One thing that has helped me get more use out of my bags has been adding a coat hook to my entryway and keeping 2–3 bags hanging on it and in rotation. Admittedly, though, sometimes I overload it, and that’s exactly what happened this past weekend. I was rushing out the door and realized that my Bottega Veneta Mini Jodie in Ice Cream matched my outfit better than the other bags that were currently in use (Prada Cleo, Celine Triomphe Cuir, and Loewe Puzzle Hobo).
After a late night, I was much too tired to put away one of the bags, and even though four bags overloaded it a little bit, I vowed to get to it in the morning. The following day, as I grabbed the Prada Cleo and put her back in place, I realized the worth of those four bags alone, and truthfully, I started spiraling a little bit.
The Temptation of a Holy Grail
I started to think about resale value and how, if I sold a handful of my bags, it would probably be enough to purchase the vintage Hermès Kelly bag that has quickly become my ultimate holy grail. My collection is finally at the point where I could sell off a handful of bags and get my HG—the one bag that still feels entirely out of reach. Though I’ve vowed to start saving for it this year, I’m very much someone who thrives off instant gratification.
Please tell me I’m not the only one! But would I do it? Will I do it?
No.
The Stories Behind the Bags
While I am a firm believer in quality over quantity, the collection I’ve built is one I’m proud of, and its value is more than just monetary. It comprises around 20 bags representing major milestones in my life, and each one is a bag I love and that brings me joy.
From the first Dior Saddle Pochette I saved for and purchased for myself when I was just 13, to the Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 that my parents gifted me for my graduation from high school, to the very first editor’s gift I received from a luxury brand—and every other bag in between—each bag holds meaning to me and represents a certain time in my life.
Sentimentality aside, these bags are all bags that I use. Though the instant gratification of finally getting my ultimate dream bag would feel good, the guilt I would later feel over getting rid of items that mean so much to me would not be worth it.
Choosing Gratitude Over Upgrading
Over the years, I’ve sold off about 10 bags (not at once), and I’m pleased with my collection. So while I could easily gather enough money to snag something others may deem worthier of shelf space, I’ve learned over the years to be grateful for what I have rather than constantly searching for the next best thing.
Sure, I do want to add a rare vintage Chanel piece to my collection one day, and the vintage Kelly of my dreams, but I’m certain that parting with a handful of bags at a time (or more) isn’t the way to do it.
Would you?
I recently sold a few bags to buy my holy grail Birkin. However, unlike you they had no sentimental value, and with over 50 designer bags in my collection it was too many. So, it made more sense to buy something that I loved vs. having a closet full of unused bags.
Wow, 50! I think if I were in that range and had a lot of unused bags, I would do the same. I have about 20 bags, and there are only a couple I could maybe do without, which wouldn’t get me very far, so I would have to sacrifice ones I still love for the immediate trade.
If anything, I might sell one or two and use it to jumpstart the fund. Appreciate everyone’s perspectives and inputs here! 🙂
For me, selling isn’t about chasing the next “holy grail.”
It’s about the life of the bag. I’d rather see a beautiful piece go to someone who will truly cherish and carry it than let it sit in my closet unloved and collecting dust. There’s something special about knowing it’s starting a new chapter with someone who will appreciate it.
I did exactly that. In the past 3 years I sold 45 bags to Fashionphile and used that money to “exchanged” for a birkin 25, a kelly 25, a mini kelly, a kelly pochette, & a Constance 18 and I couldn’t be happier. No regrets on selling any one of the 45 bags. Just a side note, Hermes and Chanel definitely holds their value the best. On a few of my Hermes & Chanel bags I actually got more money from Fashionphile than what I paid for & when you choose the store credit option you get a 10% bonus.
I sold more than 20 bags too to help with my bkc fund. Same here no regrets selling them i dont miss them at all. When i was younger my goal was to buy 1 bag from every famous brand but then i realized that i will only stick to my favorites from now on which is hermes and chanel. So i sold off those bags. I also pressured myself to keep saving for the big goal that i have. I sacrificed a lot of small purchases (clothes and shoes).
I realized that quality over quantity was the way to go for me. My holy grail is my Chanel jumbo double flap, once I made this purchase I calmed down a lot. I still purchase a bag here and there, always a lot of research goes into making a purchase. I never follow trends, only buy what speaks to me.
I don’t have a holy grail bag and am not sure I want one. Yes, there are bags I really like and would enjoy being able to get them, but I try to avoid being obsessed by things in general. Plus I’m happy with the bags I have. When I do decide that a perfectly good bag no longer fits my current lifestyle or taste, I usually try to give it away, either to friends or to a charity like Dress for Success.
No such thing as a holy grail bag for me, only the best bag to carry for the day, occasion, and outfit.
This is something I have been wrestling with over the past year.
I fell in love with handbags with my first purchase of a “speedy” style handbag in dare I say “plastic” from a drug store at the young age of ten using my allowance. As I have “aged” or become more seasoned, my love for bags and leather craftmaship has only grown. (Thank you Purseblog for your amazing community and diversity of writers!)
However, after (gasp!) over some 40 years of purchasing, my collection is somewhat ridiculous. Who wants to start a Handbag Museum with me???
… I digress…
I have been meditating on Quality Over Quantity, realizing that my nieces will not want most of my bags, and do these bags that I own bring me that feeling of happiness when I see them in my closet? … When I use them? … Or, am I just filling space with stuff I don’t use? And does this stuffed full space make my poor overworked brain go nuts with the visual clutter?
As I consider selling bags, I try to focus on people who might love one of my unused bags, yet could not afford it new… almost as if by letting go and selling the bag I am giving it new life. This creates positive emotion for me and helps me with letting go.
I also have focused on how I feel AFTER I have let the bag go…
Do I feel any regret? Am I happy using the cash to invest in the stock market or towards a bag that is beautiful that I will actually use? … Thereby, adding more positive feelings in my everyday life just by carrying the bag.
By focusing on my feelings after letting the bag go, I am realizing even if I “lost money” on the bag, it is still “found dollars.” I have the added the potential for something that fits me better where I am in my life at this moment. (Insert short lecture on “Sunk Cost” economics here… lol.)
It’s my crazy brain that sees the “potential” or “possibilities” of using the old bags that get me STUCK in not letting go of something I have not been using. Almost like a speed bump. I am working on overcoming this. Could I use the money for an upgrade? Yes… but that is not where I am now.
I am more focused on the first step…
Letting go…
Feeling security in myself…
And enjoying my handbag collection for what it is… beautiful, useful artwork.
This is something I have been considering recently. I have been going back and forth on it, trying to decide what I would get if I pared down my collection. I was cleaning and conditioning some of my less used bags this weekend and realized how much I liked even my less-used bags, so for now, just going yo appreciate what I have and give everything more arm time — at least until resale prices recover and I would actually be able to sell bags for a decent amount
I don’t have the volume of bags that other responders do to sell off, but it’s been a couple years that I started buying bags I intended to keep forever. That way it really forces me to make smart purchases (for myself) and also helps justify high price points. But it also means I wouldn’t sell any of them off to get something I wanted more.