It is easy to forget that while the method of obtaining exotics may seem more cruel in many cases, dead is dead. Cows experience fear and anxiety and panic upon approaching a slaughterhouse, and many of them are treated horribly inhumanely (remember the video that was released recently about "downer" cows?). People often eat things that go through horrible torture before ending up on our plates (veal, lobster, pate, etc.), too.
In the big scheme of things, I'm just saying it is difficult to cling to a moral highground by not wearing or carrying exotics if a person wears leather or eats anything with questionable living conditions prior to slaughter. Ultimately, most handbags, meals and many articles of clothing involve cruelty at some level, so I think it all comes down to personal preference. If you like exotics, carry them; if you don't, don't.
but putting in my two cents is that I hate exotics. I really feel that at this point, putting alligator claws and ostrich skin and all kinds of animals all over my bags is really offensive. I don't look at it as a 'rich expensive' look, I don't really even think that the different textures are all that pretty - but to me, I see some poacher killed some animal that was probably not SUPPOSED to be killed just to make a buck on a bag. :s 
) but my python pumps are probably my fave shoes of all time, and i baby my crocodile bottega like crazy! love fur too . . . . 
Yeah interesting. I don't eat cows but I do wear them. This may sound horrible but well people will always eat cows so well gotta do something with the skin right? Yeah no Christmas cards from PETA for me either. Lambskins... oh those Chanel quilted bags are so soft... Exotics - hmmm I don't like them. Hey there is that strange guy on the travel channel that eats really weird (gross) things - he probably eats broiled lizard from time to time so you know maybe those exotics were killed for more reasons other than fashion... hmmmm
I'm not sure that nylon et al are that much worse for the environment than raising/killing animals only for their skin -- it still takes resources to raise those animals and treat the skins. Not trying to pick on you, but I just wanted to point out that "natural" isn't always automatically better.
