How long do you expect your bags to last?

papertiger

papertiger

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#1
There is a thread about how long retired bags have lasted but what I want to know how long do you expect a bag to last when your buying it?

I've read posts where people have commented that they need a new bag because they have used their old leather bag for about 6 months or posts or when people have stated that they are really disappointed when their fabric bags has shown signs of wear after only a couple of years.


This is how I think (generally) - I want to use my bags but I want them to last at least 10 years min (colour and type of skin taken into account) I don't 'baby' but I'm careful and I do clean and feed once a year. If they need repairing and there's no brand aftercare, I will do it myself if I can, I don't care how old or out of fashion it is, of course if I go off a bag its different.

I could never spend more than a couple of $200 on a bag that I thought I would have to throw away in a year (passing-on is different) nor would I buy a fabric bag an expect it to last (even though I have my mother's Trussardi canvas bag from 30 years ago - cleaned and good to carry for this Summer).

I have been bitten by high street brands (H&M @ £70 - faded out of recognition and looked hideous in 2 months) and boutique brands (Billy Bag @ £150 - handles broke after 3 days) therefore I avoid, but even dept store generic brands can be over $300, contemporary, premium designer bags can cost as much as second hand car, I can only justify the price because I am thinking l o n g t e r m.

How about you?
 
#2
Same here, especially with the higher end bags. My LV epi, in particular, I optimistically hope is a warhorse.

Obviously, however, craftsmanship over the years also affects which will outlast which. I have some vintage Coach, made of that thick, hardcore leather they used to use, that you could probably drive a tank over with little effect. With proper conditioning, there's no telling how much use that leather can withstand. So yeah, craftsmanship over the years is a factor too.
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#3
cheapie bags that I use for travel and other places where a nice bag wouldn't be the wisest thing to carry.. if they last a year, great

Designer bags..I really do expect them to last a lifetime.. But I do take care of them.. storing properly, stuffing so they keep their shape, dust bags, etc... I have a Furla that must be 25 years old.. looks brand new.
 
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#4
I expect all the bags I own to last 20+ years. I don't baby my bags but I'm not tough on them either. I don't have delicate or exotic skins so don't need to fret about rain or sun. Sure corners will fade or show wear and hardware may tarnish and interiors may get dusty or spotty and a stitch might come loose, but with basic maintenance I expect a well made leather bag to last.
 
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#5
I expect my handbags to last around 100 years, give or take a decade. I start whining if it looks worn after "only" 10 years!! I still have and carry my handbag from high school.


There are some caveats with that.

None of my bags is a daily wear bag. None of them are ever expected to carry more than they can handle; I don't overload them. With the exception of three bags, all of them are premier designers who have reputation of good customer service.
They are made out of very thick leather, hard woven canvas.
When they aren't being carried, they are stuffed and rest in sleeper bags. They sit on their sides, or base - Never on a hook or by a handle!!
I maintain my bags. They get oiled and conditioned every month, spa visits every three years, and if something major happens, they will be sent in for repair.
My 1978 Bottega Veneta bag I "borrowed" from my mother was relined last month; my grandmother's 1960s croc Gucci is due to receive new handles; the seams will be reinforced at that time. I could buy a new bag on what I spend for repairs, ect. every year.
 
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#7
momtok said:
Same here, especially with the higher end bags. My LV epi, in particular, I optimistically hope is a warhorse.

Obviously, however, craftsmanship over the years also affects which will outlast which. I have some vintage Coach, made of that thick, hardcore leather they used to use, that you could probably drive a tank over with little effect. With proper conditioning, there's no telling how much use that leather can withstand. So yeah, craftsmanship over the years is a factor too.
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Click to expand...

I saw some of the Coach you describe in a Brick Lane Vintage shop, they looked better than many new bags I have seen :tup:

OlgaMUA said:
cheapie bags that I use for travel and other places where a nice bag wouldn't be the wisest thing to carry.. if they last a year, great

Designer bags..I really do expect them to last a lifetime.. But I do take care of them.. storing properly, stuffing so they keep their shape, dust bags, etc... I have a Furla that must be 25 years old.. looks brand new.
Click to expand...

