Ever purged your collection in pursuit of one bag? How did it go?

[pamela112878]

I'm in the midst of cleaning out my closet today! I went a "bag bender" (haha) and bought three purses this month. Nothing crazy (Tory Burch Robinson double zip, LODIS logan hobo, and a really nice leather bag but not familiar with the brand, VIDA??) but as I was putting my new goodies away, I stepped back and realized my closet was starting to look like something from Hoarders. I'm finally going through my closet and am making some good progress (it's sooooo hard for me to part with the handbags). I've decided to get rid of some non-premier stuff and stuff that I haven't used in over two months (mainly all my Coach logo and Coach outlet bags, Banana Republic bags, a basic nylon Prada, and a Gucci vintage horsebit that I never ever used). My only consolation is that these are all going to good homes of friends and family. I have a friend in a different financial situation who really considers Coach a special treat and loves the logo print. I know she'll appreciate the goods and use them all the time. Prada and the vintage Gucci are going home with a cousin. My loss, their gain But now I have room for more goodies!

 

[SWlife]

Actually, I have 2 bags on consignment, another one which I'm about to sell, I think, and another up for sale.
I want to end up with 4 LV, 4 vintage Chanel, and 4 "miscellaneous bad weather, today I don't feel like babying my bags" bags.
By the same token, I've been on a 1 in, 2 out clothing rule. I'm really enjoying watching my closet get under control.
Don't know why I didn't do this earlier!

 

[thedseer]

I'm in the midst of cleaning out my closet today! I went a "bag bender" (haha) and bought three purses this month. Nothing crazy (Tory Burch Robinson double zip, LODIS logan hobo, and a really nice leather bag but not familiar with the brand, VIDA??) but as I was putting my new goodies away, I stepped back and realized my closet was starting to look like something from Hoarders. I'm finally going through my closet and am making some good progress (it's sooooo hard for me to part with the handbags). I've decided to get rid of some non-premier stuff and stuff that I haven't used in over two months (mainly all my Coach logo and Coach outlet bags, Banana Republic bags, a basic nylon Prada, and a Gucci vintage horsebit that I never ever used). My only consolation is that these are all going to good homes of friends and family. I have a friend in a different financial situation who really considers Coach a special treat and loves the logo print. I know she'll appreciate the goods and use them all the time. Prada and the vintage Gucci are going home with a cousin. My loss, their gain But now I have room for more goodies!

that is great! i have a hard time too, though i usually feel better once things are out the door. i should take "before" and "after" pictures.

Actually, I have 2 bags on consignment, another one which I'm about to sell, I think, and another up for sale.
I want to end up with 4 LV, 4 vintage Chanel, and 4 "miscellaneous bad weather, today I don't feel like babying my bags" bags.
By the same token, I've been on a 1 in, 2 out clothing rule. I'm really enjoying watching my closet get under control.
Don't know why I didn't do this earlier!

I like your 1 in, 2 out clothing rule - that's a clever way to clean out the closet without really feeling like you're cleaning since it's just a little at a time.

4 LV, 4 vintage Chanel, and 4 misc. bags sounds like a great mix and number to end up with.

 

[LizCordova]

I sold a few bags recently and purchased a Proenza Schouler PS1. I am in the process of weeding out the rest of my collection to end up with just the bags that I truly love.
I am tired of the buy/sell merry go round and find I am happier with a smaller collection that affords me some variety. When I am done purging I will be left with Proenza Schouer PS1,
Mulberry Alexa, Bal Folk, Bal day and six Vintage Coach bags.

 

[chubbyshopper]

I need to sell at least 5 -10 items that I haven't used this past year. The thing is I can't bear to think how much I would have to sell them as I would focus on the loss than the gain. That's probs why I haven't still sold any yet... Hahaa
I need a plan of action...

 

[thedseer]

I sold a few bags recently and purchased a Proenza Schouler PS1. I am in the process of weeding out the rest of my collection to end up with just the bags that I truly love.
I am tired of the buy/sell merry go round and find I am happier with a smaller collection that affords me some variety. When I am done purging I will be left with Proenza Schouer PS1,
Mulberry Alexa, Bal Folk, Bal day and six Vintage Coach bags.

that's great! i don't have a PS1, but i love the looks as well as the functionality of the inside. your planned 10 sounds like a great mix of bags.

I need to sell at least 5 -10 items that I haven't used this past year. The thing is I can't bear to think how much I would have to sell them as I would focus on the loss than the gain. That's probs why I haven't still sold any yet... Hahaa
I need a plan of action...

will you plan to use some of your selling proceeds to fund something else? i think selling stuff you haven't used in a year is a great idea. i also hate to think about how much money i'm losing - but then i try to remember that some money is still better than the bags just sitting in the closet. still hard sometimes though.

