When Less is More (money in my pocket)

Fimpagebag

Fimpagebag

O.G.
Jul 27, 2013
7,291
11,461
#1
Having recently overhauled my handbag collection in preparation to upcoming retirement, I have made my adjustments to living within the bounds of a fixed income. With the exception of two Bals, my collection now consists of fairly obscure moderately income priced contemporary designer bags. Less bling and more bang has resulted in an understated collection that (oddly enough) draws more compliments than did my premier designer bags. Perhaps my more moderate bags have the effect of making me more accessible, less suspicious of a complimentary glance. I will always admire premier designer bags, and continue to congratulate all here on TPF when you reveal your magnificent purchases. But for myself, I am content with where I am and the future in which I have every confidence I will savor.

:wave:
 
#2
I have been simplifying my own collection and wish list lately. I like having a more limited collection for many different reasons.

Other than your Bals, what do you have in your collection?
 
#3
Rachal217 said:
I have been simplifying my own collection and wish list lately. I like having a more limited collection for many different reasons.

Other than your Bals, what do you have in your collection?
Click to expand...

Franco Sarto, London Fog, Etienne Aigner, Stone Mountain, Dooney, and the odd "off" brand or two. They're all very wearable and transition well from night to day, season to season.

:biggrin:
 
#4
Fimpagebag said:
Having recently overhauled my handbag collection in preparation to upcoming retirement, I have made my adjustments to living within the bounds of a fixed income. With the exception of two Bals, my collection now consists of fairly obscure moderately income priced contemporary designer bags. Less bling and more bang has resulted in an understated collection that (oddly enough) draws more compliments than did my premier designer bags. Perhaps my more moderate bags have the effect of making me more accessible, less suspicious of a complimentary glance. I will always admire premier designer bags, and continue to congratulate all here on TPF when you reveal your magnificent purchases. But for myself, I am content with where I am and the future in which I have every confidence I will savor.

:wave:
Click to expand...
I have recently done this very thing, but not in preparing for retirement - merely preparing to live more sensibly and within my means (which isn't much, no matter how much I'd like to believe otherwise).

Looking back to my youth and remembering that I carried everything I needed in a relatively small Coach bag, I thought to check their site, and lo and behold, they'd re-issued the very bag I'd started with - the Coach Classic Basic bag. I guess they did that a while ago, but I was caught up in a certain premier designer (who shall always be my favorite) and didn't pay attention.

At any rate: Now, I've downsized, have a new wallet coming (Frye Campus Small Wallet),and along with a Ghurka pencil case and slim card wallet, and ta-da, I'll fit perfectly with a bit of room to spare in my 'new to me' wine/cranberry red Coach Classic Basic bag.

What I really like about the Coach Classic Basic bag is that one can take the shoulder strap off and have a clutch, it works well from day to night, from casual to a tad more classy and can dress up or down. Two bags in one!

I've got a black CCB bag coming, and I've kept the Bottega Veneta Small Pillow Bag in Safran, so my collection is very small now, and very inexpensive (well, let's put it this way, it's paid for, so - that's the cheapest you can get, yes? Paid for with no debt).

I quite expect these three bags will meet my needs for years to come. If I want 'change', I'll get a different color small wallet. :smile:

So, that's my minimalist story, and I'm very happy!
 
#5
indiaink said:
I have recently done this very thing, but not in preparing for retirement - merely preparing to live more sensibly and within my means (which isn't much, no matter how much I'd like to believe otherwise).

Looking back to my youth and remembering that I carried everything I needed in a relatively small Coach bag, I thought to check their site, and lo and behold, they'd re-issued the very bag I'd started with - the Coach Classic Basic bag. I guess they did that a while ago, but I was caught up in a certain premier designer (who shall always be my favorite) and didn't pay attention.

At any rate: Now, I've downsized, have a new wallet coming (Frye Campus Small Wallet),and along with a Ghurka pencil case and slim card wallet, and ta-da, I'll fit perfectly with a bit of room to spare in my 'new to me' wine/cranberry red Coach Classic Basic bag.

