2020 resolution - shopping my own bag and wallet collection. Any one else?

[Mulberrygal]

This year my goal is to achieve a workable small collection. I don't want to keep bags I don't use, I've hung onto them for far too long. This goes for scarves too.
In fairness I thought I did have that a few years ago but I unexpectedly lost my job which changed my life and use of bags enormously. After a wind down of a couple of part time jobs for a year I'm now enjoying a life of leisure. That means all my larger work bags were made redundant too. I also walk practically everywhere so I very rarely carry any of my larger casual bags. I rectified this slightly last year, purchasing 1 LV backpack, 4 cross body..........but there is still a lot of work to be done.

For the first time in years I've totted up and made an assessment -

My collection is now down to 20 bags, a small collection to some but large to others. It's obviously personal to each individual needs, lifestyle, space, finances etc
Bags (20)
8 - never carry
4 - carry regular
1 - special occasions
6 - outings, holidays
1 - ?

Scarves (42)
Working on what to do with these

SLG
3 - large wallets (1 not used)
3 - small coin purses
2 - card holders
3 - pouch (unused)
Other pouches, make up bags, etc

I've at least made a start and identified the problem I'd like to and need to move on at least the 8 I don't use but I do find it difficult.........some I think maybe I'll use again but don't, most I know I'll lose too much money on and that hurts. ........I can find plenty of reasons not to


I'm also doing a "No Spend Year" and declaring war on any extras or more "stuff" that aren't needed within a strict budget I've created which applies to everything. I'm continuing my "no more stuff, more journeys" philosophy............plenty of trips, holidays and adventures have been booked to balance the scales

I've started with a January, shop my own freezer/larder This means a very low spend for Jan groceries with the benefit of having clear cupboards and freezer.
I had a lot of success last year with shopping my own wardrobes and I will continue not to buy ANY new clothes unless something needs to be replaced.
I failed miserably with shoes though ........so I'm not buying any at all this year.

I think most of us buy far too much, we are tempted by adverts, sales, Black Friday etc I watched the Maria Kondo "Tiding Up" last year for the first time and was horrified how much excesses people actually had, it made me think I was a minimalist at least my floor space is free.

 

[dcooney4]

A bit late posting but my Stats for the year look outwardly quite good for me but looks can be deceptive

Bags +5 -4
SLG +3 -2
Scarves +1 -4

Also 3 are still unsold at Consignment............I darent include, don't want to jinx their sales

I don't feel I did at all well as my intentions were just to move some on last year but Sep/Nov I had a big hiccup:-
+ 3 expensive new small bags and out 4 not so expensive larger bags (+2 at consignment)

Purchasing 3 smaller everyday bags meant my larger wallets weren't practical and as a result:-
+3 small coin/card and out went 2 large (+1 at consignment)

This years good intentions to follow in next post

Are the three smaller bags part of the five in ? I had so many ins and outs last year to get to where I am now. Though most of my ins were of the practical contemporary variety.

 

[doni]

Wow - you have thought this out - amazing post -are we separated at birth?
When not chasing around the world, my home climate is COLD. So blazers under coats are a given. However and therefore I have an extraordinarily large amount of coats - wear them ALL- sometimes as even regular wear; if the event is outdoors (Ribbon cutting or dedications, speeches etc)
So there is another layer to my “condition” - Keep saying: NO. MORE. COATS. - then I buy another coat - UGH!

I think the coat syndrome may be related to the blazer condition

I don’t think of myself as having such a problem with coats because my mother, who was otherwise a very sensible shopper, did big time, so I believe I am reasonable in comparison... She saw it as an obligation to source a new coat (or two) come the cold season. But after she passed away I have now brought home a number of her coats (furs and MaxMaras mainly), I am more than served in that front, and I still find myself eyeing others.

And I don’t even have ribbon cutting obligations to justify the expense. You are not Katherine Duchess of Cambridge by any chance? If you are, great coat collection you have

 

[Mulberrygal]

Are the three smaller bags part of the five in ? I had so many ins and outs last year to get to where I am now. Though most of my ins were of the practical contemporary variety.

