Shoes

[Deanie]

I was at Nordies yesterday and I was perusing the handbags. I agree with all the comments on this board about the over exposure of some brands, however, what I don't get is the price. I saw a designer bag, JC, made of Raffia that was, 1400 dollars. Good Grief. And, why are the LV bags so expensive, they are covered canvas and knocked off constantly. I appreciate a good bag. As a woman I carry all my stuff and it needs to be utilitarian and pretty. But, the prices....Are they so well made?

[Janey2]

They are extremely well-made, and last for years. The leather is fantastic. The designs are usually very well thought out. I have some that I use every single day for years and they look like I just purchased. I know not for all, but bags are my weakness.

[kcladyz]

You know everytime I buy an expensive bag from a department store it falls apart. The last bag I got was $90 I was lucky and got it on a store wide sale for $50. It has metal links for handles. Well the metal links are not fused together. they all have an area where you see the link can be opened and sometimes the link slips out and I have to snap it back in, or the leather handle slips out of the grove in the link. makes me mad, another high end purse the decorations around the handle unraveled within the first 2 weeks YET if I buy a more bargain purse from HSN it will last forever. Go figure.

If I am going to spend over $50 for a purse i want it to be sturdy and last a long time.

[stevieb]

I'm unconvinced it has to do purely with construction or style. It's the market place... it's supply, demand and what the traffic will bear. I love handbags, but true 'designer' handbags sell for unjustifiable prices and yet they still sell. People want them and can afford them so there's no incentive whatsoever to knock down prices.

[PenneyT]

And it's interesting that many very expensive Italian bags are being made in Italian factories by Chinese workers.

[tough_kitty]

On 3/14/2015 kcladyz said:

You know everytime I buy an expensive bag from a department store it falls apart. The last bag I got was $90 I was lucky and got it on a store wide sale for $50. It has metal links for handles. Well the metal links are not fused together. they all have an area where you see the link can be opened and sometimes the link slips out and I have to snap it back in, or the leather handle slips out of the grove in the link. makes me mad, another high end purse the decorations around the handle unraveled within the first 2 weeks YET if I buy a more bargain purse from HSN it will last forever. Go figure.

If I am going to spend over $50 for a purse i want it to be sturdy and last a long time.

I don't think $90 is considered expensive.... it probably wasn't all leather...

[tough_kitty]

On 3/14/2015 stevieb said:

I'm unconvinced it has to do purely with construction or style. It's the market place... it's supply, demand and what the traffic will bear. I love handbags, but true 'designer' handbags sell for unjustifiable prices and yet they still sell. People want them and can afford them so there's no incentive whatsoever to knock down prices.

Yep, you pay for the brand name....but usually it does come with good quality as well.

[bonnielu]

I could never figure it out either. I have unbranded bags in my closet that cost me next to nothing that I have worn for years and have never fallen apart. I have relatives that buy very expensive everything and compliment me on the things I wear. Do I dare tell them they came from Walmart or some outlet store.

[Lavenderjunkie]

What Stevieb and PenneyT said. It's partly construction and materials, and partly brand name, marketing costs, and brand positioning and what the market will bear. And Italian made doesn't mean made by Italian craftsman who have done this for generations.

[stevieb]

On 3/14/2015 tough_kitty said:

On 3/14/2015 kcladyz said:

You know everytime I buy an expensive bag from a department store it falls apart. The last bag I got was $90 I was lucky and got it on a store wide sale for $50. It has metal links for handles. Well the metal links are not fused together. they all have an area where you see the link can be opened and sometimes the link slips out and I have to snap it back in, or the leather handle slips out of the grove in the link. makes me mad, another high end purse the decorations around the handle unraveled within the first 2 weeks YET if I buy a more bargain purse from HSN it will last forever. Go figure.

If I am going to spend over $50 for a purse i want it to be sturdy and last a long time.

I don't think $90 is considered expensive.... it probably wasn't all leather...

While I'd agree, TK, 'expensive' is relative and it sounds as though the issue here wasn't the leather, but the hardware... Besides, while ninety bucks isn't necessarily a lot to spend on a purse for some folks, it isn't exactly cheap either... The days, though, of getting a 'better' brand leather bag for fifty and under are pretty much nonexistent...