 

[thedseer]

i'm still struggling with deciding what to get rid of - which i guess means i should keep things i'm on the fence about for now, but it's also tempting to just rip the bandaid off quickly so to speak and just get it over with. i mean, if i'm not sure if i want to keep them, that seems to mean they don't work for one reason or another, right? i keep trying to tell myself that unless i want a little museum in my closet, it doesn't make sense to keep things that i don't use very much.

i have 2 more things that i feel sure about purging, and i guess after that i'll have to decide whether to keep chipping away little by little or if i just want to go for it and make a big change right away.

 

[Antonia]

Just thought I would bump one of my favorite threads as I’m sort of considering going through this again and wondered if anyone else did this recently or was thinking about doing it so we could motivate each other/offer support.

I have been slowly editing my bags down over the past few months – I sent three out the door so far this summer, which was my goal. I’ve been planning to sell a few more this year to get to under 15 bags. However, I’ve recently been thinking about doing a more drastic purge – getting down to under 10 (something like 4 RMs, 2 Coach, 1 LV, 1 BV, maybe a Bal). Not quite a full collection purge, but still – potentially cutting more than half is a lot, I think.

The next couple will still be fairly easy for me to part with, because they don’t work for me for one reason or another. It’s after I get rid of these few that things get trickier. I have some that I do use and enjoy, just not very often. The 2 Bals I still have, for example – I think I’m scared to carry them since I’ve had some bad luck with wear on Bals in the past year. On the one hand, since I don’t use them much anymore, it might make sense to call it a day and be done with it. But if I regretted it, I would have a very difficult time replacing them (if I could at all) since they’re older bags. I think that’s my problem with a bunch of the bags that I’m on the fence about – if I knew they could be easily replaced, I think I’d have an easier time.

While I don’t need the money or the space necessarily, I figure 1) some extra cash would be nice to have for my honeymoon this fall and 2) clutter has been stressing me out lately. And while 15 bags is not a lot by many people’s standards, I do feel like I have some guilt because I can really only carry one at a time, and I also carry some much more than others, so it feels wasteful, if that makes sense. I do like variety, but I need to find a happy medium between variety and having a number where everything has a purpose and gets used.

And since part of the purpose of this thread is “in pursuit of one bag,” what would I get if I purged? My plan is nothing for at least a little while, since I’m trying to get out of the sell-buy-sell cycle. I’m planning to buy a second Le Pliage in the fall, since I use my navy one all of the time. Ultimately, I would like to get a DE speedy b sometime in the fall/winter to use as an everyday bag. And then, sometime after that, I’d save up for an ebano veneta. I think if I focus on the end goal, that might make things easier – I know these two bags will work for me and get a lot of use.

And then of course, the ultimate goal would be to stay at 10 bags or less and get out of the buy-sell cycle.

Whew, that was long!

Hey thanks for bumping this! I remember when this thread first came out, I loved reading all the comments and I'm sure I even commented on this thread before but I'm too lazy to re-read all of the pages-lol!

I don't like clutter so I say I say purge, purge, purge! I have bought and sold so many bags over the last few years and frankly I've gotten tired of it! It makes me sick how much $$ I've wasted over the years-I don't even want to think about it!

I'm down to 4 bags: my LV Sofia Coppola in jasper, my Chanel chain around hobo in black, my black Balenciaga P/T, and an RM MAB that I have on the chopping block. I used to have sooo many bags but it just gets so confusing. I like to rotate, but I'd rather 3-5 bags than 10-20. When I bought my LV bag from Fashionphile, I put the deposit on my CC but I decided then to sell off most of my other handbags to help fund this one. They were a few RM's, a LV mono speedy and some other misc. bags. I do NOT miss any of those other handbags. It brings me great joy to look into my closet and only see those few great bags staring back at me.

I say if you're going to sell off all or most of your collection to fund one or two great bags, make sure it's a bag (s) that you know will be timeless and in a color that will go with a lot. I don't think I could have spend so much on one bag if it was in a bright color....I don't want to get sick of the color. I'm in my mid 40's and I just want quality vs. quantity in my bags and clothes. I strive to follow the French minimalist lifestyle and am getting there slowly but surely.

Sorry for the long reply!

 

[mayajuliana]

I'm glad this thread got revived! I myself have purged many, and now I'm down about a third...I'm much happier now, and someone else is happy, my mom lol! I'm starting to have to manage her bag closet!

What I can do now is enjoy what I have, and take the money and take care of family business. We are on reduced paychecks and while we can pay the bills, it's nice to have something for buffer and not have to raid the savings account.

thedseer - I'm in the same boat as you. What's left, I straddle the fence. I literally think I only need my BV maxi and my Chanel WOC. Big for travel, little for when I need to drag the baby's stuff with me!

