2017 resolution - shopping my own bag and wallet collection. Any one else?

[msd_bags]

I was thinking HBG's post and was curious why I've sold or donated bags. So, I went back over the three years I've kept records to see.

I sold many more bags each year than I listed here. But, those bags were bought 5 - 10+ years earlier when I wasn't being careful about purchases. So, I only evaluated why I "flipped" bags I purchased in the past three years when I've participated in this thread and was supposed to be be buying carefully. The items in black are solds. The ones in grey I'm seriously considering selling.

2017
(1) Didn't get strap drop before buying
(1) Didn't want contemporary bag

2016
(3) Didn't want contemporary bag
(1) Upgraded style
(1) Poor quality (YSL)
(1) Didn't like material - caviar

2015
(3) Didn't want contemporary bag
(2) Didn't like material - patent
(2) Upgraded style
(1) Poor quality (Dooney)
(1) Cheap filler bag bought for event
(1) Didn't like material - patent
(2) Didn't like material - saffiano

35% of my flipping is buyer's remorse from buying a contemporary bag when I wanted premier. Ok, Spark, know yourself and just buy what you want.

30% is simply discontent from the bag's materials. Yikes! I liked the look and function of the bag but, wanted it in a different leather. Who knew material was that big of a deal to me?? And, I should never buy another patent bag. I thought I liked patent. Evidently not.

Once again, a bag analysis is helpful for me. LOL! My perceptions were way off. Until I commented on HBG's post, I'd have thought I got rid of bags for functionality reasons. But, I haven't done that even once in the past 3 years. Except for two unhappy surprises about quality, it's all been about some aspect of style.

I guess that's good in one way, I definitely know what structure / size / features of a bag work for my lifestyle. But, I need to hard pause to make sure I love the look / materials. I'm really surprised by this. And, more than a little frustrated with myself.

I kove reading your analyses. They also give me good insights on my collection and how it has moved over time.

I can relate on material. Used to be I preferred smooth leathers, now I prefer more textured (pebbled) in general. Though for Massaccesi I like the smooth nappa better. Knowing this has helped me look away from certain lustful bags!!

Apropos of the discussion of knowing our bags and ourselves ...

Since joining this thread in March, I’ve gotten my bag life so well organized by using Albums on my devices. My Albums are :
Fall/Winter by Size
Fall/Winter by Color
Spring/Summer
Travel Bags
Archival Bags
Clutches
Shopping Bag of Doom

Every bag has a picture in its Album and is stored with its group. So I have my Fall/Winter bags on my shelves now. Clutches, which don’t take much space, are there too. Spring and summer are boxed. Archival is boxed. The Travel group is stored in a separate area that I don’t go to much. The SBoD is literally a big LV shopping bag with 5 in it whose exit strategy I haven’t yet figured out yet.

Each Album tells me how many pics are in it so I can do a quick total count.

If I move a bag from one category to another i.e.,the bag is too open to be a F/W bag, I box it with the S/S and move its picture.

This system evolved over the year and I LOVE it because I enjoy looking at the pics of the bags. Sometimes I play it as a slideshow with music. Yikes! But I’m so visual when it comes to my bags. I’m not nerdy like this with anything else, I promise y’all.

The downside is that I don't have a count for number of wears. I’m beginning to make ticks on my pictures but this looks goofy. Maybe 2018 will bring motivation for a spreadsheet.

Example of use: Last weekend, I was bag shopping with DH for Christmas. My birthday passed so he gave me my Xmas present then because I couldn’t decide on a bag. We were back to the LV Siena. I thought I wanted the MM but the GM felt like a better size. I looked in my album, Fall/Winter Bags by Size, and saw that my largest F/W Bag is the Sofia Coppola PM ( it’s a roomy bag but still ...) so I knew the GM would be the better choice for the Siena.

Here’s a thumbnail shot of my neat-ish shelves with F/W Bags plus clutches. I owe it all to the impetus and thought coming from you ladies on this thread. Thank you! .

View attachment 3905905

I love how you've come up with a system that works well for you. I also have pics of my bags in an album. And in my list where I tick bag use, it is color coded for bag type (snap shot sample on next post).

I feel so bad. I’ve been so sick I’m too tired to change bags. I’ve been in my Herbag still, but it was supposed to be Mulberry’s time to shine.
So frustrating, I want to change bags but I also just want to rest. [emoji36]

Feel better soon Bake!

 

[msd_bags]

Sample pic of my bags in my phone's album!