Yes the 3 were part of the 5 but they were all big spends, LV and Chanel. At those prices they had to be "keepers" for me and not bags I want to be changing my mind about. I've lost loads of money reselling Dior in the past that I've barely used. I don't want to be in that position again I've been successfully downsizing for 3 years selling off the many and replacing with a more expensive few
I need the space as we're moving to a considerably smaller property less effort, less work, less stuff, more travels.

I've spent years tweaking my own collection and used to have far more ins and outs. Initially I only bought Mulberry when I was in my 20s but gradually moved away from them when the brand lost its way. The huge price hikes at the time actually pushed me to looking at other more expensive brands which probably wasn't their intention I still have 3 traditional Mulbs left that I use occasionally and 1 other that should go as I don't use it.

 

[Mulberrygal]

I think the coat syndrome may be related to the blazer condition

I don’t think of myself as having such a problem with coats because my mother, who was otherwise a very sensible shopper, did big time, so I believe I am reasonable in comparison... She saw it as an obligation to source a new coat (or two) come the cold season. But after she passed away I have now brought home a number of her coats (furs and MaxMaras mainly), I am more than served in that front, and I still find myself eyeing others.

And I don’t even have ribbon cutting obligations to justify the expense. You are not Katherine Duchess of Cambridge by any chance? If you are, great coat collection you have

Ooh lucky you, furs and MaxMaras My dear old Mum was very sensible but I didn't find such treasures when she sadly passed away,

Yes our lovely Duchess does have some fabulous coats It helps of course when you look that good in them too. Wouldn't you just love to get hold of a few of her cast offs?

 

[Mulberrygal]

Is anyone else having fomo when selling bags? I feel like I've been getting low offers, but at the same time, I know I never use the bags I'm selling. It seems silly at the end of the day. I need to be in the mindset of I'm paying for (proverbially) my poor purchases. Or I've already enjoyed this bag for what it's worth, I think. Ugh.

Oh yes, this is exactly what I'm going though. Re-sale prices have fallen terribly when you're selling I've identified 8 bags I don't use and need to go but I've been stalling because I'll get a fraction of what I paid for them whilst I've been dithering of course the prices have fallen further It doesn't help that I still fell they are pretty

I'd feel better if I had got use out of them and enjoyed them but most of the time they've just sat in their dustbags.

What to do? I know like you if I'm not using them they need to go but how do we take that plunge? I'm just so reluctant to move them on but
1/ they aren't practical for my lifestyle
2/ I need the space
3/ I want to turn them into cash for a different bag that I'm lusting after

 

[Rhl2987]

How does one NOT wear a blazer in Winter? Or any other season?

But I get what you mean with fitted coats. So some solutions:

Wear a cape or, weather permitting, one of those blankets. OR wear your coat as a cape, on top of the blazer.
Fur coats and puffer jackets tend to have more arm room.
Keep a blazer in the office, you go there wearing a top under your coat, and put it on at work.
Use a thick blazer (tweed, courdroy) as a coat. Get it one size bigger, wear a knit underneath and wrap a big scarf on top.
I have a Moncler jacket that has zipped sleeves. If you open them up completely it is almost like a cape. It is perfect for blazers. So of course I had to get two of them

Hah I love these suggestions! Thank you very much!!

 

[Annabel Lee]

Gorgeous!! I have red bag envy right now.

I recently let go of five bags that had literally been sitting in my closet for at least several years, because the styles just didn't suit my wardrobe and I simply never reached for them. I think part of the problem, too, was that I didn't have an easy way to transfer my belongings from one bag to another - all of my little items, chapstick and random papers/receipts and so on, would just be stuffed haphazardly in whatever pockets my bag had - and that has definitely changed as of last year, as I now have a small collection of lovely SLGs that are helping with organizing in my handbags.

But I am glad I let go of them. Two of them went to a friend who re-gifted to her mom and her brother's girlfriend, and the other four went to another friend and her family. To me, the bags are more valuable gone because they free up closet space, but also because I know they will enjoy more use with someone else.

One of those bags was a (giant) Gucci canvas shopper tote with an included thick shoulder/messenger strap. My friend (who is a teacher, and has great need of large bags as a result) was SO happy to receive it. It almost made my heart burst to see her joy, as a fellow lover of beautiful bags.

