STOP wasting money - How to spot high quality leather purses and belts

[@carolyng5235]

I just have to share: last month I visited a charity thrift store and they had 2 bins full of brown leather purses and tote bags, from 1985, still in their original packaging (someone must have emptied a forgotten warehouse.) They were $5.99 each! I got one of each. They were well made, not designer, but better than most things you see today for any price. I'll add, I rarely go to that store, because it's mostly junk. It was like winning the lottery : )

[@hennahannnah]

Vintage Coach bags, like before about 1995, are fabulous quality! They were billed as “glove leather”, which always confused me because that made me think of nice ladies’ gloves. The owner of Coach was a baseball fan, so he meant baseball glove leather. They usually have nice brass zippers and hardware. I’ve become interested in cleaning and restoring them because they’re worth it! If you find an old Coach bag that looks good but doesn’t smell great, there’s a good chance you can wash it gently in your sink and fill with rolled towels to shape it while it dries. I found info online about what to do. It’s so satisfying to make a great quality product ready to use again!

[@DebMcDonald]

My favourite bags have been Coach since I received one as a gift in college. The leather is so thick and soft and the hardware can be easily cleaned. Fourteen years ago I bought a new Coach shoulder bag at a resale shop for under $50 and it looks fantastic to this day.

[@unblahyourself]

Wow! That's a cool hobby! Thanks for sharing!

[@Gevedon]

Aw yeah, at Goodwill I reached in behind a bunch of purses and touched the most buttery soft leather bag... it was a navy blue Coach bag. Brought it home! I love a great quality find!

[@brittany16950]

Okay… yes. You want color in your wardrobe!! But you do NOT need to buy crappy belts or crappy bags. Get you a beat up leather belt or scratched up leather bag or shoes and use Angelus paints. I *swear* by Angelus paints. I have painted SO. MANY. PAIRS. of Clark’s shoes to get the color I want. And guess what? No longer like that color? Use acetone, paint ‘em again!! Works a charm!!

[@anitasez]

Thanks for the tip!

[@noahs4058]

😮😮😮😮😮

[@ursamajormouse]

Same here! Currently rocking a once brown pair of purple combat boots.

[@ihogenhuis960]

Angelus is fantastic stuff.

[@chrismahfouz7709]

Thank you for the tip! ❤

[@ursamajormouse]

These were great tips, thank you. I am so jealous of the "high end" thrifting! I live in an area where the thrift stores are now filled with nothing but fast fashion. The last two years frequenting three different thrift stores and I have yet to see a real leather belt or bag. Or clothes from places other than Walmart or Old Navy. I miss thrifting so much! Now I get my thrifting fix when I travel.

[@unblahyourself]

Yes! That's the best solution!

[@tracisawyer7681]

Great advice about checking the zippers. I bought a designer bag at a thrift store I adore but the zipper tends to stick and u have tried everything. Oh I still use it for a night out. I love thrifting!!

[@nancyhessler3358]

Loved this video… do more live thrifting please !

[@centibastelt2023]

Thanks for this great tips! 🥰I'm not even so sure that you always get exactly what you want when buying new. At least not if you want something that is out of fashion at the moment. At most times when I buy new I have to make compromises, too. And... this might be really silly, but going to the thrift store always makes me feel like I was young and fun. 🙂

[@mercedesg3607]

Thank you for the video. One request...more French girl winter outfits please! I just found your channel about 1 month ago and have binged just about all your videos!😂 love it!❤

[@leighanneboles6609]

Italy uses low quality leather too....I've worked in leather for forty years, as a former shoe repairman, I've seen many cover ups of crap.... anything that has a print of another type of animal hide on top, like alligator on cowhide, is not top grain leather, it's what they call a split....the best quality bags, belts, shoes, are HANDMADE.....and American....js...

[@ruthnamaste]

I love that you're unpretentious! 😍

[@lynnephelps2370]

Great tips! There is an in between solution. I just got a very high-quality leather tote kit! I will do all the hand stitching myself. The gorgeous leather is already perforated for stitching, super high-quality hardware, all the thread and tools needed, and step-by-step video instructions. 😍

[@lorindav5549]

I've been looking at those on the web and some of them look really nice.

[@LilyMarsWrites]

Good for you! I've been looking at those kits online. I hope yours turns out as beautiful as you envision it!

[@ihogenhuis960]

Which brand/website?

[@LilyMarsWrites]

@@ihogenhuis960 The one I've been looking at is Babylon Leather, but I haven't ordered one yet. Maybe @lynnephelps2370 knows another good source.

[@StelmaDesigns]

Thrifting is my jam too. I've been thrifting since the late 70s and I agree, you can find all kinds of great things. In fact, I had to chuckle because that double zippered soft leather bag you show at the start, I have found the exact bag in ivory and a rich reddish brown! The only downside to that bag is the way the strap hardware hits my shoulder is not the most comfortable ever. My Value Village is filled with plastic handbags that you can smell an aisle away, lol. I do occasionally score a leather bag but not all the Coach you are finding in yours. I worked for Coach in the late 80s to early 90s and boy am I glad I kept all my glove tanned leather bags and small accessories! What was old is new again and I can carry them now and they are not old fashioned.

[@unblahyourself]

I would love that purse in a reddish brown! Very cool find!

[@conspiraterry7393]

Oh my you are my style soul sister!

[@unblahyourself]

❤️🥰❤️

[@conspiraterry7393]

One of my favorite haunts as an antique dealer specializing in vintage costume jewelry and silver and gold is in a nursing home for wealthier people. Some great finds there! Was way better before covid but at least they are still open.

