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

[eggtartapproved]

Hi all, just popping in before we all get REALLY into the holidays. This will be my final post in 2017's thread and as usual, I will be starting a fresh one before the New Year so we can all get started. It's been a great 2017 ride with everyone and while I would have liked to have participated more in the lively discussions, look forward to the lively chatter of 2018.

To wrap up, I did not manage to have a bag or SLG free year, as I would have hoped, but what I did bring in (6 items in total), have quickly earned their place in my 'staple' section and have been well used. I also managed to find a long lost HG just a few weeks ago to help me wrap up the year, which was super exciting and satisfying. In fact, she's sitting next to me right now. I did manage to let go of a number of bags (7), not my 10 item goal, but still great progress and technically there is still 9 days left in the year, so anything can happen!

I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and fun holiday season with all those dear to you, and a very Happy New Year! I'll see all of you in 2018!

 

[kemi]

Hi all, just popping in before we all get REALLY into the holidays. This will be my final post in 2017's thread and as usual, I will be starting a fresh one before the New Year so we can all get started. It's been a great 2017 ride with everyone and while I would have liked to have participated more in the lively discussions, look forward to the lively chatter of 2018.

To wrap up, I did not manage to have a bag or SLG free year, as I would have hoped, but what I did bring in (6 items in total), have quickly earned their place in my 'staple' section and have been well used. I also managed to find a long lost HG just a few weeks ago to help me wrap up the year, which was super exciting and satisfying. In fact, she's sitting next to me right now. I did manage to let go of a number of bags (7), not my 10 item goal, but still great progress and technically there is still 9 days left in the year, so anything can happen!

I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and fun holiday season with all those dear to you, and a very Happy New Year! I'll see all of you in 2018!

Congrats on everything you were able to achieve this year. Wishing you a fabulous xmas and happy new year in advance as well. [emoji173]️

 

[dcooney4]

Hi all, just popping in before we all get REALLY into the holidays. This will be my final post in 2017's thread and as usual, I will be starting a fresh one before the New Year so we can all get started. It's been a great 2017 ride with everyone and while I would have liked to have participated more in the lively discussions, look forward to the lively chatter of 2018.

To wrap up, I did not manage to have a bag or SLG free year, as I would have hoped, but what I did bring in (6 items in total), have quickly earned their place in my 'staple' section and have been well used. I also managed to find a long lost HG just a few weeks ago to help me wrap up the year, which was super exciting and satisfying. In fact, she's sitting next to me right now. I did manage to let go of a number of bags (7), not my 10 item goal, but still great progress and technically there is still 9 days left in the year, so anything can happen!

I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and fun holiday season with all those dear to you, and a very Happy New Year! I'll see all of you in 2018!

Happy Holidays!

 

[HopelessBagGirl]

Hi all, just popping in before we all get REALLY into the holidays. This will be my final post in 2017's thread and as usual, I will be starting a fresh one before the New Year so we can all get started. It's been a great 2017 ride with everyone and while I would have liked to have participated more in the lively discussions, look forward to the lively chatter of 2018.

To wrap up, I did not manage to have a bag or SLG free year, as I would have hoped, but what I did bring in (6 items in total), have quickly earned their place in my 'staple' section and have been well used. I also managed to find a long lost HG just a few weeks ago to help me wrap up the year, which was super exciting and satisfying. In fact, she's sitting next to me right now. I did manage to let go of a number of bags (7), not my 10 item goal, but still great progress and technically there is still 9 days left in the year, so anything can happen!

I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and fun holiday season with all those dear to you, and a very Happy New Year! I'll see all of you in 2018!

Happy Holidays!

 

[ElainePG]

another red bag today - BV Pillow

This is perfect for the season... and I just adore what you've done with the snowflake charms! So festive!

 

[ElainePG]

I lost my marbles this month. I sold two bags but also bought two. One was planned. I wanted a small zipped tote with a good strap drop . The other was today at a local boutique that is in my area and just started carrying MZ Wallace. They had a super light metro Sutton in steel metal . This bag can shoulder carry and go cross body. My husband said It was light as a feather . It is a fun bag.

This is pretty, and I'm sure it is going to be really useful especially in bad weather. A lightweight, zipped tote is always a good thing to have in a collection.

 

[ElainePG]

Hi all, just popping in before we all get REALLY into the holidays. This will be my final post in 2017's thread and as usual, I will be starting a fresh one before the New Year so we can all get started. It's been a great 2017 ride with everyone and while I would have liked to have participated more in the lively discussions, look forward to the lively chatter of 2018.

