2019 resolution - shopping my own bag and wallet collection. Any one else?

[Sparkletastic]

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Okay lol, since you asked ... The black Plaza was in very good shape, but despite several conditioners was universally faded. I used a recolorant and love the rich coloring. The taupe brown Patricia’s Legacy was dry and squashed but shaped up nicely.

These are gorgeous. I really loved the older Coach bags. I would kill to have current bags that have that leather and construction.

 

[eggtartapproved]

View attachment 4286397 View attachment 4286401
Okay lol, since you asked ... The black Plaza was in very good shape, but despite several conditioners was universally faded. I used a recolorant and love the rich coloring. The taupe brown Patricia’s Legacy was dry and squashed but shaped up nicely.

[emoji7][emoji7][emoji7] so gorgeous!!!

 

[mwh2025]

YEAR SEVEN! WOW... every year, I am continually amazed by the longevity of this thread. The group continues to grow and we continue to support one another. The original intent of my thread was a personal resolution to shop my own bag and SLG collection in hopes to curb spending, implement a ban (of sorts), and enjoy what I already own. I've succeeded only one year (in 2015) in achieving 365 days of not buying any bags or SLGs. Following that year, though, my overall purchasing has slowed down significantly and my purchases are more thoughtful - refining my collection to suit my lifestyle has been the name of the game for me in the last several years; and I'm letting go of more pieces that don't work as well for me anymore.

In 2018, I tried to repeat 2015's success - it wasn't a complete success because I did bring new items in, but I also let go of 10 pieces; what I did bring in, I use almost every day. I'd say that is a different type of success =) I also tried to do a wardrobe ban but that didn't work lol - we all have to start somewhere, so now that I've attempted it, I know that it will be tough to do, but I think I will have more success this time around. I'm going to try again with a wardrobe ban and see how it goes. All in all though, if all else fails, I just want to have less than what I started with by the end of the year. I'm really trying to live without a lot of excess, and use up a lot of what I do have so it doesn't go to waste. My resolution this year is more of an overall lifestyle shift for me - I've had a pretty rough 2018, and this shift is to try to help me regain my health in all aspects of my life.

Looking forward to another year with everyone!

I love this. I have done a lot of rethinking about how I choose what I buy, selling what does not work any longer, and reducing my impact on the environment and helping to create sustainable fashion! Trying to not buy a single thing is hard and you are right that the other years ade different kinda of successes!

 

[eggtartapproved]

@aimee9090 so true! Sometimes if I feel I really must buy a bag and thinking about what I already have doesn’t work - I buy it, put my things in it, and compare it with the ones I own and realize that I really do have something similar, then return it. OR if it does work better, I let go of something that doesn’t work as well (usually if it’s in the same color that I bought)

@jill39 I’m totally with you this year on reducing the stress in my life

@msd_bags way to go in letting go of so many!

 

[bellarusa]

This is a good goal! Do you have a plan for how to get rid of the bags? Donation vs. consignment vs. direct sale?

The ones that I have in mind on getting rid of, I don't think they have any realistic consignment values in them. One might be for donation and the other one for direct sale. Although - I do have teenage daughters now - perhaps they would want to shop in old mom's closet?

 

[jill39]

@aimee9090 so true! Sometimes if I feel I really must buy a bag and thinking about what I already have doesn’t work - I buy it, put my things in it, and compare it with the ones I own and realize that I really do have something similar, then return it. OR if it does work better, I let go of something that doesn’t work as well (usually if it’s in the same color that I bought)

@jill39 I’m totally with you this year on reducing the stress in my life

@msd_bags way to go in letting go of so many!

Yes! And honestly I feel like some of these bags add stress. The wondering if I need it—or simply want it. The search. The waitlist. Need to reduce stress and unnecessary things...such a wonderful thread!

 

[whateve]

Yes! And honestly I feel like some of these bags add stress. The wondering if I need it—or simply want it. The search. The waitlist. Need to reduce stress and unnecessary things...such a wonderful thread!

And worrying that they aren't getting used enough. Worrying about the money I'll lose when I resell. Worrying that they won't sell...

 

[jill39]

And worrying that they aren't getting used enough. Worrying about the money I'll lose when I resell. Worrying that they won't sell...

Totally! Buyers remorse! Sellers remorse too!

 

[vink]

These are all the bags I bought and kept in 2018. In order: vintage Coach Sonoma drawstring $25, very vintage Coach classic pouch $12, vintage Coach Ranch bag $25, BV cervo hobo $99, BV vintage intrecciato, BV cervo baseball hobo, and Coach woven pocket Bleecker hobo $26. I've gone a little crazy for BV lately!