Exactly, keeping bags nicely is a job, but it's worth it. If a bag is well made and well kept it will pay the owner back in the end

grietje said:
I expect all the bags I own to last 20+ years. I don't baby my bags but I'm not tough on them either. I don't have delicate or exotic skins so don't need to fret about rain or sun. Sure corners will fade or show wear and hardware may tarnish and interiors may get dusty or spotty and a stitch might come loose, but with basic maintenance I expect a well made leather bag to last.
Click to expand...

Exotic skins are a consideration - I do own python, ostrich and croc (ostrich is fine in rain but not grease or sweat) I wouldn't carry any exotic without a rainproof bag to put it in if it started to rain or snow

Vintage Leather said:
I expect my handbags to last around 100 years, give or take a decade. I start whining if it looks worn after "only" 10 years!! I still have and carry my handbag from high school.


There are some caveats with that.

None of my bags is a daily wear bag. None of them are ever expected to carry more than they can handle; I don't overload them. With the exception of three bags, all of them are premier designers who have reputation of good customer service.
They are made out of very thick leather, hard woven canvas.
When they aren't being carried, they are stuffed and rest in sleeper bags. They sit on their sides, or base - Never on a hook or by a handle!!
I maintain my bags. They get oiled and conditioned every month, spa visits every three years, and if something major happens, they will be sent in for repair.
My 1978 Bottega Veneta bag I "borrowed" from my mother was relined last month; my grandmother's 1960s croc Gucci is due to receive new handles; the seams will be reinforced at that time. I could buy a new bag on what I spend for repairs, ect. every year.
Click to expand...

Very sound advice especially about not overloading bags. I also have a 1970s BV, my mother's Gucci bags and spend lots of money looking after bags I already own. We could be more than bag twins Vintage Leather :graucho: separated at birth :lol:

tiffanystar said:
I would expect a bag to last about five years. Some brands obviously are amazingly well made & last longer. I think it looks awful when people carry very worn bags.
Click to expand...

See, I quite like the 'lived and traveled' look. I'm not talking about horrible stains or cat scratches but well-loved is OK by me, I kind of think that leather in many colours actually can look better with age :P
 
#8
Forever, which I can say now really is finite for me*. The bags I have now... are truly 'the rest of my life' bags. I'm excited :biggrin:

*realizing I sound like I'm dying or something, aren't we all, really, but - what I mean is: The bags with which I have fallen in love and subsequently purchased will last at least 30 years and by the time I'm that old I won't give a rat's ... er, well, you know. :biggrin:
 
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#10
I used to own a vintage Chanel that was over 30 years old. It looked like it was only a few years old. I love bags that can withstand the test of time - physically and metaphorically speaking.

I expect ALL my bags to last well past that year mark.
 
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#11
joy&lv said:
With the number of bags I own, I expect all of them to out last me. I am only 35 and my grandma is over 95. DH commented that I should be cremated and stored in my LV bags... die and went to heaven. Happy for all eternity.
Click to expand...

:lol: I shouldn't laugh but that is darkly humorous

alouette said:
I used to own a vintage Chanel that was over 30 years old. It looked like it was only a few years old. I love bags that can withstand the test of time - physically and metaphorically speaking.

I expect ALL my bags to last well past that year mark.
Click to expand...

So pleased everyone seems to feel this way, I thought it was just me :P
 
#12
My vintage Chanel, LV, Marc Jacobs Stam, I expect to last another 30 years. I try to find bags that are thicker, heavier and haven't been through the process of thinning it down or distressing too much. I like saddle or bridle type leather. A lot of my decades old Coach were made from American water buffalo. Aside from MJ, the other contemporary designer I have is Treesje I am not sure how long it will last, it definitely had some kind of softening process done to it. It feels great but the piping is showing wear early on.

Anything that's faux, I don't expect more than 2 or 3 years, especially when the PVC starts to stick and seams tend to rip. Fabric and nylon bags are hard to determine, depends on the amount of wear, but they can last longer with proper cleaning.
 
#14
papertiger said:
See, I quite like the 'lived and traveled' look. I'm not talking about horrible stains or cat scratches but well-loved is OK by me, I kind of think that leather in many colours actually can look better with age :P
Click to expand...

My favorite term for that is "tonal variations". I much prefer to see vachetta with all its splotches, shades and tones of honey than a full uniform color! The LV vachetta is a great canvas for this type of patina. Shows less baby-ing, more real life living!
 
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