cola, if you'd enjoy using the Venetia as much as the Manhattan, you should probably go for the Venetia given the huge price difference. (i personally prefer the Manhattan, though, because i like the durable-but-posh LV canvas, the cowhide trim, and i'm a sucker for LV's long history as a trunk maker yada yada; also, i'd probably tire of the Venetia much quicker - while you can reasonably expect the Manhattan to be in style for much longer than the Venetia...)