And screen shot of my Evernote monthly tick list.

The numbers appearing after the bag name are the date of use (e.g. when there is 17, that means December 17).
Showed this to a friend and she just couldn't take this OCD behavior (according to her)!!

 

[msd_bags]

He doesn't know it (may not have a clue at all) but the husband of my niece is killing me with anticipation over my Mulberry bag!! He has not opened the box 'til now and I think his flight might be tonight or early morning tomorrow (from SG to here)! My niece said yesterday that he prepared his baggage the other day and checked if all that he is bringing here fit. But he must have forgotten to include the bag! So my niece just reminded him yesterday. A night has passed now but he has not opened the box still! I just checked with my niece. Of course I have to pretend to be just chill about it. Hah! But I'm already dying from anxiety!

On a related note, still with this niece. She just got a Chanel from her Dad! She is the niece who just gave birth and who has been lusting for a Chanel Boy and the husband has been considering getting her one as "push" present. In contrast (to me), she got the package last night and still has not opened it. She said she wants to cherish the beautiful packaging (seems the Dad asked somebody who traveled to Paris to buy the bag). It's not a Boy but some flap bag which is not the classic style. She was shown by her Dad a pic. Told her that if I were in her shoes, I could not NOT open the package immediately!

 

[paculina]

I feel so bad. I’ve been so sick I’m too tired to change bags. I’ve been in my Herbag still, but it was supposed to be Mulberry’s time to shine.
So frustrating, I want to change bags but I also just want to rest. [emoji36]

Welcome to my neighborhood. I've been in this general vicinity for 2 months now, ever since I went to urgent care and ended up being admitted to the hospital. Being sick, taking care of medical stuff, being concerned about medical stuff, all of it is physically and emotionally exhausting. Doesn't leave much room for other non-essential activity. Your Mulberry will wait patiently. Take care of yourself and feel better soon.

 

[westvillage]

I love hearing about your system, WestVillage! I especially like your idea of having bags organized by season. I'm thinking I might be able to do that here, though we don't exactly have "seasons" per se the way you do, but (for example) I can't quite see carrying my bright yellow Balenciaga City bag in the winter time. Right now I have my bags organized by designer, which helps me remember where they are (since I keep them in dust bags) but this may not be the most useful way to store them.

I giggled at the thought of your bags in a slideshow, with music... dancing handbags! Like one of those old Busby Berkeley movies!

Thanks Elaine ... I have loved my IPad and especially it’s photo apps since the day I first set eyes on it. Very entertaining when it comes to viewing bags .

 

[westvillage]

Sample pic of my bags in my phone's album!
View attachment 3906207
And screen shot of my Evernote monthly tick list.
View attachment 3906208
The numbers appearing after the bag name are the date of use (e.g. when there is 17, that means December 17).
Showed this to a friend and she just couldn't take this OCD behavior (according to her)!!

Ahhh msd ... a woman after my own heart and methods. I was thinking Excel but Evernote can be so much more IPad -centric for me. OCD ... or superior visual organization? I vote for the latter. Hooray for Us!

 

[msd_bags]

Thanks Elaine ... I have loved my IPad and especially it’s photo apps since the day I first set eyes on it. Very entertaining when it comes to viewing bags .

Oh, I forgot to add, at month's end, I summarize my Evernote list into this Excel sheet. I'm not sure if there is a facility in Evernote for consolidation. In the meantime, I use this spreadsheet which my friend swears is the height of OCD behavior!

 

[msd_bags]

Ahhh msd ... a woman after my own heart and methods. I was thinking Excel but Evernote can be so much more IPad -centric for me. OCD ... or superior visual organization? I vote for the latter. Hooray for Us!

I like the sound of superior visual organization, lol!!!

 

[westvillage]

Oh, I forgot to add, at month's end, I summarize my Evernote list into this Excel sheet. I'm not sure if there is a facility in Evernote for consolidation. In the meantime, I use this spreadsheet which my friend swears is the height of OCD behavior!

View attachment 3906284

Love seeing this too. I believe my collection of ACTIVE bags ... not archival, travel, etc...is appropriate and under control finally, i.e. not so many of them anymore and few coming in, so I may feel like taking this next step starting in January. Seeing it laid out on a spreadsheet is a dispassionate way of knowing what has actually happened and I admire you and everyone who is keeping track like this. Kudos.

