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RSS FeedCoach handbags are worth the money
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| Agree | 29% | 364 votes | Total: 1247 votes | |
| Disagree | 71% | 883 votes |
Agree
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Add to FavoritesIt arrives in a glossy brown box with ivory trim. In the lower right hand corner is a logo both coveted and recognized around the globe. I perused the site for months before making a final decision and taking that large expensive leap. When it was delivered to me, I could barely contain my excitement and tore open the box like a mad woman. It was pure perfection, and I am completely enamored with my purchase. I have been toting the bag around for nearly four months, and even today, each time I look at it I smile. It is every fashionista's dream come true, and I have it, with a matching pair of shades. Four hundred and fifty for the pair, crazy? When the total was charged to my account I thought so too. Since then, I would consider myself crazy for ever doing anything different. In fact, I am hoping to pick up some a Coach bag for my laptop, as well as a wallet, perhaps a keychain and maybe a slingback for those summer activities where taking a purse is too cumbersome.
I have often heard this phrase, "you get what you pay for", and since I work hard for my money, I tend to want to spend it wisely. There is nothing worse than spending hard earned cash on something that turns out to be a piece of junk. This is the case with the purses that I buy. I think of any item that is officially Coach is not a luxury item, but an investment. A few years ago, I would never have considered splurging on such a high priced material item. I attended a party where I bought two Prada handbags, and one Coach. I will never use anything else again. Sure, the pricey logo is a plus and something that easily catches the eye, but when I buy something for myself I buy what I want, other people's opinions of what I spend my paycheck on are really not a concern for me.
Coach purses are not simply overpriced bags to impress your fellow man. I will admit that when I notice someone that is carrying one, I am impressed with the item, and I do feel a slight twinge of envy (especially if it is some young teenager that is spoiled to the brim and hobnobbing it up in the middle of Victoria's Secret where grown ups should be able to shop in peace). But, I buy the Coach products because I enjoy them. They are of great quality, I love the styles, and the overall look of their items. If I am going to spend upwards of thirty dollars on a handbag from a department store, I would rather spend a bit more for quality and high style.
The Coach handbags are made to last a lifetime, literally. The company backs their product one hundred percent, which means that if the item needs repaired, Coach will do so. If you have purchased a bag that is indeed an official Coach, it is supposed to last you years. Of course the company banks on you wanting a newer style every now and again, and that is part of the key to the company's success. I personally love the items that I have so much that I want to expand my collection to include more quality items, including luggage. Are they worth the money, you ask? They are in fact worth more than that. You get out of these bags what you put into them, just like most other items on the market today.
Yes, it is nice when someone notices my designer bag, but I don't base my self image on what other people say. What I hate more, though is when people tell me what to spend my money on. If I want a Coach purse, I will damn well buy a Coach purse, and I don't think that any one should tsk me for that. I enjoy nice things, and as long as I work to buy them for myself, why shouldn't I have them? I work extremely hard at my job, and I work many extra hours when I endeavor to purchase something that is a high end item. I pay all of my own bills, and am even allowing my younger sister and neice to live on my dime while my sister goes to school. I think that I deserve something nice every now and again I may not be a millionaire, but I make a decent enough living. I take very good care of any item that I buy for myself, whether it is clothing or electronics, or furniture. Of course I would choose an item that will stay nearly as pristine years after I buy it because it was of quality to begin with.
Don't judge me on my expensive handbag if you have your own extravagant purchases here and there. I work hard and pay to live just like anyone else does. What is the difference in my spending three hundred dollars on a bag instead of opting for a twenty dollar bag from WalMart, if you who judge me is paying one hundred dollars a month for satellite radio instead of listening to it for free? Not to mention the first few hundred dollars for the receiver for the radio. Imagine how much you may spend per year on those one dollar bottles of water you drink non stop. The difference between a smoker buying up to two packs of cigarettes a day, or my buying a necessity item that I enjoy? There is no difference, except I can resell my item on ebay for profit when I get tired of it, but you have smoked your cigarettes, and wasted money on radio waves, and you have no water. So, to speak. Everybody has their demons, at least I admit to mine; I like to buy myself nice things, including Ugg boots, Victoria's Secret items, Columbia jackets and yes, Coach purses (and sunglasses, wallets, etc). These are things that I enjoy, and to me the cost does not outweigh the quality and or comfort, and style. That, you see is MY opinion. Do I force my opinion on others, or frown upon what other people buy with their money? Not if it doesn't concern me. So was my three hundred dollars worth spending on that beautiful Coach purse that I can cherish for a few years worth it? Absolutely. It is worth every penny.
Learn more about this author, Shawna Blake.
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Disagree
I find Coach bags are not worth the money, but for a different reason than most. Being a long-time devotee to high street fashion, I am no stranger to astronomical price tags. For people like me, fashion is a hobby and owning a piece like a beautiful pair of shoes or a bag gives a rush equivalent to an art collector hanging a rare Picasso or O'Keefe for the first time. The perk of fashion, however, is that you get to feel good all day carrying your art around or traversing the city in it.
I disagree with the argument that discount stores like Target produce all one could ever desire in fashion. Very often, the bags carried in these stores are legal (and sometimes illegal) rip-offs of an original runway design. Flip to the back of any tabloid to find a photo of a celebrity carrying the newest Kooba, Hermes or Chloe "it" bag, and next to it, another several photos of suspiciously similar bags and where to buy them for a mere fraction of the costof the original. Most of these similarities are impossibly coincidental. In purchasing a bag for $20 from Wal Mart, there is the possibility that you are encouraging the theft or "borrowing" of creative property from designers, who spend millions every year to come up with these designs, only to have fast-money companies ride on their backs for profit.
The argument that Coach bags are too expensive is moot, because most people have hobbies that they spend their money on. If you enjoy music, chances are you would pay good money to see your favorite artist. The same goes for other live entertainment. Having an appreciation for cars will certainly cost you, as will any item that merits a collection. Hiking requires loads of expensive equipment, and cultivating an appreciation for fine wine and dining will set you back. A passion for video games is no different. Basically, most everyone spends their money in ways they probably shouldn't. It simply comes down to what is your poison. For some people, this is high-end fashion, and such individuals should not have to apologize for their spending habits any more than anyone else with a costly passion (and they are all costly).
Having said that, Coach bags are not worth the money to me because they do not constitute any type of art, and are more like expensive marketing tools for a company looking to make a solid profit. I say this because most Coach bags (and I say most because there are certainly exceptions) are splattered with the highly recognizable Coach logo. This logo works for both the company and the consumer, but in disproportionate amounts. The company creates an image that people latch onto, and they become willing to spend $250 and up for a bag made of admittedly good quality materials, but that is essentially a huge advertisement for Coach. Enough people are seen walking around with Coach bags, which then become identifiable, and suddenly it has become a trend and demand spikes. My problem with it is that there is no art involved, save for the initial creation of the marketing tool, the logo. The only reason I can imagine for desperately wanting a Coach bag would be the image you hope to gain from wearing your money around. This goes for other designers as well- the most visible Louis Vuitton bags are often all logo, little design. People are even inclined to buy fakes to achieve this desired of image of affluence.
There is an unimaginable number of great designers in the industry that make high quality, well designed bags and don't rely on the image to sell them. As a fashion enthusiast, these are the bags I feel are worth the same money you would spend on a Coach. When you buy a Coach or even a Louis that is dripping in logos, you as the consumer are paying the company to do their advertising for them. Better to spend your hard-earned money on real design and something with a little originality.
Learn more about this author, Emily Drake.
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