I definitely have a problem with buying stuff on vacation. For me, it's like having a little memento of my trip with me once I'm back home. My most recent case was a Celine Nano Belt Bag that I purchased when I was on my solo trip to Switzerland - I took a quick detour/trip to visit friends in Milan, and on my last day there just strolled around a Rinascente shopping center looking at beautiful luxury handbags, and just couldn't resist the siren call (I had fallen in love with the bag during an earlier trip to Italy, when I walked away with only a beautiful continental zip wallet).

I do have to admit that it's such a beautiful bag. I love using it and I also remember the great lengths I went to in order to get my VAT refund!

I love these rehoming success stories! It's great inspiration to only hold onto what we really need and love, because someone else could really use what's just hanging out in my closet.

Here is my newest red bag contribution. Saw it in Saks and was like perfect for crossbody or clutch which we all know I adore. It’s strathberry. Such a cute little bag

That is so cute! Great choice.

Thank you for your kind words. It’s wonderful to have a trip to look forward to. I am joining you for no extra spending in January. Best wishes for two months of no extra spending, I will cheer you on!

Thank you, @More bags! We've got this!

This year my goal is to achieve a workable small collection. I don't want to keep bags I don't use, I've hung onto them for far too long. This goes for scarves too.
In fairness I thought I did have that a few years ago but I unexpectedly lost my job which changed my life and use of bags enormously. After a wind down of a couple of part time jobs for a year I'm now enjoying a life of leisure. That means all my larger work bags were made redundant too. I also walk practically everywhere so I very rarely carry any of my larger casual bags. I rectified this slightly last year, purchasing 1 LV backpack, 4 cross body..........but there is still a lot of work to be done.

For the first time in years I've totted up and made an assessment -

My collection is now down to 20 bags, a small collection to some but large to others. It's obviously personal to each individual needs, lifestyle, space, finances etc
Bags (20)
8 - never carry
4 - carry regular
1 - special occasions
6 - outings, holidays
1 - ?

Scarves (42)
Working on what to do with these

SLG
3 - large wallets (1 not used)
3 - small coin purses
2 - card holders
3 - pouch (unused)
Other pouches, make up bags, etc

I've at least made a start and identified the problem I'd like to and need to move on at least the 8 I don't use but I do find it difficult.........some I think maybe I'll use again but don't, most I know I'll lose too much money on and that hurts. ........I can find plenty of reasons not to


I'm also doing a "No Spend Year" and declaring war on any extras or more "stuff" that aren't needed within a strict budget I've created which applies to everything. I'm continuing my "no more stuff, more journeys" philosophy............plenty of trips, holidays and adventures have been booked to balance the scales

I've started with a January, shop my own freezer/larder This means a very low spend for Jan groceries with the benefit of having clear cupboards and freezer.
I had a lot of success last year with shopping my own wardrobes and I will continue not to buy ANY new clothes unless something needs to be replaced.
I failed miserably with shoes though ........so I'm not buying any at all this year.

I think most of us buy far too much, we are tempted by adverts, sales, Black Friday etc I watched the Maria Kondo "Tiding Up" last year for the first time and was horrified how much excesses people actually had, it made me think I was a minimalist at least my floor space is free.

I really like this assessment of your collection. Good luck on reaching resolution for the eight.

 

[foxgal]

As to salespeople, I sometimes don't want to go to the boutique (which is a good deterrent for buying) when an SA has been very accommodating during past visits and then I see her inside and I know for sure I am not buying now. Does anybody share this feeling/behavior with me?

Yep, me too! But I love the suggestion some others have mentioned of just taking in a treat or coffee to visit. I often do this with a friend who runs a small art gallery who spends long days mostly alone, but never thought for the ones who run indy boutiques!

But on this issue, I’m happy to say I visited a new boutique yesterday full of beautiful clothes, bags and jewelry, and spent an hour with the owner....and left empty-handed! Some of what she had could have been justified within my 2020 goals, but none of it was just right. And I’m not going to settle!

 

[foxgal]

Oh yes, this is exactly what I'm going though. Re-sale prices have fallen terribly when you're selling I've identified 8 bags I don't use and need to go but I've been stalling because I'll get a fraction of what I paid for them whilst I've been dithering of course the prices have fallen further It doesn't help that I still fell they are pretty

I'd feel better if I had got use out of them and enjoyed them but most of the time they've just sat in their dustbags.