 

[msd_bags]

Love seeing this too. I believe my collection of ACTIVE bags ... not archival, travel, etc...is appropriate and under control finally, i.e. not so many of them anymore and few coming in, so I may feel like taking this next step starting in January. Seeing it laid out on a spreadsheet is a dispassionate way of knowing what has actually happened and I admire you and everyone who is keeping track like this. Kudos.

Formally keeping track of use like in a spreadsheet totally reveals a lot of things, so yes, if you have the opportunity I encourage you to do it!! Glad that a major part of your collection is under control!

 

[pianolize]

I was thinking HBG's post and was curious why I've sold or donated bags. So, I went back over the three years I've kept records to see.

I sold many more bags each year than I listed here. But, those bags were bought 5 - 10+ years earlier when I wasn't being careful about purchases. So, I only evaluated why I "flipped" bags I purchased in the past three years when I've participated in this thread and was supposed to be be buying carefully. The items in black are solds. The ones in grey I'm seriously considering selling.

2017
(1) Didn't get strap drop before buying
(1) Didn't want contemporary bag

2016
(3) Didn't want contemporary bag
(1) Upgraded style
(1) Poor quality (YSL)
(1) Didn't like material - caviar

2015
(3) Didn't want contemporary bag
(2) Didn't like material - patent
(2) Upgraded style
(1) Poor quality (Dooney)
(1) Cheap filler bag bought for event
(1) Didn't like material - patent
(2) Didn't like material - saffiano

35% of my flipping is buyer's remorse from buying a contemporary bag when I wanted premier. Ok, Spark, know yourself and just buy what you want.

30% is simply discontent from the bag's materials. Yikes! I liked the look and function of the bag but, wanted it in a different leather. Who knew material was that big of a deal to me?? And, I should never buy another patent bag. I thought I liked patent. Evidently not.

Once again, a bag analysis is helpful for me. LOL! My perceptions were way off. Until I commented on HBG's post, I'd have thought I got rid of bags for functionality reasons. But, I haven't done that even once in the past 3 years. Except for two unhappy surprises about quality, it's all been about some aspect of style.

I guess that's good in one way, I definitely know what structure / size / features of a bag work for my lifestyle. But, I need to hard pause to make sure I love the look / materials. I'm really surprised by this. And, more than a little frustrated with myself.

Wow, this is really helpful and interesting, thanks! When you decided you didn't like certain leathers, was that after you'd purchased and carried them? I've been purchasing 'things' only if I LOOOOVE them at least, say... 94/96%. Possibly another reason why I don't actually start using bags immediately- but apparently maybe this is a one-sided approach, since at times I'm floored if I love something much more than anticipated!

Apropos of the discussion of knowing our bags and ourselves ...

Since joining this thread in March, I’ve gotten my bag life so well organized by using Albums on my devices. My Albums are :
Fall/Winter by Size
Fall/Winter by Color
Spring/Summer
Travel Bags
Archival Bags
Clutches
Shopping Bag of Doom

Every bag has a picture in its Album and is stored with its group. So I have my Fall/Winter bags on my shelves now. Clutches, which don’t take much space, are there too. Spring and summer are boxed. Archival is boxed. The Travel group is stored in a separate area that I don’t go to much. The SBoD is literally a big LV shopping bag with 5 in it whose exit strategy I haven’t yet figured out yet.

Each Album tells me how many pics are in it so I can do a quick total count.

If I move a bag from one category to another i.e.,the bag is too open to be a F/W bag, I box it with the S/S and move its picture.

This system evolved over the year and I LOVE it because I enjoy looking at the pics of the bags. Sometimes I play it as a slideshow with music. Yikes! But I’m so visual when it comes to my bags. I’m not nerdy like this with anything else, I promise y’all.

The downside is that I don't have a count for number of wears. I’m beginning to make ticks on my pictures but this looks goofy. Maybe 2018 will bring motivation for a spreadsheet.

Example of use: Last weekend, I was bag shopping with DH for Christmas. My birthday passed so he gave me my Xmas present then because I couldn’t decide on a bag. We were back to the LV Siena. I thought I wanted the MM but the GM felt like a better size. I looked in my album, Fall/Winter Bags by Size, and saw that my largest F/W Bag is the Sofia Coppola PM ( it’s a roomy bag but still ...) so I knew the GM would be the better choice for the Siena.

Here’s a thumbnail shot of my neat-ish shelves with F/W Bags plus clutches. I owe it all to the impetus and thought coming from you ladies on this thread. Thank you! .

