2024 Resolution: Shopping my own Bag and SLG Collection

[Sparkletastic]

December Activities and Challenges - pick and choose as you please.

I. 2024 Year In Review Reflection
(Thanks @Vintage Leather)

Utilize these thought starters to evaluate your collection, your usage patterns and your lessons learned in 2024.
• What is your most useful purse?
• What is your best purchase of the year?
• We’ve all had a lot of lifestyle changes this year - how has it affected your style?
• What is the one thing we’ve learned this year that you want to take into the next?

II. Setting 2025 Goals
Take this month to consider what you want to do with your handbag collection, wardrobe or even your beautiful life in 2025. Share these thoughts in January when we start the 2026 Shopping Your Closet thread.

III. End of year optional challenges

• Holiday colors: December has many holidays celebrated across the world - red & green, brown & gold, blue & white and more! Pick the holiday that you want to honor and wear / show off your bags in those traditional colors.

• End with a bang: As we come to the last part of the year, wear the last bag you’ve purchased at least 3 times this month.

@Vlad please pin this to the top of our thread.

 

[jbags07]

Thank you! I also haven't done other shopping either, like for clothes or jewelry or watches, etc. I've gotten into new habits and mindsets where I focus on more important things in life, and spend more time reading and writing. I definitely just want to keep it going for 2024 and beyond, and not break the good thing I have going. I don't have to discipline myself or feel like I'm depriving myself when I don't have those desires.

Thats wonderful you’ve been so successful changing your habits, replacing them with other activities. I think thats a big piece of it all. Scrolling, looking, shopping, being on groups….leads to wanting and buying for most of us. Replacing with other pursuits is a great way to reset and control impulse shopping/spending. Mindset is important and sounds like yours is fantastic! Hoping it will be contagious b/c my mindset is still not quite there yet

Thank you!
It´s about time I realize I have enough bags and clothes to run my own store... hoarder genes... and that buying random does not make me happy. In the end I exactly know what I like and what looks good.

Almost everything (except for homewear/ basics) I buy and own is preloved and preferrably vintage (40ies to 70ies clothes and German bags plus Dior Galliano era bags).
I´m not into contemporary. Vintage has spoiled me and I expect a certain level of quality. Contemporary pieces in the quality I want are far too expensive for me plus I usually have to alter my clothes for a perfect fit and wouldn´t want to spend a lot of money on anything that also requires a lot of work.
I will dig out the outfit contestants soon and have a closer look at them. Maybe I will start with the project dress/ jacket as this needs something done to it anyway. It´s totally hideous as it is right now.
I also just remembered that I might have a very suitable midi 70ies chiffon dress already... storage suitcases here I come!

Omg what u said. I easily could have opened a store too i can relate b/c i have hoarder genes too lolol. I was so into vintage for many years - everything from house stuff, bags, scarves, compacts, you name it. I managed to stop by deciding to downsize all of it. Still working away at it but getting there. Vintage is such quality, so unique—- bags for example. Brands like Ingber, Morris Moskowitz, Roger Van S etc….not even talking vintage Luxe brands, just mid level….contemporary bags just don’t compare…..the quality was so amazing back in the day. Your bag and clothing collection sounds just incredible And the skills you have - to be able to alter and/or create new pieces from the vintage materials, is just so cool too

Thank you! I am in the FB group and have gotten some I missed. I do have photos of all my bags, but I do need to remember to check them before I purchase. Do you have Mz bags too?

Thats wonderful you were able to pick up some missed bags
I had like 6 or 7 MZ bags and wound up selling all but 1 in last years purges. I deeply regret letting go of the 2 micro suttons…one was that limited release desert camo….

Thanks dear jbags07 ! It does feel good, although selling that LV wallet is a real pain. I am selling to an FB group and some people there are really exhausting .

