what do you do with purses that are old/dirty?

Lavidacolor

Collector of things shiny and beautiful
O.G.
Sep 2, 2007
863
142
i have an old white leather bag from express thats just been sitting in my stash, taking up space. i dont really want to use it, its too heavy. but i think its too dirty to sell, or give to someone who could use a bag. its definitely still usable, in decent shape, so should i just drop it off to goodwill or something? i dont know if a leather cleaner would do much good, it's got scuffs, dirt, pen marks, scratches.

this is why i dont do white bags!
 
Herbergers is having a sale now, where if you bring in one of your old handbags, (no matter what condition), they'll give you 20% off the purchase of a new one....
 
If it is just old, I cherish it. I don't have any that are actually dirty, anytime anything ever gets on any of them I wipe it off immediately to avoid stains, and if it is a fabric bag as soon as I get home I will spot clean it with an old toothbrush and whatever harmful chemicals I think might help.

The exceptions would be my blue denim bag and my old green canvas Chinese Youth Corp or whatever it is called, (like the one Cameron Diaz got so much publicity from, except I got mine for 50 cents at a thrift store about twenty years ago) and those I just throw in the washing machine and dry them in the dryer.

If yours is a bag you like except for its dirty former whiteness, why not help it become a different color through the magic of a Makeover!

If it is leather, you can use shoe dye, if it is unleather, you might be able to use shoe dye, but on unleather you can use almost anything, you could use acrylic paint and polyurethane it, make it a solid color and stop there, or decorate it with stencil designs, or just draw them if you can draw - unleather lets your imagination soar!

Edit to note for the benefit of the historical docentical crowd, I actually have two of those old Chinese bags, and one does enjoy a life of leisure and is just displayed, but the working one looks as "new" today as it did when I bought it, considering that it was already "vintage", and putting it in the washer and dryer has not hurt it one bit.
 
If a bag is totally trashed (like the one my dry-cleaner destroyed), I throw it away. If it is just old or undesirable, I donate it to Goodwill, Choc, or the Salvation Army. I also make sure I get a receipt with every donation to use at tax time.
 
If a bag is totally trashed (like the one my dry-cleaner destroyed), I throw it away. If it is just old or undesirable, I donate it to Goodwill, Choc, or the Salvation Army. I also make sure I get a receipt with every donation to use at tax time.

:yes: Me too. I donate everything to the AACR (the American Assoc for Cancer Research). You just leave the stuff on your porch and they come pickit up and then they send you an itemized receipt for taxes. :tup:
 
the only way to do white bags is if they aren't made of leather. I have one from Express that looks like leather but it's not. When it gets dirt or color transfer from my jeans, I just take a lysol wipe to it, and it's good as new.
 
:yes: Me too. I donate everything to the AACR (the American Assoc for Cancer Research). You just leave the stuff on your porch and they come pickit up and then they send you an itemized receipt for taxes. :tup:

WOW - I'm going to look them up and see if they are in my area. The itemized receipt is perfect, given the new tax guidelines on donations (must be itemized with estimated current value).

I also give to Goodwill, Veterans, and Hope Services (they also do pick-up).

Also ladies, if you do have a bag in good condition and/or professional clothes, please donate them to Dress for Success, which helps women re-enter the work force. (http://www.dressforsuccess.org/dfs_affiliates.aspx)