View attachment 3905905

Wow, thanks- this is really useful info, too! So you have never used one of these apps? I'm tracking my usage but scared that either the app will shut down (after all this work!!!), and it's not as precise as an actual spreadsheet. (But do I reeeeeally NEED that?!) Thx!!!

 

[ElainePG]

Oh, I forgot to add, at month's end, I summarize my Evernote list into this Excel sheet. I'm not sure if there is a facility in Evernote for consolidation. In the meantime, I use this spreadsheet which my friend swears is the height of OCD behavior!

View attachment 3906284

Wow, MSD... this is a terrific system! Definitely not OCD, just super organized and very good data analysis!

 

[HopelessBagGirl]

Wow you guys are hardcore!

I was thinking about a totally non digital approach. Since I have about 30 outfits, and about 30 bags, maybe I could just try turning the bag around backwards when I put it back on it’s shelf, and try not to reuse bags in the same month. When they are all turned around backwards I know the month is up and it’s time to start from the beginning, then putting the bag back up face front again after using. This works well because I’m switching every day. And of course if there’s a compelling reason to duplicate a bag in the same month it’s not like I’ll get fined or anything for breaking the plan, but it sort of makes my brain happy to think about the bags all getting a day per month to be worn. That seems reasonable to me, a nice mix of avoiding boredom with clothes/bags/accessories and also not letting items languish in my closet for *too* long before being used.

This is because I’m a miserable morning person who enjoys not one iota more than necessary of thinking, deciding, doing.... having everything switched out the night before and laid out makes my mornings just very mindless, hence the preplanned rotation of 29-30 ‘outfits of the day’ all accessorized ahead of time. The bag that gets paired with each bag is not predestined as most of my bags are very versatile. I prefer to pair the bag primarily to the coat and boots, and I choose the coat and boots based on weather...

 

[Sparkletastic]

I kove reading your analyses. They also give me good insights on my collection and how it has moved over time.

I can relate on material. Used to be I preferred smooth leathers, now I prefer more textured (pebbled) in general. Though for Massaccesi I like the smooth nappa better. Knowing this has helped me look away from certain lustful bags!!

I love how you've come up with a system that works well for you. I also have pics of my bags in an album. And in my list where I tick bag use, it is color coded for bag type (snap shot sample on next post).


Feel better soon Bake!

I really love great leathers. I like smooth but some can show wear too easily. Pebbled is easy to wear.

What I don't seem to like is hard leathers like epi and saffiano. Which is a shame because they can be so beautiful and resistant to wear. Even though I prefer structured bags I don't like rigid ones. That's why framed bags are my least favorite.

Sample pic of my bags in my phone's album!
View attachment 3906207
And screen shot of my Evernote monthly tick list.
View attachment 3906208
The numbers appearing after the bag name are the date of use (e.g. when there is 17, that means December 17).
Showed this to a friend and she just couldn't take this OCD behavior (according to her)!!

Love the organization. My usage tracking is simpler. Just ticks on my list in Evernote. And, I start a new one every Oct. 1.

 

[Sparkletastic]

Wow you guys are hardcore!

I was thinking about a totally non digital approach. Since I have about 30 outfits, and about 30 bags, maybe I could just try turning the bag around backwards when I put it back on it’s shelf, and try not to reuse bags in the same month. When they are all turned around backwards I know the month is up and it’s time to start from the beginning, then putting the bag back up face front again after using. This works well because I’m switching every day. And of course if there’s a compelling reason to duplicate a bag in the same month it’s not like I’ll get fined or anything for breaking the plan, but it sort of makes my brain happy to think about the bags all getting a day per month to be worn. That seems reasonable to me, a nice mix of avoiding boredom with clothes/bags/accessories and also not letting items languish in my closet for *too* long before being used.

This is because I’m a miserable morning person who enjoys not one iota more than necessary of thinking, deciding, doing.... having everything switched out the night before and laid out makes my mornings just very mindless, hence the preplanned rotation of 29-30 ‘outfits of the day’ all accessorized ahead of time. The bag that gets paired with each bag is not predestined as most of my bags are very versatile. I prefer to pair the bag primarily to the coat and boots, and I choose the coat and boots based on weather...

Same here. I hate the mornings with a passion. I put my things out the night before and stumble through life like a zombie til my brain wakes up around 9am.

I would be the happiest person on the planet if I didn't have to sleep. I hate to sleep. It's such a waste of time when I could be doing something. LOL!