lovetheduns

Hah I wouldn't pay for that either. Hah, I wouldn't pay for that either! I am hoping to make myself one though this weekend. I want to really like Etsy, but I find it REALLY hard to find nice quality items, truly crafted by someone (not some cheap labor camp in China) that is actually worth the money. I feel like I am constantly wading through junk in my searches and usually end up just giving up.

Ah makes sense. I don't like those massive purses where folks carry the whole kitchen sink. My cousin actually has a purse inside a purse-- makes no sense to me. She carries her full set of makeup and almost anything else you can imagine. But I do carry the following: advil (i have a tendency to get stress/allergy related headaches), lotion (I have atopic eczema that tends to always flare up randomly on my legs-- if I didn't have my lotion I would scratch holes in my legs), lip balm, wallet, camera (I am an amateur photographer and even on my frequent business trips I take a nice compact camera in case I see something-- if I am going on a photography trip I have a big DSLR so I tend to leave the purse at home since I have well.. lenses, equipment in my camera bag), headphones (I don't like holding my cell phone up to my ear), feminine stuff, a pen, sunglasses. I can't imagine how I would carry that stuff without some sort of bag. Ironically when I travel for work and have to schlepp a computer up and down a city street, I don't carry a handbag. I just use my computer bag and all of the stuff I normally carry in a purse will fit in it as well. I have two favorite bags-- one sits close to my body on my shoulder. It is one of the few bags I have ever used that doesn't slip. The leather is what Hermes calls taurillion clemence -- basically chrome tanned calfskin-- and it just drapes around the body. Last trip I took with a friend where we walked around a big house (Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC) I wore a cross body bag in the same leather so I could also carry a water bottle. It did get a little heavy by the end of the day but I would just prefer to have the stuff I feel I need so that I don't go nuts (water, lotion and advil are musts). I am not sure if it is the type of riding discipline customers you have-- I had a few friends in the western world and it used to blow my mind that they would have a living quarters horse trailer, with a big fancy truck, big fancy bred horses-- but would try to find the absolute cheapest farrier, trainer (even if the trainer was beyond sucky), cheapest grain possible and cheap cheap tack. I had a friend who was a trainer and it used to blow her mind at how much people wanted to nickel and dime solid training on their super fancy horse. I used to think, wow your farrier may be super cheap but what does that do long term to your expensive pony? Same with trainers. Myself, never owned a horse trailer, and never replaced much tack, only a few repairs because I always bought very nice, quality tack that could stand the test of time unless a freak accident happened.

I had to smile at your post WyomingSlick. Not sure about the market where Big Sioux Saddlery is-- but the last craftsman that I would want to buy from would be someone who would color me as "shallow" based on her own biases/perceptions. Although ironically, if she saw me carrying one of my bags she would have NO idea who the maker was- so I suppose there is that. Although, as a leather worker I am sure she would recognize that the leather is very high quality and the bag itself (stitching, color saturation is as well) so perhaps I would still would be lopped into shallow regardless. Markets are funny-- and customers are downright perceptive as to what you REALLY think of them. With that said (and perhaps this is coming from my business background), if you are wanting to go after a high market clientele even for just a niche product, you need to do a combination of what WyomingSlick suggested. What does your high end market usually want? Seems simple enough of a question although usually it is quite hard to get to since people tend to look at what THEY like and not at what the market they are going after REALLY wants. Other pertinent questions are what is missing in your market? (Like WyomingSlick said-- maybe detail out what you hate about handbags, do other women feel the same?), What does your higher end customer market value? As a horse owner (although to be fair my mare is leased out currently) in the english world (hunters/jumpers predominantly), I loved well made half chaps in amazing leather that I could have customized to my own liking/colors. Bridlework, I always loved the fancy stitching on some english saddlery as well as the raised leather on show bridles in the reins, headstall, etc. When I bought show tack, I always looked at leather quality first and foremost and then the stitching. If I thought the leather was cheap quality, the edges not finished nicely, etc then I would also pass on it. But that was simply my preferences.

So I know this post is pretty late to the convo-- I was just lurking today to see people's work as I am interested in learning the craft and somehow came across this article. For what it is worth, I AM one of those who owns a few items made by Hermes. Not their priciest items for sure-- a few of their handbags that are for the most part "under the radar." I really DON'T want people to pick me out in a crowd as toting something just sub 4k under my arm. I love interesting handmade items that reach an obsessive level of craftsmanship whether that is a wallet, a handbag, a pair of shoes, linen sheets (most of my bedding is over a century old from bridal trousseaus), knives, etc. I am especially a sucker for beautiful leather. I would rather have a few handbags than whatever is the latest fashion that is cheap, mediocrely made in some factory, etc. The bags I own have been around for a bit (with the exception of one they discontinued after a few years-- why I dunno it is my favorite) and have styles that will fit "in" for many years. Their customer service to "spa" a handbag to better condition, make repairs also makes it appealing. It is one of those things that when I meet my end, I will most likely leave to my nieces since I have no children of my own along with my jewelry, scarves, leather journals. I am fortunate that with some planning and deferring other impulse purchases (I don't subscribe to cable, I eat out rarely, drink rarely, work from home so I use very little gas, etc) I can afford to splurge on bags. I am constantly on the look out for other well made goods (including wallets and handbags) because there are so many craftsmen that I would love to see around for many years. I have a few leather journals that I purchased in Venice because I bought one from the maker when I was a teenager and when I went back 15 years later, I purchased a couple more since his journal gave me immense pleasure for many years. I don't think I am vapid nor boring-- I don't believe I am snobby-- hell, I grew up in poverty. I am pretty proud where I am at now in life and that as a single person I have worked hard to make the income that I have now. I don't feel comfortable flashing brands-- in fact if there is an obvious logo on an item I will NOT wear it (I feel they should give me a discount to sport their logo). Like kwelna mentioned, I simply love beauty, the old crafts and a true work ethic care that you don't find so common these days.