Oh sure, the BV bag I bought is called the small drop bag. It is so pretty looking . But the zipper is really difficult to open, or I just have to find out the best technique. I think I will keep it and give it a chance. The vendor is Vitkac - a luxury department store in Poland. Unfortunately they have really mixed reviews and some returns seem to have gone awry. I think my nerves cannot take this at the moment 😅

View attachment 5926983 View attachment 5926981 View attachment 5926982 View attachment 5926984

And yes, I think which bags we love and use and keep is also age related. I guess over time we get a lot of experience which bag styles work for us and which don't. When I started collecting bags I was very much influenced by social media, because I had no clue about designer and luxury bags . So I bought quite a few bags (Speedy 30 first) that were very popular but did not really match my lifestyle and preferences. It really often is trial and error. Sometimes the bags are just so pretty and I imagine myself looking great with them, while in reality I might look great with them, but they are not suitable for any of my real life occasions and are also not easy to wear / use.

Agree about the selling Its definitely a l0t of work. But worth it - FP etc is offering such low payouts these days, even with fees you will do much better selling yourself. Usually LV wallets sell pretty fast, but we are in a really bad bag market right now……

Love your new BV The color is just beautiful - so warm and nutty, but also so neutral. I hope it works out for you, its stunning in its sculptural/mod design.

What you said about buying bags for our fantasy life rather then our real lives…this is so true of me too. See bag love bag buy bag. Sits on shelf unused lets in 2024 and beyond work to shift this to bags that suit us and are practical for daily use!

Hi all, thanks so much to all of the replies about how to not be tempted so much by new bags (and shoes and everything else), they’re all great tips and I’m definitely going to try implementing as many as I can.

I can also totally relate to those who have said that actually being on TPF is sometimes an issue in itself, I too often find that seeing info on here about new releases etc and purchases others have made makes me want to go shopping too, so I will also add the goal of trying to set limits for TPF. I may find this difficult as I love just seeing new releases and chatting etc, but even if I average it out so that sometimes I’m on here quite a lot but at other times I’m absent for a while, I’ll be happy with that

Its a double edged sword , being on tpf and looking at bags, and youtubes of bags etc, and be disciplined enough to not buy very many. Finding that balance can be tricky but its definitely achievable being on this thread i think helps — committing to using what we have and the monthly tracking really does help us understand our bag needs/uses and activity. The bag exercises - sharing what colors and brands we have - forces us to really see what we have and what we use.

 

[poleneinblack]

Thats wonderful you’ve been so successful changing your habits, replacing them with other activities. I think thats a big piece of it all. Scrolling, looking, shopping, being on groups….leads to wanting and buying for most of us. Replacing with other pursuits is a great way to reset and control impulse shopping/spending. Mindset is important and sounds like yours is fantastic! Hoping it will be contagious b/c my mindset is still not quite there yet

Omg what u said. I easily could have opened a store too i can relate b/c i have hoarder genes too lolol. I was so into vintage for many years - everything from house stuff, bags, scarves, compacts, you name it. I managed to stop by deciding to downsize all of it. Still working away at it but getting there. Vintage is such quality, so unique—- bags for example. Brands like Ingber, Morris Moskowitz, Roger Van S etc….not even talking vintage Luxe brands, just mid level….contemporary bags just don’t compare…..the quality was so amazing back in the day. Your bag and clothing collection sounds just incredible And the skills you have - to be able to alter and/or create new pieces from the vintage materials, is just so cool too

Thats wonderful you were able to pick up some missed bags
I had like 6 or 7 MZ bags and wound up selling all but 1 in last years purges. I deeply regret letting go of the 2 micro suttons…one was that limited release desert camo….

Agree about the selling Its definitely a l0t of work. But worth it - FP etc is offering such low payouts these days, even with fees you will do much better selling yourself. Usually LV wallets sell pretty fast, but we are in a really bad bag market right now……

Love your new BV The color is just beautiful - so warm and nutty, but also so neutral. I hope it works out for you, its stunning in its sculptural/mod design.

What you said about buying bags for our fantasy life rather then our real lives…this is so true of me too. See bag love bag buy bag. Sits on shelf unused lets in 2024 and beyond work to shift this to bags that suit us and are practical for daily use!

Its a double edged sword , being on tpf and looking at bags, and youtubes of bags etc, and be disciplined enough to not buy very many. Finding that balance can be tricky but its definitely achievable being on this thread i think helps — committing to using what we have and the monthly tracking really does help us understand our bag needs/uses and activity. The bag exercises - sharing what colors and brands we have - forces us to really see what we have and what we use.

