Coach Bags are ugly and over priced...

[YellowRubberDuckie]

Who the hell wants one of these ugly fuckers? The only thing attractive about to the people who have them is the fact they cost a buttload of money.

There are a bunch of girls where I work who have them/want them. I just don't get it. And we don't get paid that much.
Duckie

[WindRavenX]

1. most of the rich kids on campus have those and those damned Prada shit

their handbags probably cost more than what I paid for tuition.

[LynneSin]

29. They aren't real

Trust me, I can go to any local Saturday market and buy a purse with Coach, Prada, Gucci and all the other designer real logos on it for probably less than $50.

I actually have two of them - the first was to replace my favorite Tommy Hilfinger backpack purse. I was checking out purses and found one I loved that happened to have a Fendi logo on it - but the design was perfect I bought it anyways. Paid $20 for it like 3 years ago and I still have that purse.

The second was a Prada that matched perfectly with a beige suede jacket I've owned for years. I paid $25 for it but promptly removed the Prada logo since it was really the bag that I wanted

[mikeytherat]

32. I visited Korea back in the mid-1980s and got a wake-up about clothes

and designer labels. At the time, polo shirts, Izod especially, were all the rage. I picked out several very nice polos for almost no money, but they were without labels. The man who owned the shop turned to me and said, "What label?" I looked, and there was a tray with every label and logo - Izod, Ocean Pacific, Ralph Lauren, etc. Funny thing, it was not a knock-off shop - his shop was a legitimate sewer for these companies, and all of their stuff was the same!

mikey_the_rat

[Susang]

55. Korea doesn't have trademark laws like we do

I lived there for awhile in the late '90s, they even had "Coach" stores that sold counterfeit bags. It was nuts!

[jmowreader]

64. Korea's weird...

The street that runs between Yongsan Compound and South Post in Seoul is called Itaewon-dong. Leave Yongsan Compound and turn left. At the end of the installation gate, there's a road that turns down onto this massive freeway. Go across the bridge over the freeway and cross the street.

Right on the corner is the "Nike Shop." Nikes are made in many Oriental countries, and in the mid-1980s they were made in Korea. I assume all of that has moved to China and Vietnam because Korea's gotten expensive, but the Nike Shop sold genuine, ready-for-export Nike shoes.

Three stores down was a department store that sold knock-off Nikes for the same price as the Nike Shop sold real ones.

At the turtle farm* they pass out this sheet that lists how many of any particular brand of counterfeit merchandise you can bring back to the states. Most stuff was two or three items--the manufacturers figured that three items was personal-use quantity. Members Only was zero, so the counterfeit-Members-Only sewers started leaving the little label off.

* The turtle farm is 8th Army's Replacement Detachment. One building on Camp Coiner in Seoul is the Inprocessing/Outprocessing Center. The door for inprocessing and the door for outprocessing are 100 feet apart, and it takes a full year to go from one door to the other. There is only one thing in the world that moves that slow.

[WindRavenX]

35. this is Boston College-- they have the money

I know they are real. They're rich kids who have parents who simply give them the money.

[skygazer]

2. I don't understand it either

What is it with designer bags all of a sudden? And they're all ugly - the Louis Vuittons are butt ugly. I like bags and have several but I don't think I've ever paid more than 30 or 40 bucks for one and usually less. It's a receptacle for my stuff.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

4. I usually look for the shape and then the color...

I don't think I've ever paid more than $50 for them. That was just because I really wanted the bag, and it was pretty. :shrug: It was one of the initial bags that were out a while back...it was black with a light pink M. It was sooo pretty. But it didn't last as long as the $20 messenger bag I got at Target like two years ago.
Duckie

[XemaSab]

15. My $40 target messenger bag

Got me through 8 years of college. :hide:

[Pacifist Patriot]

3. I won one in a sales contest about 15 years ago.

They were ugly back then too.

[Left Is Write]

5. That one is ugly. Some of them are cute, though.

Not cute enough for me to want to spend hundreds of dollars on them, though.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My dear Duckie!

