Re: Recently shown Dooneys that seem dated and pre... - Page 2

InStitches49 · ‎03-10-2010

I just ordered the zip zip bag in the mushroom brown and find it perfect for my needs. I also have this bag in black and the dark or midnight blue. That rounds out my basic colors which I can swap around and use. I don't find it to be a dated bag but love the wide opening which helps me find items. Bigger, deeper bags often frustrate me as I have to dig around to find items in them. It's really just a personal choice. And, yes, I have two Lug bags to use when I need something more casual and even lighter in weight.

Penelope59 · ‎02-12-2011

I had the little tiny zip zip...I don't remember what name it was given but same day I got it I set it down on my table (to admire) and forgot about it and one of my little kittens was teething and chewed one of the handles...I cried...my own fault and not Elly Maes but I stuck it in my closet and never looked at it again It was so cute too!

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

Dated, classic, trendy, fad, flavor of the moment, exclusive, common, etc. etc. Different adjectives for different folks.

Peaches McPhee · ‎04-19-2010

To me the zip zip has a fatal flaw. I don't like how the long strap attaches to the smaller handles. Throws off the entire proportion on the bag.

-- pro-aging --

Rochester, New York

sally in philly · ‎12-09-2010

I have the little zip zip in a medium blue and I really like it. I had forgotten about it and have started using again. I don’t think they make the little one anymore

Lavenderjunkie · ‎03-10-2010

Different styles, different leathers, different function... variety is a good thing. We each have different needs and different likes. I like structured satchel handbags.... I love the zip zip and have several (OK, many ). A slouchy hobo looks great, but it's not for me. Neither is a cross body or shoulder bag of any size or style. Times change, our needs change. I want a zip top handbag, with short handles. And it has to be big enough, but not too big or too heavy.

I don't care about longer straps, although I agree the placement of longer straps onto the handles is a terrible design..... both in terms of function and looks. (And by the way, many other designers do the same thing). The zip zip shape satchel can be found in many handbag brands.... from very high end all the way down. Sizes vary, details of features vary, placement of outside pockets is available on newer versions sometimes (ike the Dooney Carter).

As for pricing.... handbag prices have been rising.... cost of materials, labor, tariffs, strategy..... lots of reasons, and it's affecting most better known brands. When QVC has an older Dooney style, they don't raise the price for that exact style. In the case of the zip zip and small Lexington and pebble cross body, QVC has even lowered the price, after many years. (Yes, I know you can get them elsewhere at discounted prices, without Easy pay). So, when a style is re-released in a different leather or with other design changes, then we see the price increase on the new bag.

It's fun to watch the Dooney shows when they have new and interesting styles, even if those styles aren't for me. But I enjoy it most when the styles I love are available in new colors and new leathers or new sizes or are on sale.

Bring on the zip zip (or the Florentine satchel) in a full rainbow of colors. Let's see croco and snake embossed or ostrich embossed leathers. Show me pebbled leather and smooth City leather or Emerson or Beacon leather. And the embossed woven leather that Dooney has done over the years are great too. And while I'm creating a wish list.... give us more handbags in a single color leather, without contrasting trim. The saddle or butterscotch trim is interesting (I don't like/buy untreated vachetta trim), but I don't want contrasting trim on the majority of my handbags.. a few are enough.

amyb · ‎04-05-2010

@mac116 wrote:
I have the zip zip in navy, and still love it. I still get compliments each time I wear it. It is probably 6 years old or older, and still looks new.

Agreed. I have only one, black/tan ...love it, still always complimented on it. I also feel it's a classic, timeless style. Granted I don't use it all the time, off and on, during fall, early spring for short periods of time...that said, it's a few years old, still looks brand new. I love it's functionality too. Was considering the cross-body version (I thought there used to be one, but maybe confusing it with the smaller zip/zip?) for late spring/summer.

Digressing from zip zip topic, but about DB & Q quality/pricing...

We have a Dooney outlet close by, where I got mine for about $80 less than the Q sells it for...and though I can't compare as I've never bought straight from DB, the quality on this bag is beautiful.

On the other hand, I have a croco tote that was a Q TSV several years ago, only use it also from time to time, short periods of time. I love the style of the tote still, but was dissapointed as the croco embossing did wear in a few places, and I don't know how to polish it. This bag was not "beat up" by me at all, so I was surprised when it started to wear so easily. Still pretty, but didn't feel that it was DB top quality.

For those reasons, cost & quality, I now look to my outlet and elsewhere, not Q, for my DB's.

Lavenderjunkie · ‎03-10-2010

I wanted to comment on the subject of handbag quality. I am not in the handbag business, but have collected handbags for many, many, many, many years.... mostly mid priced brands. And I'm a self proclaimed leather handbag snob.... I own very few bags that are not all leather and I am particular about the feel of the leather. But that's a different discussion.