What to do? I know like you if I'm not using them they need to go but how do we take that plunge? I'm just so reluctant to move them on but
1/ they aren't practical for my lifestyle
2/ I need the space
3/ I want to turn them into cash for a different bag that I'm lusting after

Wish I knew the answer! I’m grappling with this exact dilemma with two of my bags. I think I’m going to give it two months to try to get some use out of them, and if I don’t, I’ll let them go no matter how much money I lose. And take it as a pricey lesson of what not to buy in the future.

 

[More bags]

Gorgeous, I love red ❤️

Thank you Mulberrygal

 

[Cookiefiend]

Oh yes, this is exactly what I'm going though. Re-sale prices have fallen terribly when you're selling I've identified 8 bags I don't use and need to go but I've been stalling because I'll get a fraction of what I paid for them whilst I've been dithering of course the prices have fallen further It doesn't help that I still fell they are pretty

I'd feel better if I had got use out of them and enjoyed them but most of the time they've just sat in their dustbags.

What to do? I know like you if I'm not using them they need to go but how do we take that plunge? I'm just so reluctant to move them on but
1/ they aren't practical for my lifestyle
2/ I need the space
3/ I want to turn them into cash for a different bag that I'm lusting after

Sometimes we have a Love It or List It challenge.
If I am remembering correctly - you carry the bag a few times in one month, and if it still doesn't work for you - it's off to the sales for it. (If you want to though - no one will be policing this! )
It is a very effective challenge, and it's why my Danse Lente is listed!

(evidently though, my rant must have gone viral or something because NO ONE is interested in it - I might just have to use @ElainePG 's idea and make a planter out of it )

 

[sexycombover]

@Mulberrygal @foxgal we got this in the bag, pun intended. The bags unfit for me are not really selling very fast (took me 5 months to move 1 and 4 for the other). But I think if we have patience, it will pay off. I did gift 2 to my mom, cause I prefer that over getting $40 for a $900 bag or something like that.

Ok. I've minted the new year with a new bag! Got it for a great price ($35usd). I've been looking for a good bucket bag and this seems to fit the bill in terms of looks and size. I haven't seen it in person, so we will see if this gamble pays off.

 

[ElainePG]

We follow metric system here so I had to convert sq. ft. to sq.meters. I mentioned in an earlier post (can't recall if on this thread or on the 2019 thread) that I might be moving to a much smaller space, likely this 2020. A personal decision. From my current 1,800 sq.ft. to a studio unit with roughly less than 400 sq. ft. (This is just slightly bigger than my current bedroom!) Talk about small spaces!! Real estate prices are going up like crazy here in the metro area. I visited this future place yesterday and I was staring into the cabinets there. How could I fit all my stuff?!!! Aside from clothes and bags and kitchen items and linens, I have 3 big pieces of luggage at least, plus some smaller pieces, plus some winter clothes (I live in a tropical country but am fascinated with winter outerwear for when I travel). These alone will occupy space!! When I furnished this place a few years back, I had the architect build a lot of cabinets/shelves/storage. But now I don't even have "under the bed" space since there are also shelves there. The move will be a challenge!! But I can't wait for the day when I have disposed all my "junks" and can live happily in a smaller space. And it goes without saying, I need to downsize my bag collection.

Wow, @msd_bags , that sounds as though it's going to be very difficult… and most likely stressful. I'm glad that it this is your decision, rather than a forced choice, but still.
And I'm sure that downsizing your bag collection will be really challenging. Am I remembering correctly that in your country, there really aren't many reseller stores or online options?

 

[ElainePG]

I haven't followed this thread before but given my desire to stick to my goal I thought it might be fun to literally shop my closet and come up with new ways of breathing life into an older unused bag.

I came up with this combination over the weekend. I have almost let go of this bag multiple times. Given that the resale on LV Epi is pretty awful, I've always stopped short of letting her go. That and my dear departed mom loved bucket bags and navy/white. So this first attempt is to honor her! This is a limited edition LV bag paired with Christian Dior strap and twilly. I'm trying to get over mixing brands and hardware which will help a great deal in coming up with new ways to wear. I might occasionally pop back in with new ideas! One week in and sticking to my goal

View attachment 4632274

I love your idea of mixing brands. This bag looks fantastic now… all spruced up!