2023 Resolution: Shopping my Own Bags and SLG Collection

[Vintage Leather]

A long standing tradition in this thread is to remind ourselves of how wonderful our own collections are by showcasing them. We can see how far we have come, collection wise, and we reminded that we have all (or most of) what we need making it easier to shop our own closets.



• New theme weeks start each Sunday

• Don’t jump ahead but, if you miss a week, please do show your bags “late”.

• Show bags individually or in a group

• You do NOT have to wear the bags that week

• For added fun, show old pictures from previous years to demonstrate how you have curated it over time.

• This is completely voluntary. There is no pressure to post at any time.





So what are the showcases? In the Fall, we group our bags by makers! Feel free to show bags, small leather goods, or however it is easiest to organize!

August 13 - Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta

August 20 - Burberry, Celine

August 27 - Coach, Chanel

September 3 - Chloe, Dior

September 10 - Dooney & Bourke, Fendi

September 17 - Ferragamo, Givenchy

September 24 - Goyard, Gucci

October 1 - Hermes, Kate Spade

October 8 - Loewe, Longchamp

October 15 - Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs

October 22 - Michael Kors, Miu Miu

October 29 - Mulberry, Prada

November 5 - Proenza Schouler, Rebecca Minkoff

November 12 - Saint Laurent, Tods

November 19 - Tory Burch, Valentino

November 26 - Bags by Jewelers: Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany Co, Van Cleef & Arpels. Alternatively, the pillboxes, compacts and other lovelies made by jewelers that fit in your bag.

December 3 - independent artisans and custom bags.

 

[DME]

So, the first few days of June were the "estate sale" of my parents' house (my mom just moved to a retirement home). I helped the people running the estate sale, because my mom wanted an eye on things and I am sometimes a control freak.

Most common comments:

• What a cool house! (Yup. Also a weird house that needed tons of maintenance that we never had the money or skills to keep up. It will be on sale soon; here's the broker info.)
• Your parents had great taste! (Yup.)
• Wow, so much stuff! (Yuuuuuup.)

Most common questions:

• Didn't you want these things? (I'm 51 years old and have been out of the house since I was 16. I have taken all the things I wanted and have bought myself quite a full household as well.)
• Aren't you sad about seeing all these things gone? (I've been having literal nightmares about clearing this house out for literally 30 years. It's all going away in a weekend (plus a month and a half's work of the estate sale team). You can not imagine how not-sad I am. Also, can I hand you this random object to take with you?)

I told the bf several times that I would come home and get rid of half my stuff. He celebrated. It has not yet happened. Instead, I've bought more stuff. Argh.

June stats:
Bags in:
Blue raffia tote snagged from my mom's massive collection
Black laptop bag that matches/echoes my own massive Hobo Lola collection
Green Trim 38, I'm so pleased to have found it but tempered by, you know, the above drama
Jewelry in:
Charm bracelet charms
Weird locket belonging to Mom's mom
Random cross pendant found in woods by Dad
Clothing in:
Garden hat
Fleece (for bf, but I also borrow it)
Grey sweater

Nothing of note out.

So not surprised by the common questions, but I’m with you on already having he pieces from my mom that I want (she gets rid of stuff all the time, so just passed hem along when she’s done) and not being interested in most of the rest. I’m almost 51 myself and my goal is to purge, not add. We’ll, but add much!

 

[DME]

@DME, while this dress was from the boutique, I also keep an eye on resale. There is a lot of discounted dior with great prices out there. Some from last season. You have to pick and choice carefully; know your measurements; and pay attention to condition, but it’s sometimes the only way to get at item if you have missed it the first time around. Try TRR and other resellers Except for chanel jackets, most premier designer RTW loses value very quickly

congrats @FizzyWater! My mom has a ton of stuff too, so I’m especially thrilled for you

Thank you for the tips! I saved off the information on the jacket I loved in case that ever pops up. I’ll have to do some recon on dresses to see if there’s anything good out there. I was in the Dior boutique this morning and there was a black short-sleeved shift dress I was tempted to try…

 

[880]

Thank you for the tips! I saved off the information on the jacket I loved in case that ever pops up. I’ll have to do some recon on dresses to see if there’s anything good out there. I was in the Dior boutique this morning and there was a black shirt-sleeved shift dress I was tempted to try…

My advice is always always try on. How else will you know your size and what looks good. have fun!

