What do you do with your "too worn out to wear" bags?

[gettinpurseonal]

When I read your title, I would never have guessed that everyone else would have such similar answers to me. I never have used a bag until it was anywhere near worn, although I had one 20 years ago that the strap kept breaking and I finally threw it away. If it is no longer my style, outdated, or I have have moved "up," I use it for travel or storage. One of my bags is great for toting the kids' portable DVD player! I have sold a few on *bay or garage sales and given some away too.

 

[Vintage Leather]

Vintage Leather, I appreciate your perpective. I have had some "accidents" that I think make a bag beyond use (huge ink stains, horrible mold, and a tragic mothball curse when I loaned a bag to my SIL) and would love to know if those things would make you get rid of a bag?

MOLD!
I don't know what I would do if I ever found mold on one my bags. Probably plan evil and devious things to whoever borrowed it for me. I'm a bit terrified of bad mold (long story involving bad plumbing in a converted brownstone) and actually invest in a dehumidifier when I am living in a humid climate.

Anything up to but NOT including mold can be saved. I tend to receive my families semi-dead bags, just because I enjoy bringing them back to life.

Mothball - I actually would leave it outside until it aired out. (Note, this doesn't work in December...) I want the bag to breathe, and see if it can save itself. I would also try lavender satchets. I used to swear that lavender could save everything - I am probably wrong, but...it never hurts to try.

Ink Stain - Inside or outside? If it is inside, on a cloth lining - clean it. I actually do have a solution for removing ink from fabric (Amodex) - one of the curses of writing with antique fountain pens. If the lining is leather, just accept it.
If it is on the outside, I would redye the purse.

The Noe which has become my knitting bag was a gift from my aunt. She carried it until holes had worn in the base. I took it to LV, and it would cost more to repair the bag than to buy a new one. Between its delicate state and the fact that I really needed somewhere to put my knitting - it seemed like a perfect match.

If I've never seen the problem before - I appeal the Doc, and see if she has any suggestions.

 

[doreenjoy]

MOLD!
I don't know what I would do if I ever found mold on one my bags. Probably plan evil and devious things to whoever borrowed it for me. I'm a bit terrified of bad mold (long story involving bad plumbing in a converted brownstone) and actually invest in a dehumidifier when I am living in a humid climate.

My climate isn't even that humid -- on average 20%. But there was an unseen dry rot problem in one wall of the old Victorian-era building we lived in, and the bag was in a box against that wall. When I discovered the problem it had the tiniest mold flecks on the exterior of the leather, but the smell.... I tried Blackrocks but had no luck with it (the Blackrocks did save DH's leather jacket, though). I am allergic to mold so I had to sacrifice the bag. Fortunately it was not an expensive one, but it had been handmade by the designer for me and was very thick drum-died lambskin. Such a shame to lose that one.

Mothball - I actually would leave it outside until it aired out. (Note, this doesn't work in December...) I want the bag to breathe, and see if it can save itself. I would also try lavender satchets. I used to swear that lavender could save everything - I am probably wrong, but...it never hurts to try.

The mothball bag was loaned to my SIL, whom I love dearly so I've forgiven her. She wanted to keep it safe from mold so she put it in a mothball-laden footlocker type of thing. I tried to air it out for about six months. I even tried stuffing it with unscented Bounce dryer sheets, which works wonders on silk, but it didn't budge the mothball smell. She still has the bag so I'll ask her if she's been airing it out ... maybe in the summer it'll do better.

Ink Stain - Inside or outside? If it is inside, on a cloth lining - clean it. I actually do have a solution for removing ink from fabric (Amodex) - one of the curses of writing with antique fountain pens. If the lining is leather, just accept it.
If it is on the outside, I would redye the purse.

The ink stain is both inside and outside. I'm not sure what happened because I never put pens in my bags without putting them in a pen holder first. The stain is a very noticeable dark purple/blue on a russet red bag. I might try having it overdied as the bag is one of a kind from a leather artisan.

I hope Doc can give you good advice on your Noe!

 

[BgaHolic]

If a bag were a trifle bit worn looking I would prefer it but I can easily say I never owned a bag that had gotten abused. Good question! I am sitting on three old Perlina bags that are in fairly good condition. They are just old. I am either going to sell them. I have never done that! Or, I will do what I always do when I tire of a bag and just give it to charity! 20 years ago I gave away a perfect Gucci bag and a Falchi bag that would have been so "in" now!!!

