Is it me or are the prices of handbags too excessive?

BgaHolic

BgaHolic

Emma 4ever in my <3
O.G.
May 23, 2009
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208
#1
I've been browsing different stores and I've gotta tell ya, to me it looks like the average new designer bag starts at $600! :nuts: Does anyone here feel the way I do? I am not including Gucci, Chanel, YSL or LV. I am talking about the rest of the designer bags such as Linnea Pelle, Rebecca Minkoff, etc.

I guess it is the manufacturer's way of psychologically getting people used to the idea that if they spend upwards $800, what's another few hundred for a high end bag? I find this downright wrong especially since we are not paying for Italian craftsmanship or handmade bags! :nuts:
 
#3
Is it just me or do you think bag prices are really over the top. Really, how much are we prepared to pay for our obsession? I've just about reached my limit, how about you?
 
#4
Well..cough...I'll pay quite a bit for a bag I really want. But my motto is, buy the best quality items you can, and get *fewer* of them.

So I have less than 6 designer bags, but they cost between $1,000 and $2,500.
 
#5
BgaHolic said:
I've been browsing different stores and I've gotta tell ya, to me it looks like the average new designer bag starts at $600! :nuts: Does anyone here feel the way I do? I am not including Gucci, Chanel, YSL or LV. I am talking about the rest of the designer bags such as Linnea Pelle, Rebecca Minkoff, etc.

I guess it is the manufacturer's way of psychologically getting people used to the idea that if they spend upwards $800, what's another few hundred for a high end bag? I find this downright wrong especially since we are not paying for Italian craftsmanship or handmade bags! :nuts:
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I've read that it's the large dept. store chains that are to blame rather than the manufacturers. They demand big mark-ups on the bags, high profit margins, and $600-plus price tags or else they will refuse to carry the "smaller" lines like Rebecca Minkoff. The bag makers often have no choice but to raise prices if they want their bags in the stores.
 
#6
Interestingly, I've noticed that there are some designers in that range you're referring to that have actually lowered prices too, rather than constantly increasing them. LP, for instance, has actually lowered the prices of some of their bags to the comfortably-sub-$500 range, even where similar styles were priced higher in previous seasons. Treesje, whose designs are usually fairly intricate and detailed, has priced a majority of their bags at about $595, even though a couple of seasons back, there was a larger proportion of bags priced above $600. I seem to see Botkiers being priced a little lower too, though some of the Holiday '09 bags that I've seen being priced lower might also be smaller bags (no idea of the sizes yet). This is just over the past couple of seasons, so it's quite possibly just the economy pushing these prices down a little. Compared to a few years back, I wouldn't be surprised at all to find a definite upward trend in prices.

That said, though, the majority of designer bags (new or established) are usually pretty overpriced anyway, and I've yet to pay full price for any of the bags I own (mostly contemporary designers). For contemporary designers, I tend to wait until I can get a bag for below $500 (usually closer to the $400 mark) before I bite.
 
#9
I agree that the quality is very much lacking on some of those mid-priced designer bags. I've had much better-made bags from D&B and Michael Kors for example than Minkoff, Foley & Corrinna, etc.
 
#10
Yes, they, of course, are too excessive, but that pays for many other things apart from just quality.

On a personal note, say that the $2,000 plus bag is much better quality that will last me a lifetime in great condition, so I get much fewer of these expensive bags to compensate for the prices. I know for sure that this won't satisfy me because I've done this before with Chloe and Nina Raye, and I'd always see a few bags that are by much cheaper brands with just as pretty and prettier designs that I had never had yet. I'm a very much aesthetically driven person when it comes to bags, so getting a handful or a little more (7-15) expensive bags for quality is only going to give me wandering eyes to other bag designs, which I tend to be very picky about, so there are only a few that catch my eye.
 
#11
LuckyDevil said:
I think all these mid-range designers are severely overpriced for the quality they offer. I must prefer spending $1,000+ on a bag instead of wasting $600 on a bad quality bag.
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I agree that the mid-range designers are getting quite full of themselves for a mediocre bag, all thinking they can be the next big thing and simply charge these exorbitant amounts because people will pay. The worst I've seen has happened to Coach. Their quality has gone down, and prices have gone up to even near $1000... but they are not the only guilty party.
 
#12
exotikittenx said:
I agree that the mid-range designers are getting quite full of themselves for a mediocre bag, all thinking they can be the next big thing and simply charge these exorbitant amounts because people will pay. The worst I've seen has happened to Coach. Their quality has gone down, and prices have gone up to even near $1000... but they are not the only guilty party.
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And from what I have read on this board, some people say the same about Louis Vuitton and Fendi, arguing that the quality of those brands has gone down. Its not just the mid-range designers who are doing this.

With Coach, the more expensive bags tend to be made of exotics, or have better hardware. Given that Hermes, for instance, does the same in that their Birkins that are made of regular leather cost less than their Birkins that are made of exotics, I don't see the point, aside from the fact that some think that Coach should not be allowed to charge more for bags made out of exotics.
 
#13
Actually ... prices are up and probably will go higher because of the price of materials. Leather cost has gone through the roof, especially specialty leathers. We'll probably never see 'cheap' bags again.
 
#14
nevadagrl435 said:
And from what I have read on this board, some people say the same about Louis Vuitton and Fendi, arguing that the quality of those brands has gone down. Its not just the mid-range designers who are doing this.

With Coach, the more expensive bags tend to be made of exotics, or have better hardware. Given that Hermes, for instance, does the same in that their Birkins that are made of regular leather cost less than their Birkins that are made of exotics, I don't see the point, aside from the fact that some think that Coach should not be allowed to charge more for bags made out of exotics.
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Everything has gone up in cost (from low end to high end, and in between), but the steepest difference seems to be in the mid-range designers. And I don't just mean the exotic bags, I mean the regular ones, too.
 
#15
Exotikittenx - That is exactly what I meant. It is pushing me now toward the high end bags, which by the way get marked down on sale during certain times of the year! I just think it's ridiculous that they charge so much! I am getting very choosy about what I buy now and how I spend my money. I am eyeing a Gucci which I know as a fact, is still made in Italy so when spending the money I can at least justify paying the price! :biggrin:
 
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