Handbagista

But sadly, before you get too excited at the prospect of renting handbags by the dozen and ending up rolling on a bed covered in $$$ - you need to be the rentee, not the renter!

There’s an article by Catherine Jhee on the GreatReporter website about the two Handbag Rental sites, Bag, Borrow and Steal and Bags To Riches. (You can read it here)

In that article, Catherine has interviewed both companies and there was an interview with Patricia Hambrick who is the Chief Marketing Officer of Bag, Borrow and Steal (BB&S).

BB&S run a monthly membership system where members pay between $5 to $9.95, depending on which level of membership they want to have. They then pay extra per week to rent a bag, the amount depending on which bag they rent.

During her interview, Patricia said that they have 450,000 members live on their books.

450,000!!!!!

Let’s do a bit of maths.

Let’s imagine that the true figure is 70% of what Patricia said. (No, I’m not saying she’s lying, just allowing for non payers, problem accounts,  drop offs etc.)

So - 350,000 live members.

350,000 members X minimum  monthly charge of $5.00

=

$1,575,000.000 minimum  monthly gross turnover!

If you then estimate that a low amount of members, 10%,  have bags on rental and are paying say, 20$ a month extra ($20 will be low but it helps to underestimate when doing this type of assessment!)

350,000 X 10% = 35,000

35,000 x $10.00 = $350,000.00 per month

So the estimation has to be that, if the figures given in the interview ARE correct - the handbag rental business generates at least $2,000,000 PER MONTH!!

That’s an outstanding amount to be turning over each month from a rental business where the actual monthly cost is so low.

Wish I’d thought of it!

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written by Ruth

I saw this and thought, well, two things really.

First - this would make for a GREAT post title!

Second - well, Handbagistas might be able to help - especially if they know about it. 

 So here is the article from the Aiken Standard website - link is in the credit!

[ARTICLE START]

Auction to benefit pregnancy prevention - By JOSH VOORHEES, Staff writer on the Aiken Standard

Aiken Teen Pregnancy Prevention is asking for donations of used designer handbags that are still in good condition for its upcoming fundraiser.

The event, entitled “Purse-suit,” will be an online handbag auction that will raise money for the United Way agency and its mission of reducing the number of teen pregnancies in Aiken County.

The e-auction will begin Saturday and run until December 15. It will be hosted by online auction super-site eBay.
“We know the average woman purchases three handbags per year and owns more than 25 handbags at any given time,” said Susan Meehan, executive director of the not-for-profit organization. “We’re just asking local women to take a look in their closet and donate any ‘lovingly used’ designer handbags they haven’t used in the past year.”

Event organizers are asking for authentic handbags from top designers, including but not limited to bags from Prada, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Donni & Bourke and Kate Spade.

“We’re collecting purses in all shapes and size,” said Meehan. “The purses just need to be in good condition, and more importantly, authentic.”

Anyone interested in more information about the e-auction or in donating their own handbags should contact Susan Meehan at 441-0016 or e-mail info@teenpregnancyaiken.org. All donations are tax-deductible and receipts will be provided. Contact Josh Voorhees at jvoorhees@aikenstandard.com.

[ARTICLE END]

Now - my only comment to this has to be against the quote “We know the average woman purchases three handbags per year and owns more than 25 handbags at any given time,” said Susan Meehan,

3 handbags a year purchased?

Erm, (cough cough) - you might want to change that to 3 purchased every one to two months - or one purchased every one to two weeks if you’re talking about Ruth!!

Apart from that - we like the idea of helping. ‘Nuff said!

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written by Julie

Here’s a dilemma for you - and I don’t just mean the dilemma of trying to work out if dilemma is spelt with one ‘m’ or two!

You want to get a retro appealing handbag or bag of some sort.

Leafing through your favorite magazine or website, you come across the Pan Am Explorer bag - as shown below.

I’m fairly sure that there aren’t that many people around who would even attempt to argue that such a sight is not an iconic reminder of a golden age.

Plane travel, indeed most forms of travel, were still an adventure more than the hassle they’ve become in this pressured, modern world.

In the older days, few could afford the thrill of taking a plane to destinations only ever read about - let alone buy all the various clothes and handbags that the models were adorned with in the advertising images.

