At what amount do you consider a handbag to be expensive?

At what amount do you consider to be an expensive handbag?

  • $100-$200

  • $200-$300

  • $300-$500

  • $500+

Results are only viewable after voting.

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#16
Money paid does not always equate with durability or qualities that ensure the product retains it's original purpose/looks.

I expect any item that is sold as a 'bag' to be able to be used for a year or two of daily wear, I don't care about the price and have bought bags for over $3K.

If a bag does not function as a bag it should be sold as art.

Bad

I had a H&M metallic bronze bag bought new, that faded in patches in a week, unfortunately I didn't start to wear it it straight away (about $150). I threw it away.

The handles fell off my new Billy Bag after 2 outings (about $250) The CS was more useless than cowboy car mechanics mending a steam train. I though it way.

I could have saved myself a lot of time and effort if I'd just thrown the same money in the bin for all the use these bags were :sunnies

Good

My sister bought me a vinyl bag years ago from Paperchase (prob about $75, I wanted the matching laptop case) which I use as a gym bag regularly and it's perfect in every way. What's more, because of my usual wardrobe people always think its McQueen and even though I proudly tell them the truth, they think I'm joking.
 
#17
I used to think that bag for $ 80 was expensive. But that was from HM and Zara. Designer bags which cost around $500 dollars seems reasonable for me. Its crazy how bags can "ruin" a girls bank account.
 
#18
I think the poll results are going to be skewed by the fact that you are polling a bunch of gals who are obsessed with bags. In the general public, I think the results would skew to a much lower price being considered expensive. Up until 2007 (age 37), I was one of those women. I had never spent more than $120 on a bag (usually Fossil) and used 1 bag for every occasion, with every outfit, every day until it wore out. But I expected it to last approx 1 year of constant use before I bought another one. There was a time shortly before my bag obsession began that I went into a Coach with a co-worker and actually said these words "$300?!?!?! I'd never spend $300 on a purse". OMG, if I had stuck to that I'd have so much more in my retirement savings. LOL
 
#19
It depends on income and lifesyle. For a person who has a larger disposable income, expensive may be over $5000; while for a girl who has a career position it could be $1000. Anyone who earns considerably less it could be $250. It is very speculative and personal as to what is expensive.
 
#20
The term expensive is relative. When you're a student eating nothing but ramen noodles and barely scraping by, that $100 for a purse is a pretty big expense.

In general though, I think anything above 500 is expensive. That's where you start entering the realm of the middle-higher end lines of purses like coach etc.
 
#23
Most of my current collection is in the $250-300 range and at one time I would have considered that to be very expensive.

For most of my life I never paid more than $50 for a bag and they didn't last more than a few months. I can definitely see a big difference in quality and durability comparing $250-300 bags to $50 ones.

I have an LV Speedy and while I'm thrilled to have it I don't see a lot of difference quality-wise between it and my $300 bags. I might buy one more LV as a special treat but generally I'm happy staying at the Coach/LAMB/Kate Spade/Michael Kors level, and have no interest in any premier designers other than LV.

I don't expect anything to last a lifetime regardless of price, but I'd expect a bag over $200 to last at least a couple of years (if it was the person's only bag), and since I rotate among 4 or 5 I expect them as a group to last a few years.
 
#24
If I would spend 3000E for a bag that I could use for 10 Years at least- And It would not be unfashionable- why not. My husband complaints so I don't tell him the real price
 
#25
When I got my first job I bought a Fossil bag for just over $100 and to me that was A LOT of money to spend on a bag. Now, of course, I kind of laugh at myself when I think about that. I still have that bag and it still looks pretty good. I still haven't spent more than about $400 for a bag, but it no longer seems crazy to me that people spend much, much more than that all the time. But anyone who really wants good last-a-lifetime quality for around $100-$200 should be looking at vintage bags. It's true that they just don't make them like they used to anymore.
 
#26
I really don't want to go over the 2k mark for a handbag. I think most people who aren't bagahalics like us here at TPF wouldn't dream of spending over $200 on a handbag. I recall one time I was in L&T and a young teen was shopping with her grandma and she was showing her some MK bags she liked and her grandma took on look at the price tag was like :wtf: once you by this bag you'll have no money to put inside of it. Many have noted and I 100% agree with is price dose not in any way shape or form equate to quality. Many people buy high end bags to only have them fall apart on them. Also some higher end textiles such as python, alligator, and ostrich are way more high maintenance than say some coated canvas. General wear & tear should be expected with any item that is being used, NO bag regardless of the price will last forever. Which is exactly what I'd tell these people complaining that their bags aren't lasting forever. It may come off as sounding snotty but it's a fact, I would try to word it in a way not to tick them off. Also how are they treating these bags, some people baby their bags while others treat them like beaters.
 
#27
The only bags that I think last forever are Hermes and Chanel. I would never think that any other brand's bags are going to be worn from now until the end of time.

Still if I spend $200 on a handbag I expect it to last, with no problems for at least a year (and I wouldn't be using this bag every day but most likely 3-4 times a week).

There are a lot of quality issues that I have read about here with bags that cost a lot. That has been a disappointing discovery to me especially as so many bags have increased in cost when the quality has not been improved. Also there are some expensive manufacturers who have zero customer service.
 
#28
papertiger said:
Money paid does not always equate with durability or qualities that ensure the product retains it's original purpose/looks.

I expect any item that is sold as a 'bag' to be able to be used for a year or two of daily wear, I don't care about the price and have bought bags for over $3K.

If a bag does not function as a bag it should be sold as art.
Click to expand...

I love your posts. So informative and well reasoned, truly a work of art themselves.

+1 agree, especially about the bag as an art piece.
 
#30
The answer to you question will vary from person-to-person and depend on bother their financial circumstances and priorities.

In general, I consider a purse expensive when it hits around $2500. At that point, I won't do an impulse buy. I'll look at it, walk around or go home. Then, if I still want it I'll buy it.

In particular, it totally depends on the brand and the trendiness of the purse. I won't pay more than $400 or $500 for something that's trendy (i.e. neon colors, "unique" shapes, etc). However, for a classic, normal-colored purse (i.e. Black, brown, gray, navy, etc) I'll pay much more.

Interestingly enough, I would have paid a lot less a few years ago before joining tPF. I didn't know about all of the wonderful brands that I'm aware of now.

I also agree that quality isn't necessarily related to price. I closely inspect any bag that I buy for defects whether it's $250 or $2500. All man-made items are prone to them.
 
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