Wow! Great price and even better than that, beautiful bags! What a year you have!

 

[vink]

I bought a bunch of Massaccesi bags these past few months. And. So I will not buy bags for a while. My goal is just enjoy my recent acquisitions and donate or drop off at consignment what doesn't work anymore, be it the most expensive bags...
However I realized I really love using my Balenciaga Town and hope to get another preloved but I'm taking my time. No rush.
Here's to a great Year for my lovely TPFers!

I think we’re very much alike. [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]

 

[vink]

Well, my system is so easy it's embarrassing, but here it is. I basically use a spreadsheet format. Bags down the left, usage across from left to right. And every day that I carry the bag I put an x in the corresponding square. At the end of the year, it's easy to see which bags got the most usage.

This is the first year I've tracked by day, instead of by week, and I've found that it isn't time consuming and it's given me good information. I downsized one full-sized and two small bags because of it!

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I’m a weirdo and keep two lists on Google docs:

First, I note every time I wear a bag so I can count how many uses it got during the year—this is my 2018 top 10 so far.

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But then I also record the last DATE I wore a bag to try to catch the point I’m falling out of love with it. Some niche/seasonal bags don’t make it into rotation often, which is fine, but if I have a regular bag with low wears and that I haven’t worn in a while, it’s probably time to part with it.

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You both are amazingly organized! I salute you to that!

 

[vink]

Posting my goals in the new thread so I can find them.

2019 Goals
1. 100% success rate on purchases
2. Sell up to 2 bags
3. Buy no more than 4 bags and 1 SLG

———
I’m going to jump in with a bag I’m considering selling. My ivory Chanel.

I don’t wear this bag often. I’ve never been in love with it but, felt I needed this color in my closet. My thinking at the time was that by getting ivory in a C classic flap, it could sit in my closet forever without going out of style so when I needed it, it would be there.

Now I can’t truly tell if I don’t wear it because I don’t want to wear the color or if I don’t love the bag. But, I think it’s the latter. I feel like I’d wear an ivory bag more if I loved it. This is a good amount of money to have tied up in a potentially underperforming bag.

What do you all think? How do I figure this out? It’s not just about trying to love the bag. I need to figure out if the color will make me happy and be a nice addition to my wardrobe.

You should wear that bag more as a love it or leave it challenge. Its combo is hard to find and is the one you like. You always complain about not having ivory bag before you got it. Of course, there must be something such as you like other bags more, or you just don’t wear anything that require you to wear ivory bag. You should make it a mandatory to wear it for a week or more to see why it doesn’t go into your rotation. Coz once you let it go, I’m not so sure you’ll find it again at the price you like.

 

[vink]

Sometimes you feel you need a color in your wardrobe, but you don't really, not if it isn't a color you will reach for. Ivory does nothing for me. I think you have wear a lot of pastels for it to work with your wardrobe. Since I wear mostly blacks and jeweltones, I don't need this color. I have a pale pink bag I don't use much for the same reason, even though I really love the bag and the color.

If it is a color you think you might use just once in awhile, maybe pick a less expensive bag. Or before you do that, keep track of all the occasions when you wished you had an ivory bag to carry.

She did that already, tracking the occasion when she think she needed it and complain about not finding the perfect ivory bag for two years until she found this one. I think it’s either 1) it doesn’t get used much enough to the number she deem worthy of the price or keeping. 2) she prefer some other style in this color. I think she should create the occasion that she must wear it to know if it’s the right fit or not.

 

[jill39]

You both are amazingly organized! I salute you to that!

Very impressed! Great organization!

 

[vink]

I use both Evernote and Excel. I have a Note by month and I indicate what date of the month I wear a certain bag. At the end of each month I summarize using Excel, so I’ll know YTD usage, etc. I have a grouping for my bag - satchel/hand carry vs shoulder carry, so I get to monitor stats for those as well. My worksheet is almost 2 years complete by now!

On the left is a sample Evernote Note and on the right is my Excel worksheet. Those with blue highlights mean they have been rehomed. Kind of OCD huh?! [emoji3]

Wow! I wish I could do that! I just complained in last year thread about keeping stock. Seeing 4 girls already makes me think I should start doing that somewhere somehow. At the moment, I’m too tired to dig into all other things I don’t have it listed, but I can do that for those I have listed no problem. I’m pretty sure there’ll be a lot of bags that won’t get used on my list coz I tried tracking my habit last year and it seems I like to change out after two or three weeks and that definitely won’t make me finish using everything in my closet. But it could be a great start?