 

[TejasMama]

This is one of my favorite threads--glad to see it active again!

I've scaled down quite a bit and am now trying to decide whether or not to purge a few more bags in the fall. It's not really a space issue since there aren't that many but I still struggle between wanting to be some one that really simplifies and someone who would like some variety.

Sometimes I wonder if I had the nerve to actually really pare down if I'd be happier with what was left or would I miss the other ones I sold? i don't have many regrets in terms of past sales but what I have left, I know I wouldn't be able to get again. So, I do use them, but not often. Better to tuck them away or just sell them and be done with it?

 

[ms p]

This is one of my favorite threads--glad to see it active again!

I've scaled down quite a bit and am now trying to decide whether or not to purge a few more bags in the fall. It's not really a space issue since there aren't that many but I still struggle between wanting to be some one that really simplifies and someone who would like some variety.

Sometimes I wonder if I had the nerve to actually really pare down if I'd be happier with what was left or would I miss the other ones I sold? i don't have many regrets in terms of past sales but what I have left, I know I wouldn't be able to get again. So, I do use them, but not often. Better to tuck them away or just sell them and be done with it?

Another *Yeah* for old thread revival!

Tejasmama what u wrote is really what I feel now.

My problem is how minimal should/ can I go without sacrificing/ underestimating practicality, function and vanity lol.

I too had buy/ sell too much. Admittedly there are 3-4 regret sale but honestly the bags don't serve me well but I still miss them at times. I didn't replace any as I didn't try very hard to find plus it's not that readily available.

 

[ms p]

i'm still struggling with deciding what to get rid of - which i guess means i should keep things i'm on the fence about for now, but it's also tempting to just rip the bandaid off quickly so to speak and just get it over with. i mean, if i'm not sure if i want to keep them, that seems to mean they don't work for one reason or another, right? i keep trying to tell myself that unless i want a little museum in my closet, it doesn't make sense to keep things that i don't use very much.

i have 2 more things that i feel sure about purging, and i guess after that i'll have to decide whether to keep chipping away little by little or if i just want to go for it and make a big change right away.

Personally I will do small steps until my bag downsizing "expectation" has climbed to a tipping point then I go with big change: p

How about take out the bags and use them again? If u still enjoy it then keep. If u are reminded why the bags don't work and u discover u don't like it as much actually then sell.

 

[thedseer]

Hey thanks for bumping this! I remember when this thread first came out, I loved reading all the comments and I'm sure I even commented on this thread before but I'm too lazy to re-read all of the pages-lol!

I don't like clutter so I say I say purge, purge, purge! I have bought and sold so many bags over the last few years and frankly I've gotten tired of it! It makes me sick how much $$ I've wasted over the years-I don't even want to think about it!

I'm down to 4 bags: my LV Sofia Coppola in jasper, my Chanel chain around hobo in black, my black Balenciaga P/T, and an RM MAB that I have on the chopping block. I used to have sooo many bags but it just gets so confusing. I like to rotate, but I'd rather 3-5 bags than 10-20. When I bought my LV bag from Fashionphile, I put the deposit on my CC but I decided then to sell off most of my other handbags to help fund this one. They were a few RM's, a LV mono speedy and some other misc. bags. I do NOT miss any of those other handbags. It brings me great joy to look into my closet and only see those few great bags staring back at me.

I say if you're going to sell off all or most of your collection to fund one or two great bags, make sure it's a bag (s) that you know will be timeless and in a color that will go with a lot. I don't think I could have spend so much on one bag if it was in a bright color....I don't want to get sick of the color. I'm in my mid 40's and I just want quality vs. quantity in my bags and clothes. I strive to follow the French minimalist lifestyle and am getting there slowly but surely.

Sorry for the long reply!

Wow, that’s great! I love what you’ve ended up with – no wonder you’re content with your choices Love the SC especially – it seems like the ultimate satchel to me. I hear you on not liking clutter. I need to go through my closets and get rid of other stuff too. I’ve been slowly going through my clothes, but that’s another thing that might benefit from a more drastic, get rid of a bunch at a time purge.

I'm glad this thread got revived! I myself have purged many, and now I'm down about a third...I'm much happier now, and someone else is happy, my mom lol! I'm starting to have to manage her bag closet!

What I can do now is enjoy what I have, and take the money and take care of family business. We are on reduced paychecks and while we can pay the bills, it's nice to have something for buffer and not have to raid the savings account.

thedseer - I'm in the same boat as you. What's left, I straddle the fence. I literally think I only need my BV maxi and my Chanel WOC. Big for travel, little for when I need to drag the baby's stuff with me!