To wrap up, I did not manage to have a bag or SLG free year, as I would have hoped, but what I did bring in (6 items in total), have quickly earned their place in my 'staple' section and have been well used. I also managed to find a long lost HG just a few weeks ago to help me wrap up the year, which was super exciting and satisfying. In fact, she's sitting next to me right now. I did manage to let go of a number of bags (7), not my 10 item goal, but still great progress and technically there is still 9 days left in the year, so anything can happen!

I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and fun holiday season with all those dear to you, and a very Happy New Year! I'll see all of you in 2018!

Happy holidays, egg! See you in 2018!

 

[eggtartapproved]

@kemi @dcooney4 @HopelessBagGirl @ElainePG same to all of you! [emoji8]

 

[msd_bags]

Hi all, just popping in before we all get REALLY into the holidays. This will be my final post in 2017's thread and as usual, I will be starting a fresh one before the New Year so we can all get started. It's been a great 2017 ride with everyone and while I would have liked to have participated more in the lively discussions, look forward to the lively chatter of 2018.

To wrap up, I did not manage to have a bag or SLG free year, as I would have hoped, but what I did bring in (6 items in total), have quickly earned their place in my 'staple' section and have been well used. I also managed to find a long lost HG just a few weeks ago to help me wrap up the year, which was super exciting and satisfying. In fact, she's sitting next to me right now. I did manage to let go of a number of bags (7), not my 10 item goal, but still great progress and technically there is still 9 days left in the year, so anything can happen!

I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and fun holiday season with all those dear to you, and a very Happy New Year! I'll see all of you in 2018!

I'll consolidate my notes and compare my actual bag buying behavior to my goal next week. I know I'm over my target too. But there have been lots of learnings this year.

Happy Holidays to you Egg!

I lost my marbles this month. I sold two bags but also bought two. One was planned. I wanted a small zipped tote with a good strap drop . The other was today at a local boutique that is in my area and just started carrying MZ Wallace. They had a super light metro Sutton in steel metal . This bag can shoulder carry and go cross body. My husband said It was light as a feather . It is a fun bag.

This is nice!! What's the other bag you got?

 

[ksuromax]

This is perfect for the season... and I just adore what you've done with the snowflake charms! So festive!

 

[Sparkletastic]

You should make a trip to NYC. Those brands are carried at Barneys & Bergdorf Goodman. There are flagship boutiques of their own on 5th & Madison Ave. You can also order them from Barneys online store which offers free return shipping.

That's a good idea! I'm not the biggest fan of NYC but my DD's been dying to go. So we can make a weekend of it!

----

This conversation about brand / pricing / classics etc. caused me to look at and read up on the Hermes B & K a little more. In looking at photos, I found that I love both bags in bright colors. Black is nice enough but the pink, peacock blue, green, purple...are gorgeous!

 

[Sparkletastic]

2017 Goals Review

I'm going to be super busy through Jan 4 (family visiting and a NYE weekend trip). And, I don't feel any purchases coming on. So, I'm jumping in a little early with my evaluation:

• 28 bag maximum in main collection

I had 26 bags and landed at 28. But, I no longer care about a hard limit. Floating somewhere between 30 - 35 bags works for me for now.

• Sell 22 bags: 18 purgatory, 4 collection

Off loaded 18 bags: Sold / donated 15 purgatory, 2 collection

I didn't make the goal but this was a decent effort. I have 2 bags still up for sale and fell back in love with 2 bags. Much better to fall in love with what I have than sell & buy something else. And, isn't that the original point of the thread?
• Buy no more than 2 bags

Bought 11 bags (one swap out)

Whew! I crashed and burned on this goal. I did a horrible job of evaluating my needs / situation for 2017. I was still had real gaps in my collection. And, I had a 3 week trip to Europe planned. Neither of those speak to spartan bag management. LOL! In future, I need to be tough but realistic.

• Have a 100% purchase success rate

82% success rate. I flipped 2 bags I purchased this year.

This is the goal about which I'm really mad at myself. My only consolation is I get better every year. 2016's success rate was an abysmal 52%.

The two bags I flipped were the only compromise bags I bought. I know better than this. Compromise bags NEVER work. So, why I pulled a dumb bunny twice and bought them, I can't understand.

