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

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Lo - Only just now saw this thread, but it's really inspiring and a pleasure to read since I love the way you write!

My number is around/slightly less than 10 now, excluding smaller bags/leather goods, and honestly, I'm not sure I can trim that number down in the long run, but you've inspired me to do so in the short run. I'm realizing that of those 10ish, I definitely don't absolutely LOVE all of them, or use them as much as I should (I'm using only about 4 regularly), so I'm definitely considering purging and ultimately replacing those with more classic bags that I really love and that are a pleasure for me to carry over and over.

Most of my purchases are more thought out since they are all bought debit/cash, but I'm realizing that they should be even more thought out, and if I don't end up loving/using something, it should go to someone who will love it/use it even more. I'm slowly clearing out.

I do clothing purges regularly, and it really makes me feel so much better! I do love the idea of having a goal in mind. I've had my eye on getting a Bayswater for a while now, so I may just have to use that as my incentive ;) Though I do love YSL as well - good choices!

I think I will continue to examine my collection over the next few weeks and figure out what I can and can't do without. Thank you for the inspiration, and please keep us updated!

Hi there!!:D

Great to see you here!! And you sound like you know just what I am talking about...go for the Bays. :graucho:

I repeat: go for the Bays. It is so lovely - I don't think that online stock photos do that bag justice once you've seen one IRL. GL to you, too!! :heart:
 
All right, Loquita. I have a question for you. I've been thinking about this whole purging thing for a couple of days now, and here's the hurdle I'm having trouble jumping: I don't know that I can really let everythng go without regrets. Here's where the question comes in (I was getting there!): Did you feel totally ready to let your bags go, no regrets, or did you just decide to jump off the cliff and let them go before you had time to think about it?

Excellent question, fabae! (As usual...I always look forward to your posts). I think that fashion_mom1 took the words right out of my mouth here: only purge if you are absolutely ready -- in other words, you can imagine what it would be like to not have that bag to reach for in our closet and still feel okay about it. I knew that I was ready to do this when the following started to happen (and it was a process that I noticed over the last month and a half or so):

- I was starting to use/truly enjoy only 2-3 of my bags on a regular basis, and didn't really even think about or look forward to the others at all;
- I began to feel overwhelmed by the whole seemingly endless buy/sell/buy cycle in pursuit or something that I really wanted;
-I started to yearn for a handbag collection that was streamlined just like the rest of my home (including my clothing, shoes, and housewares). In the interest of total honesty, however, the amount of lipgloss and eyeshadow that I own is not streamlined. :lawl: But that's a story for the Beauty Bar!
- I found myself admiring high-end bags more and more (not for their prestige, but rather for their workmanship and design aesthetics)...yet I was convinced that they were out of my economic league. And here the next point comes in:
- I sat down and did the math, and realized that if sold most or all of my mid-range bags (I owned about 10-12 at the time) I would easily be able to acquire 2-3 bags that I would treasure and heavily use/love.

This is what pushed me over the edge. And I can frankly say that once I send a bag off, I don't regret it. (With one sole exception - and I have had the opporutnity to re-purchase that identical bag since, but haven't taken it).

Hope this helps!!! :flowers:
 
^Thing is, I don't yet have a DREAM BAG in mind which, I think, makes the whole purging idea more difficult because you're purging for...what? I'm thinking that Lo had her dream bags in mind already before she jumped, which is half the battle, but I was just wondering how far into the "this can go, this can go, etc" process she'd gotten. I have 1 bag in my collection that I'm ready to sell, another I'm iffy on, and then several more that I'm not!

Lo definitely has inspired me, which is why I'm obsessing over it (that's how I usually do things - over-think it until I get sick of thinking and then just DO IT! :D) The whole purging idea just sort of fits in to the point I've reached in life - keep what I love, use it, get rid of what I don't love, quit worrying about things I can't fix, fix what I can, get rid of bad habits, pray more... So when I read this thread, I thought, "Awesome! Fits right in!" I'm still pushing myself toward the edge of the cliff (and I'm one of those people who stands 10 feet from the edge of the cliff and says, with my stomach sitting in my throat, "Be careful over there. You could fall." [figuratively and in reality!])

There's a 3-year-old paging me! Gotta get off tpf!

fabae, I am at the exact same point in life that you are...isn't it liberating? :tup:

And I say just purge what you can at the moment, put the money aside, and relax and wait until something lovely comes to you. It will. :heart:
 
fabae, purging is great, I think if you have a set bag you are dying for! I wouldn't know as I have no experience. I don't own that many bags.