They are now!

Once upon a time, a long time ago, those bags were among the best and nicest ones around........

I know, because I have one.......

They were expensive, even then, but you did get outstanding quality!

Now, though......bleah! :puke:

Hardly any leather, and cheaply made.....I wouldn't buy one now if they gave it to me, honestly!

It's too bad........

[YellowRubberDuckie]

7. Back then, it was about quality with manufacturers....

Today, it's all about how much they can squeeze out of the idiots just because of a name.
Duckie

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. That is exactly it!

Cut every corner you can.......

And this is progress?

Not for this chickie!

:hi:

[Missy Vixen]

20. They still have a lifetime guarantee

If something goes wrong with a Coach bag, it's possible to return the bag to the manufacturer, and they will fix it for free.

I know someone who haunts garage sales looking for Coach bags with broken zippers, etcetera.

Julie

[greatauntoftriplets]

21. And the lifetime guarantee works!!!

:D

[bleedingheart]

45. as long as the serial number is visible inside (this denotes real vs fake)

then it can be fixed for just a shipping fee.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. They still make some of the old ones, Peggy....not many, though.

Sadly, because they were instant classics.

My everyday purse is a backpack that I have probably had for 15 years. They have fixed it several times (I only pay the shipping fee) and it comes back to me restored. It is leather and brass and the patina on it is gorgeous after years of use. And, given the number of years I have used the bag, it was well worth the investment.

Now the one YellowRubberDuckie posted is as ugly as shit and there is no way I would be caught dead with that.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. I haven't seen any of their catalogs in a while......

The last one I did see didn't have any of the classic purses......

I'm glad to hear they're still making some of the really good old designs...

My bag has a nice patina to it, too........

I just love it!

I hear you about the one pictured!

No way would I ever carry that........

:hi:

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. I looked online and saw some of the old classics....

Thank the gods. Most of the new designs make me ill.

:hi:

[Sanity Claws]

26. Tell me more about the lifetime guarantee!

I've had a few Coach purses over the years but was unaware of this advantage. The last one I got was about four years ago and I put it aside because it's starting to look worn at the corners. Do they somehow fix up the wear and tear under the guarantee? Or is the guarantee restricted to zippers and such that get broken?

[greatauntoftriplets]

27. Take the bag to your local Coach store.

Wear and tear can be fixed. They will send it away to be fixed. All you pay is the shipping.

[bleedingheart]

42. Oh Peggy...the older bags can still be had...I have had one for 7 years

I love it...

It is one of their orignal leather handbags...which can still be purchased but they are pricey..

Mine was a Christmas gift and it is in great condition and still looks good even though it is over 7 years old...
made of baseball leather...so very durable.

The new trendy ones are just that...trendy...and way too expensive to buy for just one season of use.

[uppityperson]

9. Heard a conversation once:Better to get a $160 purse you really like, than

a $80 purse that is just Okay.

Why would anyone spend $80 on a purse? I mean, for goodness sake, it is a thing to keep necessities in. Guess I am not fashion conscious, but find good ones at Goodwill.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

14. Good God...

Just go to Kohl's and get it for 20. :shrug:
Duckie

[Missy Vixen]

22. They want something that will wear well?

>Why would anyone spend $80 on a purse?<

I have a Nordstrom leather purse. I have bought these purses for the past 10 years or so. I am hard on purses. They wear well, they look nice, I replace them about every five years. When I figure out the cost per day, it's very small compared to the enjoyment I get out of having a nice purse.

Julie

[Left Is Write]

23. I spent $75 on a leather backpack purse.

Why did I spend that much? Because I want it to last for years.

I also have an $80 Fossil leather tote my MIL gave me for Christmas eight years ago. It's still in fantastic condition and I expect it to last many more years.

[QMPMom]

59. My parents gave me a Fossil bag 2 years ago for my

birthday. It was one I chose online and they bought it for me. It was a brown leather (they were out of the black) and it picked up stains something awful. Plus, I was expecting that the whole bag would be leather for the price they charged. Not so. Only the front and back were leather. The rest was microfiber. ICK! I cannot stand the feel of microfiber. I stopped usign it after a month or two because of the leather grabbing and holding on to any substance that it would come into contact with.