Congrats on purging so many! I think having just a BV maxi and a Chanel WOC would be great – both beautiful, functional bags.

I think I could get down to something similar – an everyday bag; a smaller crossbody for weekends; a clutch; and a le pliage. But I know I’d probably want a little more variety than that, or else I’d be afraid that I might relapse. So I’d probably want a neutral and then a versatile color for an everyday bag. Or a black bag for every day and a lighter color for the summer. Right now though, I have too many bags that serve the same purpose (i.e., I do not need 5+ satchels), so I guess it’s just finding that happy medium.

This is one of my favorite threads--glad to see it active again!

I've scaled down quite a bit and am now trying to decide whether or not to purge a few more bags in the fall. It's not really a space issue since there aren't that many but I still struggle between wanting to be some one that really simplifies and someone who would like some variety.

Sometimes I wonder if I had the nerve to actually really pare down if I'd be happier with what was left or would I miss the other ones I sold? i don't have many regrets in terms of past sales but what I have left, I know I wouldn't be able to get again. So, I do use them, but not often. Better to tuck them away or just sell them and be done with it?

That sounds exactly like what I’m debating now – do I sell items that I don’t use often or do I keep them for the times I do use them, especially since they are ones I won’t be able to replace should I regret selling them?

I admit though that I can’t think of a single time I actually regretted selling something. Missed from time to time, maybe, but never actual regret.

What I do regret is purging, and then slowly buying again and ending up right back where I started.

Personally I will do small steps until my bag downsizing "expectation" has climbed to a tipping point then I go with big change: p

How about take out the bags and use them again? If u still enjoy it then keep. If u are reminded why the bags don't work and u discover u don't like it as much actually then sell.

This is a great idea – I’m sure that would really help make the decision for me on a few items.

My other problem is having multiples of some styles (because they are styles that work for me). For example, I don’t need 5 different colors in one style, but I don’t think I’d want to purge to just 1 either - knowing me, I’d probably get bored quickly and want to get it in another color too. So I guess I just need to find my happy number that gives me some variety without having too much excess.

I agree that going slowly is probably the best idea for now, and then that might give me the momentum to want to get rid of even more.

 

[catsinthebag]

This is one of my favorite threads--glad to see it active again!

I've scaled down quite a bit and am now trying to decide whether or not to purge a few more bags in the fall. It's not really a space issue since there aren't that many but I still struggle between wanting to be some one that really simplifies and someone who would like some variety.

Sometimes I wonder if I had the nerve to actually really pare down if I'd be happier with what was left or would I miss the other ones I sold? i don't have many regrets in terms of past sales but what I have left, I know I wouldn't be able to get again. So, I do use them, but not often. Better to tuck them away or just sell them and be done with it?

TejasMama, that last paragraph really rang true to me! I have 12 bags, and I like the number -- it feels small enough to be manageable, but large enough to give me some variety. I'm done buying tote bags as four of my bags are totes in various colors. Done. Three are Chanel's, and while I will always admire all the bag reveals on that forum, I don't see myself buying more -- the prices are too crazy, and try as I might, I just can't be one of those women who uses a Chanel as her everyday bag!

That leaves me with five bags that are "everyday" bags. And I love them all. But. Every single one of them has a quirk that eliminates it from being a "perfect" everyday bag. One is a tricky color, a couple have shoulder straps that are problematic, one has an opening that is too small, etc. What to do about those bags? If I could only find that bag that worked in every way, it would be easier to sell the ones that don't, but so far, that bag has eluded me.

Ah, the quest for the perfect bag!

 

[Antonia]

Wow, that’s great! I love what you’ve ended up with – no wonder you’re content with your choices Love the SC especially – it seems like the ultimate satchel to me. I hear you on not liking clutter. I need to go through my closets and get rid of other stuff too. I’ve been slowly going through my clothes, but that’s another thing that might benefit from a more drastic, get rid of a bunch at a time purge.



Thank you! I agree, it's the ultimate satchel. I've never spent so much on one purse but it's in a great color that can be worn year around and no logo's-I prefer a little anonymity!

I don't know if you've read it but there is a thread in the wardrobe section that is very similar to this thread about quality vs. quantity. I found it so insprational-here is the link: http://forum.purseblog.com/the-wardrobe/anyone-think-doing-big-closet-cleansing-only-few-649193.html. Once I read through it, I really went through my closet and got rid of piles of clothes! It was such a good feeling to de-clutter. Now I only have what I really want in my closet, and that goes for clothes, shoes, bags, belts, scarves. I'm sure I can tweak it a little more but the major clean out is pretty much done. I have a closet downstairs that I have some fall clothes that I'm getting rid of come September. I really wanted to just have everything in one closet (except my coats) and now I do!

Good luck with your closet purge!!!