I also have hoarder tendencies, but who doesn't love collecting their favorite items that make them happy? It's been a long journey from when I was young and buying books, stickers, and kpop albums, to spending money on clothes, bags, and nice things. My focus is to continue to draw happiness from what I already own and non-shopping parts of my life, instead of focus on getting enjoyment and satisfaction from the shopping process and spending money.

 

[whateve]

Thanks dear jbags07 ! It does feel good, although selling that LV wallet is a real pain. I am selling to an FB group and some people there are really exhausting .

Oh sure, the BV bag I bought is called the small drop bag. It is so pretty looking . But the zipper is really difficult to open, or I just have to find out the best technique. I think I will keep it and give it a chance. The vendor is Vitkac - a luxury department store in Poland. Unfortunately they have really mixed reviews and some returns seem to have gone awry. I think my nerves cannot take this at the moment 😅

View attachment 5926983 View attachment 5926981 View attachment 5926982 View attachment 5926984

And yes, I think which bags we love and use and keep is also age related. I guess over time we get a lot of experience which bag styles work for us and which don't. When I started collecting bags I was very much influenced by social media, because I had no clue about designer and luxury bags . So I bought quite a few bags (Speedy 30 first) that were very popular but did not really match my lifestyle and preferences. It really often is trial and error. Sometimes the bags are just so pretty and I imagine myself looking great with them, while in reality I might look great with them, but they are not suitable for any of my real life occasions and are also not easy to wear / use.

It is beautiful. I hope you figure out how to use it easily. I have learned to avoid bags with curved tops with zippers because of that problem.

 

[whateve]

Great goals!
’Sales Goggles’ are my downfall…
I also need to set limits for tPF and for Instagram… I get caught in the reels all the time. It’s not good for me!

I have sales goggles on everything! Now I'm considering buying more chemicals for my pool because today they are 20% off. I just bought a bunch last week when they were 15% off. I can always use them but I probably already have close to a year's supply.

 

[whateve]

I almost bought a bag a few weeks ago. I thought about it overnight, trying to decide what color I wanted, and the next day, once I had decided, the price had gone up! If that hadn't happened, I would have bought it. I kept checking it nearly every day to see if they lowered the price again but they didn't. Now there are more reviews and after reading them, I'm not so sure I want it anymore.

 

[Sibelle]

I almost bought a bag a few weeks ago. I thought about it overnight, trying to decide what color I wanted, and the next day, once I had decided, the price had gone up! If that hadn't happened, I would have bought it. I kept checking it nearly every day to see if they lowered the price again but they didn't. Now there are more reviews and after reading them, I'm not so sure I want it anymore.

That happens to me quite often too. I think I just get triggered by a good discount and think well for that price the bag is a real bargain. Then I wait too long and the price goes up again and all of a sudden I am not interested in the bag anymore. So it was not really the bag I wanted, but to get that "bargain". I really have to stop with this kind of thinking.
There are a few bags on my radar just because they are on sale. I really like them but would never buy them at the original price...

 

[dcooney4]

Sales Goggles are a tricky thing. I now send a picture or link of the bag I am interested in, to another bag lover. She then tells me her opinion and what she thinks the flaws might be. I do the same for her. Yesterday it took a bit longer for her to respond and the thing that was on sale sold out. At least I didn't buy a bag. lol

 

[Sibelle]

Sales Goggles are a tricky thing. I now send a picture or link of the bag I am interested in, to another bag lover. She then tells me her opinion and what she thinks the flaws might be. I do the same for her. Yesterday it took a bit longer for her to respond and the thing that was on sale sold out. At least I didn't buy a bag. lol

LOL, yes sometimes it is better this way. But that is exactly the hell with sale items. Good deals are gone quickly and you are under stress to make a quick - not thoughtful - decision 😵. It is good that you have your fellow bag lover to help you to pause and reflect.

 

[lill_canele]

I almost bought a bag a few weeks ago. I thought about it overnight, trying to decide what color I wanted, and the next day, once I had decided, the price had gone up! If that hadn't happened, I would have bought it. I kept checking it nearly every day to see if they lowered the price again but they didn't. Now there are more reviews and after reading them, I'm not so sure I want it anymore.

I ordered a pair of jeans and almost immediately regretted. Canceled my order. Whew.