I went back to a Maxx New York bag that I love. I have been carrying that bag for over 2 years now and it looks perfect. I paid $64.00 US for it and now Maxx bags that are comparable are a few hundred dollars! They have skyrocketed in price over the past couple of years, but I'd buy Maxx again.

[GirlinContempt]

30. Because when you spend $10 or $20 on a purse

and it's made of vinyl, it cracks when it gets cold. The lining tears because it's crap. It scuffs and shows wear. And in a couple of months of solid use, you're replacing it. Over and over and over again. With something that isn't as attractive (often), comfortable to use, and spending just as much in the long run often.

I spend 10 or 20 dollars on purses, if I know that I'm not going to use them all that often. My big everyday purse was... a lot more lets say. But it's lasted me three years so far and I love it.

[uppityperson]

41. I guess I use mine minimally, get the smallest possible, just carry things in it.

Perhaps if I used a bigger one to carry lots of stuff, like I used to carry a daypack which lasted a couple yrs before needing to be replaced. Wearing out is ok, I am not a fan of fashionable consumption, can see reasons to spend more for function. Thank you.

[Left Is Write]

67. I agree.

I spent about $20 on a summer tote a couple of years ago. It was trendy and not terribly durable, but I knew I'd only use it for a few months.

[mondo joe]

36. I spent $150 on my manpurse.

It's nicely designed and made, with decent leather.

I don't know why other people would pay a lot of money for things I don't care about.

[bleedingheart]

47. Some people buy things for form and others for function

I am not a fashionable person. I don't follow trends or styles and unless my jeans wear out...I don't buy much.

However when I do buy something I am careful about how I spend my money.

I buy good shoes. I have no problem spending $150 for a pair of birkenstocks or perhaps danskos because they fit and they are comfy. They may look like volvo's for my feet ...but I don't care..at least my back feels okay after wearing them all day and they last for years.

I used to be a person who bought cheap purses. My husband bought me a coach bag as a gift because his own mother has had the same bag for almost 40 years. Now I know why, my purse is almost 7 years old but looks great and is incredibly durable. I don't know what he spent on it but I think it is a great purse and aside from it and a small black bag for "date night" I own no other purses.

Now the folks who like to be trendy...well unless they are made of money...I wouldn't recommend buying Coach or Gucci or any other expensive brand because they are going to run out of cash trying to keep up with the ever changing fashions..

[XemaSab]

13. True dat

I have no idea why anyone would pay money for something that is neither decorative nor particularly utilitarian. :shrug:

[ikojo]

16. I have a Coach brief case that I really

like. It's black. Sweet. But the ones with the big C's and such, yeah they are ugly. When I choose to spend a lot of money on something I want it to be a classic and not trendy look. Of course if I was thin, I'd be the biggest prep there ever was. I just prefer the classic styles.

Yes, I have champaign taste on a beer (Milwaukee's Best) budget.

[Beausoir]

17. I've had a brown Coach suede hobo that I've used for years and years.

It was pricey when I bought it but it has lasted for a long time. I like the look of it and it is the perfect size.

Most of them ARE ugly, however. And Coach shoes? Ugh.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

19. What's a hobo?

:shrug:
Are they going to take back my ovaries for asking this question?
Duckie

[Beausoir]

24. It's kind of a big sack-like dealie with leather pull strings on the top.

I can throw all kinds of stuff in there and it stays put.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

25. Ah. Thanks.

I've been hearing this term and had no idea what it was. Thanks for the education.
Duckie

[soleft]

46. I have a hobo wallet I got in Ebay

I tore the little chain with the coach label off. I have decreased its value?

[Flaxbee]

18. they used to be gorgeous and classic...

now just overexposed and not very well made. And I HATE all logo-wear; I can't stand seeing bags with big interlocking C's or LVs or what have you. Blech.

