I am shocked to hear some of the stories here! I carry my bags with care but they are still everyday objects so I know they are not going to look like they came straight out of the store forever. However, I would be absolutely shocked if a stranger touched my bag (or *any* of my belongings) without even asking! That is absolutely rude and shows how little manners they have! If I run into someone with a nice bag and I'm already talking to them for some reason I'll always point out how nice their bag is (and it always makes them smile!) but I'd never even think about touching them! That sounds kind of strange. My family and friends can touch them all they want. Except for my dad. He's not careful enough with these things 