There doesn't seem to have been a man in this thread yet...so here goes
I am 20 (21 in 2 weeks), and grew up very upper middle class. Now I am in the midst of my 3rd year of undergraduate, with hopes of being done May 2009 (currently abroad in France). My parents are sensible, smart, loving people, but they already went through expensive child #1 (my brother, age 31), so they are very ready for me to be out of school, supporting myself...which I understand and agree with, since they are getting up in age...(ie ready to retire) - all of which means that I pay for my love of all things leather on my own (sorry for the long explan).
I got into Prada and Louis Vuitton about 3 years ago, always picking the non-trendy, classic items over the logo-ed stuff...and recently have resorted to saving up as much money as possible to get one big thing (LV SS07 Bequia Trotter last summer, if you are familiar) instead of 3 or 4 smaller things.
I feel like Hermes is the ultimate in leather goods (why else would I be here?), so of course, I have been saving. But, as per usual (within this thread), with price increases and the astronomical pricing (to begin with) of men's bags, I am forced into either H canvas/leather bags (buenaventura), or lower priced non-H leather bags (which I am now seriously considering...Prada).
In the end, I would love to collect exotic skin things. I saw a beautiful Globetrotter GM Zip agenda in natural lizard in Paris last weekend - 1400 euro (about $2100), and of course, anything croc would be fab. I also really love barenia...
I suppose my "wish list" might include the Victoria II in any color, a Kelly Depeche in any color, or a Steve messenger in Etoupe (something like 4300 euro in Bordeaux a couple of weeks ago!)...
Someday, once I have graduated, and I have thrown myself to the mercy of the job gods, I will have my salaried paycheck and will be ready to take the plunge. But, as some of my friends have pointed out, I am only 20...I should pace myself
(ps again i apologize for the length)