What I really like about the Coach Classic Basic bag is that one can take the shoulder strap off and have a clutch, it works well from day to night, from casual to a tad more classy and can dress up or down. Two bags in one!

I've got a black CCB bag coming, and I've kept the Bottega Veneta Small Pillow Bag in Safran, so my collection is very small now, and very inexpensive (well, let's put it this way, it's paid for, so - that's the cheapest you can get, yes? Paid for with no debt).

I quite expect these three bags will meet my needs for years to come. If I want 'change', I'll get a different color small wallet. :smile:

So, that's my minimalist story, and I'm very happy!
Click to expand...

:goodpost: Love this, Indiaink! Congrats on your Coach Classic and your resolve. I agree taking a minimalistic approach can be very freeing!

:happydance:
 
#7
Fim and Indiaink, I think YOU are on the right path.
I would like to take a minimalist approach too, only trouble is I have a lot of bags I want to sell but I am scared to use ebay and I have had no success with consignment stores so far
A few I have given to friends or nieces but I am still stuck with too many...
I know that two of them will be given to a friend who lives abroad, I will take them to her when I visit her country in the next few weeks.
What I did to spend less, is ignore the premier brands and buy contemporary or obscure brands, but I realized with the money I have recently spent on 4or 5.....I could have bought the Picotin.
When shall I be reasonable?:nuts:
 
#8
Mariapia said:
Fim and Indiaink, I think YOU are on the right path.
I would like to take a minimalist approach too, only trouble is I have a lot of bags I want to sell but I am scared to use ebay and I have had no success with consignment stores so far
A few I have given to friends or nieces but I am still stuck with too many...
I know that two of them will be given to a friend who lives abroad, I will take them to her when I visit her country in the next few weeks.
What I did to spend less, is ignore the premier brands and buy contemporary or obscure brands, but I realized with the money I have recently spent on 4or 5.....I could have bought the Picotin.
When shall I be reasonable?:nuts:
Click to expand...


ITA with Mariapia that you two - Fim and Indiaink - are on the right path. Your mindset and approach are admirable. :biggrin:


Mariapia - I think you're doing something right with your collection, whatever you may think. I've been loving your pieces I've seen posted here on tPF ;)


Now to add on to this thread... same as Mariapia, I don't sell my bags. I have been cutting down by giving away mostly those that I don't really get to use (so far, 2 Prada nylon bags (love them but I realized I didn't need that many nylon bags especially since I just purchased my first few Longchamps, plus the ones I gave away looked very similar to the Prada nylon bag I decided to keep), 2 LVs, and 1 Bal). That helped balance out the purchases I made this year, and I feel my current collection is at a good number, with pieces different enough from each other for me to use each one of them often.


My way of having more money in my pocket was exploring contemporary brands more - Longchamp, the Lauren line of Ralph Lauren, Furla. It's good to know there are high quality pieces out there at reasonable price points. Near the start of the year, around 85% of my small collection were made up of premier designer bags. Now, close to the end of the year, it's down to around 65%. Another thing I did this year was to buy pre-loved. Before April of this year, I never purchased a pre-loved bag (too paranoid about authenticity and scams). Now though, many purchases I've made since April have been pre-loved (usually in great condition and at pretty amazing deals - plus authenticated), with a few brand-new ones thrown in the mix.


At this point I can say I am bag content. I'd love to reach the level of bag zen of Fim and Indiaink some day though ;)
 
#9
Maice said:
ITA with Mariapia that you two - Fim and Indiaink - are on the right path. Your mindset and approach are admirable. :biggrin:


Mariapia - I think you're doing something right with your collection, whatever you may think. I've been loving your pieces I've seen posted here on tPF ;)


Now to add on to this thread... same as Mariapia, I don't sell my bags. I have been cutting down by giving away mostly those that I don't really get to use (so far, 2 Prada nylon bags (love them but I realized I didn't need that many nylon bags especially since I just purchased my first few Longchamps, plus the ones I gave away looked very similar to the Prada nylon bag I decided to keep), 2 LVs, and 1 Bal). That helped balance out the purchases I made this year, and I feel my current collection is at a good number, with pieces different enough from each other for me to use each one of them often.