ETA: I take action shots when trying on bc I talk myself into stuff I love that does NOT love me back. Camera doesn’t lie lol. Also, it’s a record of what you like and don’t like, and a way to compare a black dress from dior to one from YSL. Etc. while you are at it, I advise taking a pic of the tag. Bc if you pass on something and months later you decide it was right for you all along, it’s easy to text your SA and say did X item in y size make it to sale. . . Or pls keep a look out for this

 

[cowgirlsboots]

Somehow I wish we could go thrifting with you or at the very least rummage in your closet . . .
I love deals and projects, and well, anything grosgrain

I´d love to go to the fleamarket or even better real vintage shops with you. You have such a good eye and I could contribute the truffle pigging in the dirt.

 

[whateve]

So, the first few days of June were the "estate sale" of my parents' house (my mom just moved to a retirement home). I helped the people running the estate sale, because my mom wanted an eye on things and I am sometimes a control freak.

Most common comments:

• What a cool house! (Yup. Also a weird house that needed tons of maintenance that we never had the money or skills to keep up. It will be on sale soon; here's the broker info.)
• Your parents had great taste! (Yup.)
• Wow, so much stuff! (Yuuuuuup.)

Most common questions:

• Didn't you want these things? (I'm 51 years old and have been out of the house since I was 16. I have taken all the things I wanted and have bought myself quite a full household as well.)
• Aren't you sad about seeing all these things gone? (I've been having literal nightmares about clearing this house out for literally 30 years. It's all going away in a weekend (plus a month and a half's work of the estate sale team). You can not imagine how not-sad I am. Also, can I hand you this random object to take with you?)

I told the bf several times that I would come home and get rid of half my stuff. He celebrated. It has not yet happened. Instead, I've bought more stuff. Argh.

June stats:
Bags in:
Blue raffia tote snagged from my mom's massive collection
Black laptop bag that matches/echoes my own massive Hobo Lola collection
Green Trim 38, I'm so pleased to have found it but tempered by, you know, the above drama
Jewelry in:
Charm bracelet charms
Weird locket belonging to Mom's mom
Random cross pendant found in woods by Dad
Clothing in:
Garden hat
Fleece (for bf, but I also borrow it)
Grey sweater

Nothing of note out.

I bet you feel relieved to have that past you. I'm getting old and vacillate between wanting to clean things out so my children won't have to deal with it, and wanting to keep enjoying my things. I feel guilty for having surrounded myself with so much stuff, even though most of makes me happy. Also, I worry that if I don't sell the valuable stuff myself, my kids will donate it.

 

[FizzyWater]

congrats @FizzyWater! My mom has a ton of stuff too, so I’m especially thrilled for you

Thanks, @880 , it's such a relief. My mom still has a 2-bedroom apartment (bigger than mine!) with the important antiques, her wedding china, and so on. It's just all the other stuff that she literally hadn't seen in years that went away.

So not surprised by the common questions, but I’m with you on already having he pieces from my mom that I want (she gets rid of stuff all the time, so just passed hem along when she’s done) and not being interested in most of the rest. I’m almost 51 myself and my goal is to purge, not add. We’ll, but add much!

Indeed, @DME . My mom still does have some antiques that I do want (and I put 2 pieces into a storage unit) but my bf looks meaningfully at the full apartment, and asks sensible questions about the cost of shipping to Europe, and I might eventually have to address reality.

I bet you feel relieved to have that past you. I'm getting old and vacillate between wanting to clean things out so my children won't have to deal with it, and wanting to keep enjoying my things. I feel guilty for having surrounded myself with so much stuff, even though most of makes me happy. Also, I worry that if I don't sell the valuable stuff myself, my kids will donate it.

@whateve , I think if you're actively using things, it's not too bad. In my parents' case, my mom had mobility problems, so when things got too cluttered in the main living space she would ask my dad to put them upstairs or downstairs, and they... just filled up the space and were never seen again.