The thought that the gaily smiling man and woman in the pictures even had to consider tending to dear little Chuck Jr for 6 hours in a cramped and dirty airport lounge whilst repeated delays were announced and tempers frayed - well, it just wasn’t an element of travel.

It would have cheapened the image.

Strangely enough, that’s also a form of the dilemma that I suspect anyone considering buying this bag will be faced by.

Now I’d be the first to admit that this is not and was never intended to be a designer item, made from the finest leathers and suede trims, nor is it a bag that has been fermenting in the designers imagination for three months, prior to pen ever touching a single piece of design paper.

It’s a cheap looking, plastic looking rendition of a bag that was, well, cheap and plastic.

But the original was cheap and plastic in an age when cheap and plastic was - well, designer class!

Without a doubt, this bag shouts, screams and takes out a full page ad in all the top papers to advertise the fact it is, undoubtedly - retro in intent.

Sadly - bearing in mind the quality of bags you can buy these days for just $40 or $50 - it is just a little bit too much retro in quality.

But hey, if you like bags that are true to their roots in every detail - you really should get one of these from www.panamone.com

Just don’t expect it to last all that long!

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written by Ruth

Where the heck were these when I needed them 21 years ago?

Seriously - if you are about to get married then I suggest you have a good look at the new range of bridal handbags being sold by Olivier Laudus of London. They are divine and exactly what I needed all thos eyears ago.

Phew - mini rant over! Sorry - bad memories of being gouged by secret bits hidden under my wedding gown that should have been in a handbag held by my maid of honor!

Seriously though - the introduction of this range of gorgeous looking stain clutches and handbags is just what is needed by so many brides the world over.

Currently there are 12 different offerings to choose fromm on the Laudu site and all of them are at highly sensible prices - even if you have to allow for the price being in Pounds Sterling instead of Dollars. (Sad to think all we have to do is double it and bingo - sigh.)

Bags range from simple clutches, through clutches that contain hidden straps for you to wear over the shoulder to straight forward handbags. Each comes in the color ivory and there are some stunning silver designs and intricate chain work.

My favorite? Hard one that - it’s a toss up between the Amore shown left or the Gigi on the right here. Both have silver snake chains hidden away inside the bag, allowing them to be worn from the shoulder and each looks as right as the other for being a feature of your special day.
Sigh - I suppose I should be grateful that I’m still happily married and don’t have to choose.

They should still have been thought of years ago though!

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written by Gail

Source:- An article spotted on www.eonline.com where people ask the ‘Answer Bitch’  (nice name!) questions. 

Why do celebrities carry such huge purses? How much stuff could they possibly need so bad they have to lug it around everywhere?
—Esther, Miami, Florida 

The B!tch Replies:  Stars carry giant handbags because everybody is carrying giant handbags. Haven’t you heard? Don’t you read W magazine like a good little consumer? The ’80s are back, or something. I don’t know exactly. It’s not my job to know—it’s just my job to buy what W says.

The point is, large handbags are all the rage. A 20-inch-long, 10-inch-deep number is considered “medium.”

Those are the dimensions of the It bag known as the Faithfull, first sported by Cameron Diaz, before being adopted in quick succession by Cate Blanchett, Paris Hilton, Sarah Michelle Gellar and a very preggo Naomi Watts.

The designer of this It bag is Allison Burns, who used to do Paris’ makeup before she turned to fashion. According to Burns, “There is no rhyme or reason to fashion.” Large handbags are simply a product of a return to ’80s hugeness and, to a lesser extent, ’70s-style hippie-hobo apparel. 

However, the giant satchels do serve one important function.

Stars carry a lot of stuff, stuff that probably wouldn’t make a ton of sense to people who work 8- to 10-hour days. Stars rarely work such gentle hours. When they’re on, they’re on, putting in, like, 14 to 18 hours a pop, either on a set or on a plane or in an interview or posing for that benevolent dictator of fashion, W.

And jet-setters, by nature, carry more of their essentials with them, on their person.

“Most of these girls carry three phones,” Burns tells this B!tch. “A phone, a BlackBerry or maybe an iPod. Then there’s their makeup bag. And you always want to have a pashmina or something to throw on, just in case.

“And a couple pairs of sunglasses, just in case you feel like making a change…plus, body lotion. It’s just a ton of stuff you would normally put on before you leave the house.”

One other reason why celebs carry those purses: Most of them got them for free, without even asking, so why not?

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written by Julie