My way of having more money in my pocket was exploring contemporary brands more - Longchamp, the Lauren line of Ralph Lauren, Furla. It's good to know there are high quality pieces out there at reasonable price points. Near the start of the year, around 85% of my small collection were made up of premier designer bags. Now, close to the end of the year, it's down to around 65%. Another thing I did this year was to buy pre-loved. Before April of this year, I never purchased a pre-loved bag (too paranoid about authenticity and scams). Now though, many purchases I've made since April have been pre-loved (usually in great condition and at pretty amazing deals - plus authenticated), with a few brand-new ones thrown in the mix.


At this point I can say I am bag content. I'd love to reach the level of bag zen of Fim and Indiaink some day though ;)
Click to expand...

Not to worry, Maice. You're on the right path. The day comes when you are utterly content and you neither envy nor hunger for the next bag.

:hugs:
 
#10
Fim, could you post a photo of your 'downsized' collection?

When the rest of my (smaller) things arrives today, I'll take a photo of my new smaller collection and post. I think it will help others who want to downsize and just have what they 'need' to see that doing so doesn't mean you don't have a very nice collection, in the end (and as you've already noted, getting more compliments like you have).
 
#11
Thanks for sharing! And I too would love to see your new, more modest collection. :smile:

I can't afford premier designers and have a fairly low limit for purses at this point ($400 is a hard rule although I think I have only spent more than $300 once), but I have way too much of everything--purses, shoes, and clothes. I am not a minimalist but I am trying to streamline my wardrobe and adjust to a smaller, far more reasonable shopping budget so that I can get to a comfortable retirement down the line. ;)
 
#12
indiaink said:
Fim, could you post a photo of your 'downsized' collection?

When the rest of my (smaller) things arrives today, I'll take a photo of my new smaller collection and post. I think it will help others who want to downsize and just have what they 'need' to see that doing so doesn't mean you don't have a very nice collection, in the end (and as you've already noted, getting more compliments like you have).
Click to expand...

I'll try to post a pic this weekend. It's cold and gray and raining today, but the weather should lighten tomorrow and Saturday. But right now...yuck!

:rain::pout::storm:
 
#13
renza said:
Thanks for sharing! And I too would love to see your new, more modest collection. :smile:

I can't afford premier designers and have a fairly low limit for purses at this point ($400 is a hard rule although I think I have only spent more than $300 once), but I have way too much of everything--purses, shoes, and clothes. I am not a minimalist but I am trying to streamline my wardrobe and adjust to a smaller, far more reasonable shopping budget so that I can get to a comfortable retirement down the line. ;)
Click to expand...

I hope you won't be too disappointed in my collection, Renza. I reduced my handbag budget to no more than $200 per bag. It was a challenge I made to myself and am actually quite pleased with the bags I have. (Full disclosure: both my Bals are preowned and one was a Mother's Day gift while the other is a vintage First.)

:giggles:
 
#14
Fimpagebag said:
I hope you won't be too disappointed in my collection, Renza. I reduced my handbag budget to no more than $200 per bag. It was a challenge I made to myself and am actually quite pleased with the bags I have. (Full disclosure: both my Bals are preowned and one was a Mother's Day gift while the other is a vintage First.)

:giggles:
Click to expand...
I'm sure I won't be. ;) Balenciaga (I think the City, maybe?) used to be my dream purse. At this point though, even if I had the money, I'm not sure what I would want.
 
#15
renza said:
I'm sure I won't be. ;) Balenciaga (I think the City, maybe?) used to be my dream purse. At this point though, even if I had the money, I'm not sure what I would want.
Click to expand...

I do love my two Bals, but they aren't for everyday. The Orange Rouille First is my smallest bag. My Brief sees limited use. My workhorse bags are my Sartos, Aigner, London Fog, Dooney, Stone Mountain etc. They have a minimalistic, polished look without being either too casual or too formal. I also divide my collection seasonally. My spring/summer bags always feel new when I bring them out in April. The same holds true for my fall/ winter bags I'm enjoying now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back