I would recommend, for valuable things you're worried about, making a list of: What they are, why they're valuable, what you think their resale value should be, and maybe best method to sell them. Also, if something has sentimental value, why. For instance, my brother and I found piles and piles of "valuable" coins, often wrapped by my grandfather (who died 55 years ago). None of us know anything about coins, so eventually we're going to go to a random coin shop and be at their mercy. Or, my mom has a set of pearls she bought in Hong Kong in the 60s, that her father had strung for her, but they're mixed in with her costume jewelry so I'll never know which one it is.*

And I'll recommend the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter - which sounds horrifying but really is gentle and sensible advice.

*Note to self, improve identification ability of fake/real pearls.

 

[DME]

And I'll recommend the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter - which sounds horrifying but really is gentle and sensible advice.

While I have not yet read the book, i have read a number of articles on the subject and find it really fascinating. If my mom was Swedish, I could swear she invented this concept; it’s so her! When I mentioned earlier that she gets rid of stuff all the time, it’s no joke: I’m amazed she salvaged photos from when I was little since there isn’t much else to be had from my childhood.

The one thing that concerns me with her (since were are currently going through this with DH’s parents, who both passed in the last three years) is financials. I have no idea what she has and where. The where is really the bigger concern, since my in-laws consolidated very little, so there are multiple 401K accounts, a couple of bank accounts, CDs, etc. I suspect my mom is the same way. Some of their accounts don’t have much in them, so it’s a wonder they kept them. This is not an easy process, with no standardization on what paperwork is needed to make all the things that need to be done happen. What this whole experience has taught us is that we’re going to consolidate to the maximum extent possible once we retire so we don’t leave the same mess for DD to straighten out after we’re gone.

 

[FizzyWater]

While I have not yet read the book, i have read a number of articles on the subject and find it really fascinating. If my mom was Swedish, I could swear she invented this concept; it’s so her! When I mentioned earlier that she gets rid of stuff all the time, it’s no joke: I’m amazed she salvaged photos from when I was little since there isn’t much else to be had from my childhood.

The one thing that concerns me with her (since were are currently going through this with DH’s parents, who both passed in the last three years) is financials. I have no idea what she has and where. The where is really the bigger concern, since my in-laws consolidated very little, so there are multiple 401K accounts, a couple of bank accounts, CDs, etc. I suspect my mom is the same way. Some of their accounts don’t have much in them, so it’s a wonder they kept them. This is not an easy process, with no standardization on what paperwork is needed to make all the things that need to be done happen. What this whole experience has taught us is that we’re going to consolidate to the maximum extent possible once we retire so we don’t leave the same mess for DD to straighten out after we’re gone.

Absolutely. A few years ago we were worried about paying for Dad's memory care facility once his long-term care insurance ran out. (Note to all, LTCI is a life-saver. They paid out vast amounts of money for Dad's care.) So I called a county-funded senior help advisor, who helped us figure out the process for going onto Medicaid. He also gave great advice for searching through records for assets, and lo-and-behold, there was a whole ton of money! It's consolidated mostly now, but 2 years after his death I'm still finding paperwork and trying to figure out: "Did we close this/notify them/cash this out?"

And of course in this and the above I'm not following my own advice. Yet.

 

[DME]

And of course in this and the above I'm not following my own advice. Yet.

That makes two of us! You’ll notice I mentioned the consolidating when we retire. That kind of tracks for just about everything, when we really should have an accessible list of what we have and where, just in case the worst should happen. But we don’t and, well, I really need to get on that!

 

[baghabitz34]

Thanks, @880 , it's such a relief. My mom still has a 2-bedroom apartment (bigger than mine!) with the important antiques, her wedding china, and so on. It's just all the other stuff that she literally hadn't seen in years that went away.



Indeed, @DME . My mom still does have some antiques that I do want (and I put 2 pieces into a storage unit) but my bf looks meaningfully at the full apartment, and asks sensible questions about the cost of shipping to Europe, and I might eventually have to address reality.



@whateve , I think if you're actively using things, it's not too bad. In my parents' case, my mom had mobility problems, so when things got too cluttered in the main living space she would ask my dad to put them upstairs or downstairs, and they... just filled up the space and were never seen again.