Starting last year I made a promise to myself to not buy clothes until the end of the year where the deals and sales are better.
Exceptions are RTW pieces (which are usually planned), or if it is something I really loved and there was very limited stock or only 1-2 pieces left.
It went pretty well last year. I found so many good deals and sales at the end of 2023. Throughout 2023, I think I only bought a handful of pieces full-priced that I absolutely loved and was well worth the price to me.

 

[whateve]

I ordered a pair of jeans and almost immediately regretted. Canceled my order. Whew.

Starting last year I made a promise to myself to not buy clothes until the end of the year where the deals and sales are better.
Exceptions are RTW pieces (which are usually planned), or if it is something I really loved and there was very limited stock or only 1-2 pieces left.
It went pretty well last year. I found so many good deals and sales at the end of 2023. Throughout 2023, I think I only bought a handful of pieces full-priced that I absolutely loved and was well worth the price to me.

That's great! I did better last year too. I only bought a few articles of clothing and I'm happy with my purchases. I did order a pair of jeans which I immediately returned. Then I had trouble getting the credit back on my credit card.

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

The jumbo is gorgeous but a bit loud lol. Those huge 24 gold CC’s are bold

Agree, those vintage bags with the big CC logos are stunning. I always admire them, but not sure if I can carry it off. It still doesn't stop me from wanting one! You have some treasures, so definitely take your time and don't make any hasty decisions about letting go since they're not easy to find in such great condition.

Oh sure, the BV bag I bought is called the small drop bag. It is so pretty looking . But the zipper is really difficult to open, or I just have to find out the best technique. I think I will keep it and give it a chance.

It's a beautiful bag and I love the color. Have you tried running some wax paper on the zipper? That might help, but I suspect it's the shape that makes it difficult to open and close.

I too often find that seeing info on here about new releases etc and purchases others have made makes me want to go shopping too, so I will also add the goal of trying to set limits for TPF.

I don't usually follow the new releases and new purchases threads for this reason and tend to spend more time on threads like shopping your closet, wardrobe goals and suchlike. That said, I must admit I was tempted by the new Dior leather book tote. However, I reminded myself that it looks a little bit like my Lady Dior bag, so it's not something I am likely to pursue. I also reminded myself that I don't get much use out of tote bags in general, especially the large ones. So I guess I talked myself out of it (not that I was seriously considering it anyway).

 

[papertiger]

i am excited to be a part of this thread from the beginning i want to shop my own closet as much as possible, and slow my bag purchases down. There are a few bags i would love to add, but i have so many bags i don’t really ‘need’ any. Bags are my thing tho (and scarves) so there is no permanent cure for me. Continuing to curate, and be super careful about purchases, is my goal! I apologize for the length of this, but it was a really good exercise for me, writing it all down! Thank you for letting me share


Central questions…..for current bags and any i am considering……
~Do i need it
~Does it fit my lifestyle
~Do i have other bags i would reach for instead


Some goals or things to ponder…..
~No more impulse purchases…….be very careful and only add bags i know will work for me. Stop buying bags b/c i love them, even tho they aren’t right for me ( shoulder bags and hobos especially)

~Try to do a no buy for a few months to reset and clear my head. I’ve already purchased 2 bags this month 🙈.

~Focus on weight loss, shifting to a healthy lifestyle. Limit screen time and scroll shopping, replace with walking, biking, kayaking.

~Shop my own closet —— very few bags remain that i can easily let go of. 2023 was a huge sell year, and i cleared out a lot of bags. I need to rotate and carry what i have, to get a good sense of bags that no longer work for me, in an effort to reduce further. I still have too many bags. And i do have a wish list, lolol. Would live to get down to 100 bags. (I know, ridic! )

~Shift from collect to carry mode. No more buying just to collect, only keep/add bags i can actually carry.

~Stop buying in every color/size when i like a style.

~Limit bag charm purchases - again, collector mindset.

~Be very careful about H scarf purchases - i don’t wear most of what i have. I do want to add a few vintage scarves for specific bags tho.

~In the next couple of months - sell or consign any remaining premier bags i am ok letting go of.

~Remaining contemporary and vintage bags that have not sold —- i am getting tired of selling…….so i’ve started gifting bags to friends and will continue to do so…..and start winding down all the listing and selling. Will start donating more bags too. I have/had so many bags still new with tags and never carried, it pains me to not sell. But i’ve sold enough that at this point, its time to let go.