You could probably find a classic Coach design if you waded through all the bags in a store, and they are (or were) "investment" pieces to leave to your daughter(s). Good bags used to be worth serious money -- very good leather, no smell, gorgeous aged leather. Now many "Italian" and other designer bags are being made in China - aside from the horrible things you hear from PETA about leather and animal products from China, the workmanship is also crappy.

[NewWaveChick1981]

28. I have three Coach bags that I got in the late 80s...

...My uncle got them for me at a deep discount (70% discount!) because he was working for the parent company doing some consulting work. All three are really nice, and I still use them occasionally. Coach will refurbish the bags for free if they ever show wear or get damaged, no matter the reason. I've sent all three back twice, and they came back each time as good as new. And if for some reason they can't refurbish your bag, they will replace it with one that's as close as possible to your style. :)

Not all Coach bags are ugly...but some are. It's better to get simple styles that you can use for many years. :)

[LaraMN]

31. I'm a firm believer in the "it's not the clothes that make the (wo)man," philosophy.

I get comments often about how nicely I dress, and I NEVER buy expensive clothes. Most of my pieces are $5- $25, purses included. I don't want the stress of worrying about ruining expensive things, and I don't see a huge difference in quality warranting the massive disparities in pricing between many items (for the most part). Also, for those of us that tend to buy trendy clothes, it's not worth investing much if the style will be dated in a few years.

[GirlinContempt]

33. Honey

go to Olsen of Europe. :D

[1gobluedem]

34. That bag IS ugly

But I have had two 'classic' Coach purses that each lasted more than five years. Worth the investment, in my opinion. Just like classic Rayban sunglasses.

[bluethruandthru]

37. In some circles

Coach is cheap. I work across the street from Neiman Marcus. Most of their bags are well over $1,000...many are over $3,000.

Totally nuts! Some bags I've seen there are made out of nylon..not leather...and the price tag is over $1,000!!

[QMPMom]

60. Shhhhhhh......

I work for that company. You're right, the prices are high. The biggest purveryor of overpriced nylon is Prada.

[Taverner]

38. I don't get it either

Trust me, expensive clothes and handbags are a turn off for most guys. Therefore, the purchaser must be trying to impress other women. Unless that said person is a lesbian, I just don't get the point.

[KitchenWitch]

39. I like the old classic Coach bags

Very tailored and very nice looking. The newer ones are freaking garish as hell.

[BluePatriot]

40. Bleh. Just another "status" thing

I'd rather be wise and save my $$$. I seem fashion-less and drab to my coworkers, but, at least I have no debt and a good little nest egg.

[tigereye]

43. the old ones were gorgeous

and they are well made. They last forever, too.

Plus, mom always said, buy the best you can afford and it will last, rather than cheap stuff that you have to replace. And she was right.

[bleedingheart]

44. hi Tigereye!

yes...you are correct the old styles (which they still make some)...are the gorgeous purses.

The trendy ones are probably produced to meet today's fashion interests.

I have a classic patricia bag that I got as a gift...the damn thing is indestructible and with the lifetime warranty...it can't be beat.

[tigereye]

49. I went into the Coach store in Shadyside recently

and it was crammed to the teeth with the TOO well-heeled, pushing strollers. It was strange.

And I didn't see any bags I liked.In the old days, I used to drool over their gorgeous, simple bags.


How are ya, Bleeding Heart!

Nice job on the election by the way! It was so wonderful to see so many unpleasant folks on their way out!

Did you hear Missy Hart was testing the waters for the Allegheny County Exec. position? I got a push poll call on that last week. My hysterical laughter was not what the pollster wanted to hear.


:rofl: :hi:

[Shakespeare]

48. Call me a criminal, but I'm fond of the bootleg "designer" purses.

I don't buy them just for the logo (and some of them, including that Coach bag in the photo, are just ugly as all hell)--I have pretty specific "wants" as far as size and shape. I never pay more than $35, and they've reached the point where they're pretty much indistinguishable from the "real" thing, and very well made. I have a black suede fake Prada bag that I have worn the daylights out of for four years, and it still looks brand new. Do I feel guilty? Oh, HELL no. They're getting free advertising from me.