I would recommend, for valuable things you're worried about, making a list of: What they are, why they're valuable, what you think their resale value should be, and maybe best method to sell them. Also, if something has sentimental value, why. For instance, my brother and I found piles and piles of "valuable" coins, often wrapped by my grandfather (who died 55 years ago). None of us know anything about coins, so eventually we're going to go to a random coin shop and be at their mercy. Or, my mom has a set of pearls she bought in Hong Kong in the 60s, that her father had strung for her, but they're mixed in with her costume jewelry so I'll never know which one it is.*

And I'll recommend the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter - which sounds horrifying but really is gentle and sensible advice.

*Note to self, improve identification ability of fake/real pearls.

Re: the coins. There are reference books that cover coins - year, country, etc and value. I borrowed one from my local library. It’s not perfect, but will at least give you an idea if something is valuable or not. When my father passed many years ago, he left behind some coins. The book helped us figure out what was valuable & what wasn’t.

I made a list of my items, too. What’s valuable & a ballpark value. My family assumes that everything I own is expensive . This way they will know which items actually are valuable.

 

[baghabitz34]

@nyeredzi I have a Coach Nolita problem too.

The small size has the same functionality as the LV mini pouchette, but more reasonably priced & accessible. I like the larger ones as either catchalls in bigger bags or as grab & gos.

 

[baghabitz34]

My weird/different leathers:

Brahmin crossbody, I don’t remember the name

Aspinal Mayfair bags - cherry ombré in the midi size, evergreen in the full size

Grey Priscilla, TB Perry tote in claret

Ferragamo Vara Bow with woven leather

 

[nyeredzi]

@nyeredzi I have a Coach Nolita problem too.
View attachment 5815865
The small size has the same functionality as the LV mini pouchette, but more reasonably priced & accessible. I like the larger ones as either catchalls in bigger bags or as grab & gos.

Your Nolitas are so cute. I love the look of these little bags, and they come in so many great colors, patterns, strap types. Your pink quilted and butterfly ones are so cute. I had considered that butterfly I don't have a Nolita 15, as I couldn't figure out what to do with one. I have 3 Nolita 19s. For a catchall in my bag, I do have one that I always carry, a fabric pouch I just got off Etsy last year. Something like this, except mine has no wrist strap:



It holds my toiletries and such. And because it's soft fabric and pliable, it holds roughly the amount of a Nolita 19 but fits into more bags. The 19s do make nice grab and gos, though they hold only my barest essentials, and I pretty much never can be satisfied with just a Nolita for the whole day. I'll be out and be annoyed that I don't have something I want with me. Have you been able to use one of the larger ones as your only bag for a full day or more (when leaving the house)? I told my husband that Nolita 19s only count as half a bag. They aren't really SLGs for me, since I don't put them inside of other bags, but also, I can never use just a Nolita the whole day like I would a real bag. I have seen someone on YouTube, a minimalist, use a Nolita (or maybe it was a large corner zip?) as her only bag, period!

 

[Vintage Leather]

A few pages back, we were talking about designer boxes and sleeper bags… and I was very conflicted because I love quality boxes and sleepers and I hate keeping them.

It helps with resale value - but thinking about future resale values makes me feel like I’m renting from the future owners rather than living for myself.

It helps tell the story. I have most of the boxes for my fountain pens, and those boxes tell me when I got the pen, when it was made, what was the aesthetics of the time

At the same time, I had to clear through my Father’s stuff two years ago, and will have to deal with my mother’s and remaining father’s lifetime of collections within a few years. She’s currently trying to downsize her art collection - which means I’m spending hours on the phone and e-mail with galleries, helping her downsize her art collection


On one level, it feels like a kindness to the Knight, to keep the ephemera together, so that when he wants to get rid of my crap, he can do so easily. On another level, it takes up a lot of space, and maybe I should just be getting rid of the box and it’s once and future contents now.

Half of my lingerie chest is empty boxes; one whole drawer is empty scarf boxes. My goal is to 1) decide which boxes are worth keeping, 2) decide how many scarves I want to keep and 3) figure out a more efficient way to display and store my scarves, 4) find the 8 missing scarves, 5) sell the scarves I am never ever going to wear

 

[dcooney4]

@nyeredzi I have a Coach Nolita problem too.
View attachment 5815865
The small size has the same functionality as the LV mini pouchette, but more reasonably priced & accessible. I like the larger ones as either catchalls in bigger bags or as grab & gos.

They are really cute and perfect grab and gos.