Three Old Purses


Over 15 years ago, I bought a purse.

It must have been around the time that I comforted myself that I wasn’t spending thousands on a purse like Paris Hilton. Just hundreds. “Well,” I thought, “I will wear it for years, and it will all even out.”

And, it did. It has just recently begun to show the slightest bit of wear on a knotted loop where the strap attaches.

If I were to trash it today, it would have evened out to about $15 per year.

Sadly, this company doesn’t sell this exact purse today. That’s probably because when you open the purse there are slots for multiple credit / id cards nestled in the center. You Kids Today with your iPhones and your Apple Pay. You don’t want my card slots.

But I do. Therefore, thanks to Poshmark and eBay I now have more purses.

The two on the right aren’t knock-offs: they changed the clasp because of the wear pattern, and you see the two newer ones attach with a lobster claw instead of the loop that wore out.

So that’s another thirty years of purse there, each for an additional 60 bucks. Two bucks a year. Sweet.

And actually, I’m replacing that fragile loop on my original black purse with some braided craft leather, so I might not ever even need to use the two additional finds. I might die first.

I do also have a big heavy classic Coach purse (too big!), Mom’s wee little classic Coach purse (too small!), a satin evening clutch, a floral needlepoint purse with too-easy access, and of course the Big Rubber Chicken purse.

So I am set for every eventuality when it comes to purses. Never buying a purse again. It feels good.


2 responses to “Three Old Purses”

  1. I completely relate. I usually use one purse for years. Switching purses is the devil’s business.
    It is a sad, sad day for me when the current purse wears out. I am always incensed that the exact same purse as last time no longer is available (and it never is). The Shopping For The Purse is traumatic.
    I have never before thought of calculating the current value over time for my purse, but thinking about it gives me a sense of accomplishment at how much I have saved.
    – Common Household Mom

  2. Common Household Mom – Yiiiiissssss. It is the devil’s business. I think I changed out one day in my life and my checkbook didn’t make the transition.

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