Why, oh why don't we have a "double like" button?!
Struggling with the concept of buying a H bag
- Thread starter MYH
- Start date
Joining this thread late and my comment will be buried but thought I'd share my perspective anyway.
I got my first H bag (blue electrique birkin) just a month ago after under a year of H shopping. I love Hermes - the scarves, the fashion jewelries, some shoes and some gold jewelry. Some other H bags too. Here's what I think:
- you are who you are, what makes you happy will not always fit into anyone else's mold
- holding a B/K/C bag gives someone else true joy and another person feels it's just another bag, or something else
- value placement of an object is very personal. Anecdote: my cousin earns significantly more than I do but she treats her luxury goods like a baby - she freaks out when I put my handbags on the floor - I see the bag as another object that I care for but not baby, she sees her bags as signs of her success in life and her hard earned money. I see the bag as another object meant to be used (not abused) -- we are both correct in our views. We assign different values on things.
- Maria Kondo your life! not necessarily in terms of decluttering but in liking an object. if an object doesn't give you enough joy, or a spark, don't buy it -- doesn't matter if the world is Gaga over it, it's how you feel about an object that matters the most.
When I got my first H bag, i was overjoyed. I love the leather, the smell, the style, how it looks and the "game" that got me there and just everything about it... I could not look at most other bags of mine the same way. In fact I decided to re-home all my Chanel's and other designer bags immediately after. My H appreciation was just something I needed to pursue and other bags didn't give me the same feeling anymore. I trimmed down my closet a lot. Don't get me wrong I've still kept a lot of other non-H bags (Celine and Balenciaga mostly, and just 1 Chanel reissue bag) because those fill a gap in my lifestyle that an iconic B/K/C can't.
I shared this because I didn't get this feeling until I actually owned my first H bag. TBH, I have not even busted out my H bag yet. It's still sitting in my closet in the dark. I take it out and smell it and admire it because it gives me joy - but I was waiting to get a 2nd H bag in order to bust out the first one. (It's the crazy idea in my head).
Anecdote:
My DH and I have a lot of 24k gold passed on from our respective families. However the jewels are in unwearable fashion -- I'd never be caught dead wearing any of them. In my view an unused object even if it is valuable (monetary value), is simply a waste. My DH sees it differently and sees them as family heirloom thus not a waste. So I proposed a compromise -- we melt and repurpose the gold to wearable jewelry, or we keep very few and sell the rest to save the money or acquire any other object that can be heirloom pieces (like art!). I could not see the joy in those gold pieces we have at all and feel it a waste and simple liability (risk, insurance) having so much useless gold. Meanwhile, other people have said we should keep them because, "gold" is valuable. I still disagree. We could keep the money in a bank but to me a jewelry is meant to be worn and if I'm not wearing it, it's useless.
So dear OP, try holding and wearing a B/K while in store and see if it Sparks a joy in you. If it doesn't -- leave it. Does not matter if it appreciates in value or is a good investment. Your personal joy is the value that you seek to please. [emoji4] Spend your money on what gives you joy even if it's twice the cost of an H bag, and doesn't increase in value (like a luxury vacation!)
Hope my long rambling somehow contributes to this topic.
I got my first H bag (blue electrique birkin) just a month ago after under a year of H shopping. I love Hermes - the scarves, the fashion jewelries, some shoes and some gold jewelry. Some other H bags too. Here's what I think:
- you are who you are, what makes you happy will not always fit into anyone else's mold
- holding a B/K/C bag gives someone else true joy and another person feels it's just another bag, or something else
- value placement of an object is very personal. Anecdote: my cousin earns significantly more than I do but she treats her luxury goods like a baby - she freaks out when I put my handbags on the floor - I see the bag as another object that I care for but not baby, she sees her bags as signs of her success in life and her hard earned money. I see the bag as another object meant to be used (not abused) -- we are both correct in our views. We assign different values on things.