[@ElizabethDohertyThomas]

Goodwill famously has 99.9% fake Coach and other designer bags. I remember googling for how to tell fakes and there are a lot of signs once you know them. This lesson was great... I have a high quality leather purse as of a year ago (new, well designed) and I have become a snob at nearly age 50 with the design, functionality and feel of well thought through items. My budget isn't a snob though so thrifting is also fun. :)

[@sherrycohen1824]

Try a church thrift shop in an affluent town. I got a Bottega Venetta bag for $16.00 and a Louis Vuitton 40 Speedy for $60.00. Alas, the vachetta on the Speedy was really dirty and I consigned it. I wish I'd kept it and had the straps replaced.

[@dyanalayng5507]

Oh, thanks for the leather grades! I found a black Coach purse at Goodwill this year. Missing the cross body strap, but I keep looking for one that will do. Such a good size, leather. Saw another Coach bag in hideous pea green. So unfortunate!

[@kristinechristlieb1383]

I think I own the bag to which you are referring. I know what you mean about the color.

[@hennahannnah]

Etsy has some replacement bag straps. I’ve only bought metal chain straps, but have seen leather ones offered. There are also vendors selling other types of bag hardware.

[@sherrycohen1824]

Try Dress Up Your Purse for straps.

[@jenw3994]

Your necklace and earrings are beautiful.

[@unblahyourself]

Thank you! If you want, you can find them in my store www.unblahyourself.com

[@acampos8422]

❤ Your hair looks nice. Love the video as always

[@lisahorner9514]

I don’t wear belts often but after watching your video I checked out the belts at the thrift store. Found a suede genuine leather handmade Tacovas belt like new for .99

[@unblahyourself]

Fun find!

[@katave27]

This was a great video. You guys have a lot of Coach items at your store 😮. I also never thought about the smell of real leather. Good thought! I love thrift stores!!

[@No-Name-f8p]

This is VERY edifying!

[@mrnt1257]

Gorgeous red purse. I love thrifting and I have found a couple of belts, but never in my city have I found a decent purse 😟

[@unblahyourself]

I have never thrifted a purse that I love in perfect condition. At best I have found them to be 80% great. This Teddy Blake purse is brand new and perfect, and I just adore it! I think that's the important thing is that you don't need a million handbags, you just need one or two in really wonderful condition that you just love to look at, wear, and use.

[@carlsenlifeafter60carlsen11]

I have plenty of handbags, but when you showed me that teddy Blake red bag, I went on their website. I love that bag. It’s so beautiful. I thought maybe cream would be better for me cause I could wear it with everything.😊

[@tonyak2446]

Also leather shoes

[@ginandtonic5888]

Super content. Thanks!

[@noahs4058]

I have the made in Spain belt! -theresa

[@unblahyourself]

What? The same one!?

[@noahs4058]

@ yes! If I could post a pic, I would. Its one of my favorite belts

[@KACn5582]

Ooh love the boujee bag 😂

[@kristenhurst683]

I love high quality bags but they are usually too heavy. I have had OA (hands, arms, shoulders, and neck) since my 30's. I buy Dooney nylon bags which are still lined well, have great hardware and leather trim. Some leather bags don't have heavy hardware (maybe just a good snap) and will work, too. Too fat for a belt but I'm keeping the top quality ones I have just in case. I learned that Coach bags are crap unless they are all leather (thrifted mine). Don't like Saffiano-too stiff-so no Michael Kors.

[@HisLove4You]

Thank you for this, I love it and you are spot on with the info! (I sell bags on Posh!) ❤🎉

[@marylhere]

I have a boss that seems to wear a new outfit every day. Always with a wide stretchy belt with a cheap buckle. They just accentuate her round belly because she really doesn’t have a waist. Most of her clothes seem to be of poor quality fast fashion that look okay but have fabrics that up close are cheap. I know I am a clothes hoarder and have been buying clothes way beyond my means second hand. Every now and then I’ll shop in a store just to compare prices. A Liz Claiborne tank at Savers for !!!7.99!!!! A Liz Claiborne at Macy’s for !!!!!!$70!!!!!. But the handbags and belts I’ve collected are all fine quality….even the bag I wear when walking the dog (to hold the doody bags and my keys) is a mini vintage COACH. Fine quality for $5.

[@valkolakk]

Honestly, I have a teddy Blake bag and the hardware is trash, so this isn't a good example. The metal they use has some sort of plastic coating and the metal erodes and leaves black stains on the bag. I'm so angry that the leather is good but the hardware is crap.

[@Polkadotpup]

Men’s belts work just great for women too….

[@hennahannnah]

Shoe repair places can make them smaller if need too.

[@susannem3526]

Made in Italy just means that a tiny part( like the zipper for example) was made in Italy, and the bag could have been assembled in China.

[@sherrycohen1824]

Or they have Chinese workers in Italy. I heard that Chanel employs them there! I have nothing against the Chinese, but long-time Chanel lovers claim that Chanel's quality has been going down over the past few years.

[@benfranklinification]

😊

[@ObelixCMM]

Your example of red Teddy Blake purse as a quality leather is not all that good. Embossed leather, like croc in your example, is considered lower end leather because it's easy to hide imperfections or blemishes with embossing and heavy pigmented finish. Embossed hides are made from corrected leather (ground grain to remove blemishes) and they are coated with heavy pigmented layer. This finish is good to prevent scratches and it's waterproofed, but on the other hand it will never develop patina or accept conditioners.

[@AO-oy4rf]

Made in Italy can be a big con too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pai7lpqMn5aBeZY

[@mollyswanner1607]

I think she was giving many different possible links to put together to see if what you are finding is good quality. If it says made in Italy but has a cheap buckle or a peeling material obviously that's a no.

[@LisaMcLeod-ph1xj]

Recently thrifted an authentic Gucci Marmot purse in very good condition, as the lining just needed some gentle cleaning. My thrifting treasure of 2024!