2018 Goals
• Have a 100% success rate on purchases
• Sell 7 bags: 4 purgatory, 3 collection
• Buy no more than 5 bags

I really want to have a realistic buy goal. I know I want to get:
• Black tote
• Burgundy work bag
• Summer neutral color work bag
• A swap out of one material challenged bag
• A wild card (something will catch my eye)

I think I can keep down the crazy by being excited about the search and acquisition of the work bags. If I love them they will feel like a great add.

Even though they don't really affect my collection from a numbers perspective, I'm still going to count any swap outs in the goals. That way I don't drag my feet on selling the bag I replace.

Let me know if you have any suggestions!!

 

[HopelessBagGirl]

I was full on collection building throughout 2017 but the beast is content now.

Current collection is about 30.

2018 goals:

keep total under 35
Purchase 3-5 bags: 1-2 well thought out purchases in late March then another 90 days ban, *maybe* 1 bag in June (and another 90 days ban), and then 1-2 in autumn, followed by *another* 90 day ban, and then around black Friday/Christmas I could do 1 more as a Christmas gift from my husband (he prefers I pick out something on his behalf). But only if these small ban breaks sprinkled throughout the year are not taken advantage of and if the bag is pure love, no "just because it's nice" bags because I already have objectively 'enough.'
Nothing that will, per the parlance around here, 'cannibalize the usage' of my current bags and actually provide different functionality in my collection than something I already have. For example:
I don't have a year round red bag and no red crossbody
I don't have a small black bag with removable chain, that can be dressed up as clutch
I don't have anything in dark green
No year round taupe
I would love a boxy satchel
Black structured bag! Maybe a flap

I think this could work, being almost all of the time on ban but not an endless one, with occasional allowances to purchase something if something special comes along, after I've thought long and hard about it for weeks or even months.

Hopefully I will tone down my acquisitions to this modest level, and I think I have a chance because I am getting my mind off bags and trying to get serious and focused on writing my thesis. I want it done in 2018 so I can finish the program in November and move on with my life (in whatever way that ends up being) well before I turn 40, so that should eat up my mental energy.

 

[HopelessBagGirl]

Here's an aside.
So much quilted leather and woven leather chain straps in the world, especially after dark. So much Chanel-inspired for everyone's default date night look that I'm starting to feel the fatigue with the look that I got ten years ago with LV mono bags EVERYWHERE. Like I just can't deal with having a bag that is remarkably indistinguishable than the majority of bags on the majority of shoulders. It's like how I feel about seeing the neverfull everywhere as people's go to tote for every purpose, or how every bag that's not a NF is a heavily branded MK. It sets off major boredom and I find myself perking up and rubbernecking when I see any Other bag, because I'm so desperate for more variety in my bag watching life, in the wild.

It's sad because I just don't think the Chanel inspired detailing look as special to my eyes anymore and I'm pissed and I want my 'old eyes' back.
I also wish I didn't care so much about not being exactly like everyone else and just ignored anyone else and enjoy what I like. But I do so much not want to feel like the bag I am carrying is not super similar to the majority of other bags, in a given setting.

Sorry, whine over.

 

[dcooney4]

This years goals were not great.
1. was buy only 8 bags and 2 slgs.
Bought 18 bags and got rid of 18 bags so far. The month is not over. I had 4 slgs in and 5 slgs out. I ended up revamping my bags to truly fit my lifestyle. First one is a fail but I love what I kept.
2. Stay in allotted space in my closet. This was a resounding success. I got rid of most of my huge bags that were rarely worn and bought midsize light weight bags. I even have space to spare.
3. Was be more careful at point of purchase. I tried but this was a fail. I live so far away from decent stores that I have trouble remembering to check zippers , weight , strap drop, etc while dh is waiting for me outside of the shop. Though I did have less returns then last year.
4. keep list updated and check off bags that are used. With the exception of special occasion bags if a bag was getting no wear out it must go. This I did .I got rid of so many and I still have 6 more up for sale . The only exception I made was for Alma. I would not be able to afford her again if I sold her . So she stays for now as a special occasion bag.
5. Keep my photos updated. I took the photo's but when I upgraded my phone I couldn't find my album. I could probably retrieve them but I would have to look through thousands of photo's to recreate the old album. So I guess fail on this one as I don't have photo's of all of them in an album anymore.
All in all despite a lot of shopping I have worn all my bags except Alma this year. I love everything I have from the cheapest to the most expensive . So that is a true step in the right direction.