- Maria Kondo your life! not necessarily in terms of decluttering but in liking an object. if an object doesn't give you enough joy, or a spark, don't buy it -- doesn't matter if the world is Gaga over it, it's how you feel about an object that matters the most.
When I got my first H bag, i was overjoyed. I love the leather, the smell, the style, how it looks and the "game" that got me there and just everything about it... I could not look at most other bags of mine the same way. In fact I decided to re-home all my Chanel's and other designer bags immediately after. My H appreciation was just something I needed to pursue and other bags didn't give me the same feeling anymore. I trimmed down my closet a lot. Don't get me wrong I've still kept a lot of other non-H bags (Celine and Balenciaga mostly, and just 1 Chanel reissue bag) because those fill a gap in my lifestyle that an iconic B/K/C can't.
I shared this because I didn't get this feeling until I actually owned my first H bag. TBH, I have not even busted out my H bag yet. It's still sitting in my closet in the dark. I take it out and smell it and admire it because it gives me joy - but I was waiting to get a 2nd H bag in order to bust out the first one. (It's the crazy idea in my head).
Anecdote:
My DH and I have a lot of 24k gold passed on from our respective families. However the jewels are in unwearable fashion -- I'd never be caught dead wearing any of them. In my view an unused object even if it is valuable (monetary value), is simply a waste. My DH sees it differently and sees them as family heirloom thus not a waste. So I proposed a compromise -- we melt and repurpose the gold to wearable jewelry, or we keep very few and sell the rest to save the money or acquire any other object that can be heirloom pieces (like art!). I could not see the joy in those gold pieces we have at all and feel it a waste and simple liability (risk, insurance) having so much useless gold. Meanwhile, other people have said we should keep them because, "gold" is valuable. I still disagree. We could keep the money in a bank but to me a jewelry is meant to be worn and if I'm not wearing it, it's useless.
So dear OP, try holding and wearing a B/K while in store and see if it Sparks a joy in you. If it doesn't -- leave it. Does not matter if it appreciates in value or is a good investment. Your personal joy is the value that you seek to please. [emoji4] Spend your money on what gives you joy even if it's twice the cost of an H bag, and doesn't increase in value (like a luxury vacation!)
Hope my long rambling somehow contributes to this topic.
TBH I don’t understand this thread. I think if it is a struggle for you then you shouldn’t buy a H bag period. It doesn’t matter how coveted, long lasting, “classic” an item is. There is no need to struggle. You should just buy what brings you joy at H and that does not need to include bags. When you are ready to take the plunge you will know and it would feel natural.
OP started the thread 5 years ago and her collection had grown. The thread had been revived this year (I think). I personally feel this thread provides good perspective for somebody who might be going through with what she was struggling with 5 years ago.
Interesting reading. Before kids/mortgage I was able to buy a bag every 2 years or so and lots of cashmere/silk in between and never a second thought once I was out of the shop. ‘It’s only expensive the day you buy it’ was a phrase my mother used to always say. Anyway fast forward 5 years , add mortgage and 2 kids to the scenario and I buy a Chanel jumbo on a trip to London. It was a bargain! With exch rate and tax refund it was about 30% less than in US. I left it in the box for 18 months only taking an occasional admiring peek. During that 18 months I sold a 35 gold birkin also sitting in its box because I just didn’t get that same feeling when I took a peek into the box. Last Xmas I told myself to cop on and either sell the jumbo or use it. I now use it week days for work and I use my tpm or bolide at the weekends and Kelly if going to dinner. I make sure that I enjoy them all every time I carry them! No more ‘guilty’ feelings! No real point to my post really but always feels good to share!
But yes, I found a point to your post! You made me feel more justified in my purchase, an you gave me a new favorite phrase, what your mother used to say - "it's only expensive the day you buy it"!
“It’s only expensive the day you buy it” — I love that! To me, it also feels like it stays expensive as long as it stays in its box. So glad you are finally using your Jumbo!
I appreciate this thread and its thoughtfulness. So many TPF threads are about constant acquisition; it's refreshing to read others' perspectives on their thought processes before, during and after making a purchase.