Lo, your mouth is going to drop open when you read this, but I am thinking of selling my chocolate YSL RG bag for an Ebano Cervo! - Only at the thinking stage!

:yahoo:

Give it a few days and think it over...I would even put the RG away (completely out of sight/mind) and see how it feels to not have it "available" to you for a while...

...and then go for it, if you feel good about it!!!

I know how much you love that bag. :D
 
I am so into purging my collection that I'm giving away handbags. Where I live, I can't do ebay...and this is a true purging of things I do not need. My fuschia Hold Me is gorgeous, but it has hung in my closet for a year. So...it's gorgeous..and then what? Taking up physical and mental space. Out she goes.


I'm doing the same thing! A friend is coming up to take a lovely handmade leather backpack purse off my hands in a few hours. And I'm giving a Treesje bag to Goodwill later this week.
 
Lo, looking at your list, the duplication that you have in your collection are the two black bags, YSL Hobo, and BE LM. They are both big, slouchy, black shoulder bags. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Maybe the BE will have to go...? Since you had your heart set on the YSL?

I am so into purging my collection that I'm giving away handbags. Where I live, I can't do ebay...and this is a true purging of things I do not need. My fuschia Hold Me is gorgeous, but it has hung in my closet for a year. So...it's gorgeous..and then what? Taking up physical and mental space. Out she goes.

TG, I really truly appreciate your honesty with me!! :hugs:

(I love it when people are able to be direct and diplomatic at the same time).

And you are absolutely right. I had just arrived at the very same conclusion myself, and your confirmation of my thoughts is very valuable!!

I also love love love the way in which you are not overly attached to your posessesion, in particular those that you do not use. I strive for this myself.
 
Sounds great, everyone! :yahoo: It's so liberating to finally figure out what works for you and just go for it.

And thithi dear: you never did tell me exactly which Easy you got!!! Did you get the one with the zippers or the studs? Which color? Details, details!!! :nuts:

I am dying to see it.
Hahah..... I ended up with the zipper easy!!! I can't wait to post pics of it. Any day now. When is the ETA of your zippy hobo?? I want to hear about the leather, ahhhhh, the leather!!!
 
Give it a few days and think it over...I would even put the RG away (completely out of sight/mind) and see how it feels to not have it "available" to you for a while...


That's a great idea! I've done it myself. Usually I put the stuff I'm de-cluttering in the Goodwill bag and put it in the basement, and tell DH "If I don't ask you to get me that bag in 4 days, go ahead and take it to Goodwill."

BgaHolic,

doreen is a wise woman, from what I have learned on this handbag forum.


Awwww.... :hugs: Backatcha, Lo!
 
Lo, what is the bag in your avatar?

I really liked your explanation of how you arrived at being able to purge your collection. It's all about doing the math, and looking at what's not getting used. Also, to get off the cycle of buying. Buying is exhausting!
 
after a couple of years on this forum and even before, I had accumulated quite a number of bags, sigh....... I've come to understand what works and what doesn't and I've had just about every style imaginable, some work, some don't.

This is what I've been doing to see what needs to go and what stays. I started taking out one bag at a time and using for a week. If I find that I can't wait to put it away and go to another, then it gets put in the to go pile. If I hate to put it away, it's a keeper. So far, all of my bal bags are keepers, in fact I've been alternating them with the rest so that I don't go into withdrawal. I'm hoping to let 5 go to new homes, this is still very hard for me to do so we'll see, but the goal is to get to 15. I do enjoy reading about your adventure! this is a fun thread!
 
^^redskater - I love that method! If you don't mind telling, you want to get to 15 from what #?? I do think I will try your approach. Though some bags may be breathtaking, if you are not using them it doesn't do much good!
 
^^^ ugh, close to 25, but there are a few that I will never sell. They are vintage Sharifs, that have spectacular leather, I pull them out every once in awhile and they look like little works of art. Still relevant and classic. I have given a couple to my mil but I wouldn't sell. The rest is up for grabs!
 
Hi Lo, didn't mean you had to get rid of your LM Midi. There's room for two black bags in your collection...one for bad weather days maybe? I was just pointing out a place where, if push comes to shove, you had a duplication. Sorry!
 
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