or hard to get your hands on, it can be.

Why do you enjoy shopping, beyond just acquiring something new? The experience as a whole. Getting to see what has newly come in, taking a break to get lunch on the top floor, it can also be very therapeutic.

Have you ever felt like you received inferior service at a store or boutique due to your appearance, ethnicity or gender? Yes, as a young male in a market directed toward women in a secure financial position, I have definitely be treated differently. I have be talked to rudely, ignored, followed, etc. Sales associates will treat me like I’m lost at times. I walked into a store once, only to have someone ask me if I was looking for my mom. It’s annoying more so than rude, they don’t know me and just have preconceived notions of who I am.

The Money

Who pays for your bags? Primarily my Parents.

Do you set aside a budget for your bag purchases? No.

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The Taboo Topics

Have you ever purchased a counterfeit because you couldn’t afford a designer item? When I was a toddler, my mom bought me a fake Louis Vuitton to play with because I was chewing on and dragging around one of her her Fendi Baguettes.

Do you ever hide purchases from your significant other? If only I had a significant other to hide them from.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to afford a bag? N/A

Do you think your shopping is ever a problem? Have you ever felt like you were struggling with a shopping addiction? Yes, I at times will rely to much on shopping to find a place of solace. Usually I impulse buy or do my retail therapy while buying make up, so it never gets to be too much of a financial issue.

The Rest Of It

Any other expensive hobbies or passions? I love fine dining. I could easily spend over a 500 dollars on a dinner for two.

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