……2 bag categories i struggle with…….

Chanel bags….i never carry them. 2 are mint condition 90s era flaps and i am afraid to carry them b/c i want to keep them in pristine condition. Should i just use them? Definitely not ready to sell. But they sit unused. Never use my reissue either but i just can’t sell it……Considering purchasing a vintage flap thats worn enough but still in good condition, so i am not afraid to carry it. I adore vintage lambskin, not a fan of caviar……Also, i never carry my woc but not ready to let it go either. I guess i enjoy having them. I did sell 1 Chanel bag this year with no regrets. And if i could go back in time i would not have purchased any of them. My favorite brands/bags are BV, Hermes, LV.

My Venetas…..love them and they are the only shoulder bag i can carry, but i still have too many. I sold 8 this year, but i don’t want to let go of the remaining bags. Most will only be carried once or twice a year, with certain outfits….some i’ve never carried. I know i should let more go but …….


…..I do have some wish list bags i want to add, but will approach any purchases slowly and carefully…

Great points and things to mull over.

You don't need to let go of your Chanel or your BVs - at least not until if and when you're really sure. I usually find the love for a bag once I've worn it a few times, not just an object. Think of it as a love affair, yes we fantasised and 'fancied' which is why we went home with him/her/them, but actually true love is in the everyday and shared experiences

 

[papertiger]

That's great! I did better last year too. I only bought a few articles of clothing and I'm happy with my purchases. I did order a pair of jeans which I immediately returned. Then I had trouble getting the credit back on my credit card.

+ @lill_canele

I've seen a huge change in this forum in the years I've been on it. I wonder if it's in wider society too? RTW is becoming just as/more important to people, I know @880 has felt that way from the start, but 10-ish years ago tPFers seemed far more interested in only expensive luxury brands and the cheapest clothes they could buy. I was felt like a crazy person for investing in RTW.

I'm actually really glad I did. If weight's stable, it means you don't have to keep buying and you really love wearing the things in your wardrobe. I look forward to getting dressed in the morning and most of my good clothes are ancient now.

The only things I've bought recently were 2 velvet Jigsaw (hughstreet) jackets in the sale. As suits, coloured velvet is quite holiday, but for Spring (cool) Summer and Autumn, velvet blazers worn 'thrown on' look so nice with denim (IMO).

 

[papertiger]

Thanks dear jbags07 ! It does feel good, although selling that LV wallet is a real pain. I am selling to an FB group and some people there are really exhausting .

Oh sure, the BV bag I bought is called the small drop bag. It is so pretty looking . But the zipper is really difficult to open, or I just have to find out the best technique. I think I will keep it and give it a chance. The vendor is Vitkac - a luxury department store in Poland. Unfortunately they have really mixed reviews and some returns seem to have gone awry. I think my nerves cannot take this at the moment 😅

View attachment 5926983 View attachment 5926981 View attachment 5926982 View attachment 5926984

And yes, I think which bags we love and use and keep is also age related. I guess over time we get a lot of experience which bag styles work for us and which don't. When I started collecting bags I was very much influenced by social media, because I had no clue about designer and luxury bags . So I bought quite a few bags (Speedy 30 first) that were very popular but did not really match my lifestyle and preferences. It really often is trial and error. Sometimes the bags are just so pretty and I imagine myself looking great with them, while in reality I might look great with them, but they are not suitable for any of my real life occasions and are also not easy to wear / use.

I must say that looks very nice

 

[papertiger]

I almost bought a bag a few weeks ago. I thought about it overnight, trying to decide what color I wanted, and the next day, once I had decided, the price had gone up! If that hadn't happened, I would have bought it. I kept checking it nearly every day to see if they lowered the price again but they didn't. Now there are more reviews and after reading them, I'm not so sure I want it anymore.

Meant (not) to be.

I waited too long for that eel SLP SDJ and it went up - literally just as I'd decided I really wanted it. It felt like a sign (or a slap in the face)

Sorry everyone, you'll prob hear a lot about that bag as alternatively 1. The one that got away 🐡 2. The one I held my resolve for/against. You all told me to buy it when I had the chance