Dooney, like most handbag manufacturers mass produces their handbags. This is certainly true for all but the Alto leather line. Some collections might have a lot of hand work, like some of the Florentine styles, but it's still mass producted. In todays world, mass produced products are not idivudually subjected to quality control checks. Most likely, a small percentage of each batch will be examined. As a result, some bags get through to customers with an issue, at times. And you can be sure that no store or shopping channel is examining each and every item before it goes out to customers. Again, they probably spot check for quality control.... if we are lucky.

Even sales associates in stores put items out on display that have a defect.... didn't they look it over first?????

All that said, I have found, and Dooney has said, that the quality of Dooney bags is the same no matter where you buy them.... Dooney retail boutique, department store, QVC, or even Dooney outlets. I have gotten perfect handbags most of the time, even from outlets. If something is marked as is or final sale, then that's a different category and we are being allerted as customers that it might not be in perfect condition.

Not every handbag meets my standards.... sometimes a bag gets through with a sticky zipper or a ding in the leather, or an uneven leather texture or color. Some of these are production issues and some of the problems may occur in the distribution process. If you can't see a bag in person before buying it, then it's important to understand the return policy where ever you bought it.... just in case.

Most manufacturers make mulitple styles and lines of handbags. They are priced differently and often trade-offs are made to acheive price points. For example, different pebbled leather lines use different thicknesses of pebbled leather. There is most certainly a quality difference, but each can be good quality.

When dealing with large sellers, like QVC or major Department stores, a manufacturer will often make exclusive styles or changes in their existing design.... to meet the needs and price points of the deal. For example, for QVC the dimensions of a bag migtht differ from the existing Dooney line.... and inch can make a big difference in cost over thousands of handbags. Or maybe a zipper will be added because QVC customers like outside zipper pockets. Or maybe they will change the leather to keep the bag under a certain price. But, from my experience, the quality isn't lower. I may not like that leather or size or style, etc.... but the stitiching and overall manufacturing is the same.

Just don't compare a less expensive saffiano handbag with a Florentine leather handbag, for example, no matter where purchased, and expect them to be the same. For what they are, each should be well made.

Other manufacturers make lines just for their outlets. Dooney says they don't do that. In the sense that they don't produce a lower quality line just for outlets, that might be true. Dooney doesn't differentiate products between boutique and outlet, the way that Coach does, for example.

I've recently bought several Coach higher end handbags.... Dreamer 36. The leather is beautiful, and the quality was good. But after examining them, I do not consider them superior to my Dooney Florentine in any way. And, in my opinion, Dooney Alto line is a class above. Of course, you many have different preferences in style, leather, etc.

Getting off topic, but other handbag manufacturers have had issues.... glazing, cracking, etc. from certain handbag styles, over the years. These bags cost several times what an average Dooney does. And yet fans still rave and collect the brand.

Dooney may not have the 'name' or image that some other brands have... at comparable price points or those that are significantly more expensive. But the Dooney quality ranks with the best, in my opinion. No, not perfect in every case, but overall great quality, and I'm not willing to spend $10,000 or more for a handbag.

We should also understand that different leathers perform differently. For example, a pebbled leahter will stand up to lots of daily use without showing marks. And pebbled leather isn't damaged by rain and snow. Dooneys original All Weather Leather and their current 'pebbled leather' are not the same, for example. And a much thicker smooth leather will show scratches and might spot in rainy weather. The characteristics are different and one might be a better choice depending upon how we want our handbag to look or how we plan to use it.

There are other factors in a purchase decision, beyond style, quality, leather, color, availabiity, return policy.... price and payment options also are consideratons. And customer service and hassle/ease of purchase/retturn also play a part.

65and fabulous · ‎05-20-2014

I have collected D&B for years, and I bought all of them at the outlet at Rehoboth Beach Delaware. What a fabulous outlet! And they had great sales too. My favorite is the big Florentine leather satchel, with all the buckles and brass rings and the very equestrienne look.

However, last March, during Covid, the outlet closed, and sadly, they re not going to re-open. I am so glad to have all the bags I have!

I agree, though, that the QVC shows present very plain bags with no embellishment or hardware. Saving money? Perhaps. But none of them call to me at all.

Sweetpea70 · ‎05-15-2010

@Penelope59 wrote:
I had the little tiny zip zip...I don't remember what name it was given but same day I got it I set it down on my table (to admire) and forgot about it and one of my little kittens was teething and chewed one of the handles...I cried...my own fault and not Elly Maes but I stuck it in my closet and never looked at it again It was so cute too!

@Penelope59:

Your handbag is still worth trading in. Dooney.com will give you 50% of the original value toward another handbag of equal or greater value. I've done it many times when I wanted a new bag.