These ones I was not sure whether to put as HOTDs because they are down in the cellar but I will anyway. I bought this Adrienne Vittadini handbag on eBay and the seller offered me two Fossil bags for a very good price. Of course I said yes!
I like Adrienne Vittadini handbags but The One That Got Away was sold to a customer in London who entered Dickins and Jones about 1 minute before me and pounced on it. They bought just the bag I wanted. There was only one and it had been reduced from £260 to £60. I had been eyeing it for ages waiting for the big discount and missed it by a minute *sob*. As a result I became obsessed with finding another one and set up searches on eBay for it. That meant that every time a nice AV bag came up I wanted it. This was one of them.
When I got it though it was too pale and too ladylike for me so it is now down in my cellar.
But I loved the two Fossil bags:
They were nice and soft and beautifully worn in and gorgeous quality. But they reeked of smoke and that is just non-negotiable for me. For the price I got them for, the seller probably wanted to get rid of them for the same reason. The Adrienne Vittadini bag did not smell at all. Since then I have always double-checked that pre-owned bags I buy come from smoke-free homes. If you are allergic to fur it may also do to check that your bag comes from a pet-free home as well. Some people spray air-freshener or perfume on bags to kill smells which (to me anyway) just makes things worse so if you buy a lot from eBay this is bound to happen at least once. I have bought so many nice things from there I was willing to chalk this one up to experience.
So these beauties are down in my cellar and have never been used by me.
Fossil is a great brand though if you are looking for good quality investment bags with good brand value and not overpriced. They aren’t cheap but they are not eye-wateringly expensive if you consider that they are lifelong investments.
I always work out CPW (cost per wear) when I buy something – If I pay £10 for something and only wear it once, it will cost me more than if I buy something for £100 and wear it 180 days of the year for 15 years. For this reason I do spend more on timeless accessories than I do on clothing. It is worth saving up for something that will stand the test of time and that you can hand down to your children. And that they will actually want to use!
Janet, maybe you can put these bags in an enclosed bag/box with dryer sheets or coffee to absorb the odor? I like fossils a lot!
Fossils are gorgeous. Thank you for the tip!
I forgot about the AV bag. I, like you, prefer a darker bag as opposed to pale. It looks like chrome-tanned leather which would be harder to darken as natural leathers usually darken in the light/sunlight. It would be worth a try as it is a beautiful bag. I have not tried it, but I am hearing that Febreeze O (Zero) supposedly takes away smells and doesn’t leave another smell of its own but have not tried it so am just passing it along for what it is worth. I also have to avoid smoke and scent due to allergies.
I love the way natural leathers darken in the sunlight – though sometimes they go too dark for me – almost black – when they get really really old.
I am wondering if the darkening colour change is due to the fact that you are quite a bit further north than me. I usually find that the sun fades things so perhaps, with the sun being at a different angle if that is possible, could be a reason. Not really sure, but just taking a guess.
I have two fossil bags and do like them. One is a satchel style and the other is a mid-size backpack/purse. I bought both of mine at Winners (the Canadian TJ Maxx/TKMaxx). Like you say, they are a nice mid-price bag. I don’t know if you are familiar with the old Bree bags? I bought one in brick red years ago and loved it to death. One of the straps needs re-attaching. Oh good grief, I could open my own store – it won’t happen though! Bought a beautiful Frye bag in September that was pretty costly but it will last forever as I think most of my bags will – LOL.
Ooh Frye bags? I didn’t know they made bags – I have two pairs of their boots and I love them so if the bags are anything like that I WANT ONE! No I am not familiar with Bree – do you have pictures?
Sorry, Janet, I just saw this reply (Feb. 18). I will try and find my Bree bag (the strap needs to be restitched). Mine is a brick (rusty) colour – very nice and very well used! I think there was some kind of connection between Bree and Taschen leather/bags. I think they might have been German made. I bought it probably in the 1980’s some time and was lucky to get it for half price which was approx. $CDN 235-250 I forget exactly. I will look for it in the next day or so when I have a think as to where it might be – have an idea! LOL I absolutely love the Frye bag I bought in September (got heck for that one!).
Frye is now going on my list!
How funny that you mentioned the Fossil Handbags – I’ve been saving up for the large explorer tote in espresso for a while now and just went to Macy’s to check it out. I’m still a LONG way from being able to afford it, but I can already tell it will wear beautifully!
They are really lovely. I love Fossil wallets bags and watches. You often get them in TKMaxx in the UK so keep your eye out in TJMaxx in the US. You won’t be sorry when you do get one – they are a lifetime investment!