LA DUers should be aware that such wares can be found in the garment district at Santee Alley on weekends. :-)

[KitchenWitch]

51. Note to self

Get down to the garment district in LA

[Shakespeare]

53. Have you ever been down there?

Specifically to the few blocks known as Santee Alley? There really is an alley--it's only open on weekends, and that's where the designer knockoffs are. The permanent stores on surrounding blocks have nice purses, too, but none of the bootlegs. There's also clothes, shoes and more accessories and jewelry that you can imagine, and all at wholesale prices. I LOVE going shopping there.

My next acquisition in a few weeks will be a LV suitcase. Woohoo!

[KitchenWitch]

54. We drove through there once last November looking for something else

My husband did not want to stop x(

[huskerlaw]

58. That is SO on my "to-do" list

I've been meaning to go for over a year, but none of my friends are interested (crazy bitches). ;)

[QMPMom]

62. A *lot* of people where I work carry knockoff bags. And I work

for one of the department stores referenced in another post.

[schmuls]

50. Money can't buy style and taste. I have gotten Stone Mountain

bags (the middle class's coach bags) at discount stores and goodwill for peanuts, relatively speaking.

[KitchenWitch]

52. I have a black Stone Mountain bag that I have carried for years

LOVE it.

[QMPMom]

56. Coach used to be a fairly decent bag and not so expensive that

they were unaffordable. I never really have cared for them. Prada is overpriced and ugly, IMHO. Burberry is just plain old boring and way overpriced for plastic. Michael Kors is okay and so is Cole Haan. Fendi needs to get a new concept. The Spy Bag was wonderful but they went back to boring after that. Gucci is okay but way out of the stratosphere price-wise. I just do not get why anyone would buy a Chloe Paddington bag!! I mean, you have to use a freaking *key* every time you want to get into the damn thing - plus the price is ridiculous. Some Bulga bags are okay. Nice designs.

Now, let's talk about Isabella Fiore.... Someday, and it may take years, but I *will* own an Isabella Fiore bag.

Can you tell that I work for a major luxury department store??? Love my 30% employee discount! That is how I am going to afford the Isabella Fiore. I am buying gift cards for myself in small amounts and when I have accumulated enough, an Isabella Fiore will become part of my family.

[huskerlaw]

57. I beg to differ.

This:



is NOT a "buttugly" bag.

But to each her own, I guess.

[QMPMom]

61. I'd like that bag a lot better if that were all leacher and maybe

just a small "C" on the bag.

[Shakespeare]

63. ooooh....I like that one!

I'm going to have to look for a knockoff version next time I'm downtown. :rofl:

My sister cuts pages out of magazines of the purses she wants, and mails them to me so I can look for the knockoff versions. :7

[YellowRubberDuckie]

69. The basic design is ok...

And the fabric is nice...but what is up with the freaking buckles? THOSE make this back a nightmare.
But like you said, to each her own.
Duckie

[Karenca]

65. I think my Coach bag is lovely.........

I bought it because I like it.
I removed the hanging tag, because I think it looks prettier that way.
And I don't care about "status". I won't "wear" a Designer label
on the outside of my clothing or accessory. I think
that looks trashy.
To each their own.

[judaspriestess]

66. Coach bags are total wannabes

I use to wear them, but now I just simply refuse. I have a Gucci which is my all time favorite and I paid $1000 for it but I destroyed the thing. So as of now I am using a guess purse that cost me about $95. I will eventually go back to a Gucci or Burberry but Coach?? yuck

[Karenca]

68. What a post.

In that case,
Gucci is a wannabee of Chanel
who is the wannabee of Hermes.

I have a Coach bag for 15 years, and it looks
barely used.

Yuccckkk? I think that remark was kind of snobby.
Especially if you factor in that
you're paying 4X as much for a Gucci VINYL bag (that falls apart),
and, 5X as much for PLASTIC Burberry bag. (with someone else's
family plaid on it!)