 

[chloehandbags]

Don't remember having trashed a decent bag, to that extent, but if I did and still loved the design, I'd probably hold onto it, in the hope that I could have it restored.

Either that, or I'd try to find another one the same, only in good condition and then keep the first one for parts!

If I wasn't that keen on the design, however (not sure why I'd have worn it out, if I didn't like it, but still?!), when I finally got around to it I'd probably stick it on eBay with full disclosure (again, for parts, or for a genius restorer to buy for peanuts).

I'm always hopeful others will do the same, too, as I have older bags I love and it would be great to think I could always find replacement parts for them, if I needed them.

 

[LoveCatsLots]

I've never worn out a handbag yet, although I have vintage Chanels and Guccis. The trick is not to abuse the babies . . .

When I stop wearing certain handbags for a while, I pull them out of their tansu, lay them on the bed and look them over. If I think I won't wear a handbag again or will wear it so infrequently, I give them to my younger sister, who is always on a strict budget. She loves getting my hand-me-downs. I always send it to her business address, so she can model the handbags for her fellow cube-dwellers. Two weeks ago, I sent her a Gucci hobo in embossed burgundy leather. She loves it!

 

[Designer_Love]

so far i haven't beaten up any yet, odds are i will and when i do i'll offer them up for sale at half price.

 

[bagdoll]

Before finding the purse forum i would use one bag ( mostly Coach) until the edges wore and then I would give it to Goodwill. Now I have over twenty bags so I rotate them and have not worn one bag out. I cant see me ever wearing out a bag anymore. They are my babies and I treat them gently

 

[digby723]

I've never really worn a bag out...I've worn my burberry wallet out, and it's sitting in my dresser at the moment. The leather has peeled all around the edges of the wallet, but other than that, the wallet is perfect. I'm letting it sit in my dresser because I keep forgetting to bring it with me to the burberry store to see if it can be repaired. If it can't, I will probably give it to a friend who I don't think will mind the peeling of the leather. The wallet wasn't terribly expensive, only $100 (a great outlet find!) but it's too annoying to me to use it when it shouldn't look that way after less than 6 months of use.

I think if I ever wore a bag out I'd try to give it away to someone who wouldn't mind it. I'd never give trash away, if I thought it was really bad, I'd probably just trash it. No point donating something that I know even my friends who'd be getting it for free wouldn't want! If none of my friends wanted my bag, then I'd probably just donate it. I'd never recoup anywhere close to the money I spent on the bag and dealing with ebay is just too annoying!

 

[samhainophobia]

I don't think I've ever had a bag that's gotten that worn out. I do get tired of them and stop using them. They sit in my closet for a couple of years (usually...it takes me a while to get around to cleaning out my closet!), and then I donate them.

ETA:

I've never really worn a bag out...I've worn my burberry wallet out, and it's sitting in my dresser at the moment.

This. My bags are fine, but I use my wallets until they die...literally, my last two were coming apart at the seams by the time I replaced them. Those I trash, obviously.

 

[sdkitty]

My bags don't get worn out either. I have given some that I got tired of to my sister. I do have one bag that was my first really fine bag, a Donna Karan collection bag lined in leather that was a plum color. The color has faded and it doesn't look good. It's also too small for my taste now. But I think it's in the closet; I just haven't wanted to part with it.

 

[juicyincouture]

i have a purse i have been wearing for years n my sister borrowed it for a few put her heavy textbooks n laptop in there everyday for school for over a month n now one strap is almost ruined but the rest of the bag is in excellent condition so i will get it fixed i never throw my bags away

 

[Iscats]

I have two teenage daughters that love my old worn bags

 

[orejitagirl]

Hmm..I often just sell mine at rummage sales, and that sort, only I find people seriously do not want to pay for them. I do not sell them expensive, nothing over $30 dollars, and I always find people who even though the price is cheap still haggle the price....so now I just give them away....

 

[nanna_meisje]

I still use my old bags for the gym, for sleepovers, on vacation activities where i wouldnt use my good bags, so when they are completely "destroyed" after extreme use I can still throw them away...