Curating Your Collection Part I: To Let Go or Not to Let Go

Part I: To let go or not to let go, that is the question…

For wonderful people who fall into “I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it” category!

If you are a fashionista who just buys stuff at the beat of Ariana Grande’s song…you have that wonderful massive closet to fit, or not fit, everything in and you don’t really care anyway! YOLO! You like to collect and line them up in a rainbow colors, Beautiful!

Handbag lovers who are minimalists, on a budget, or simply lack unlimited space, in the essence of curating a perfect handbag collection, are mostly faced with “should I keep it, let it go or make it work” conundrum. If you fall into this category, let’s play.

@kugzz

Suddenly waking up one fine morning and deciding to shuffle or get rid of your most prized possessions won’t work without a proper plan and mindset, and in fact could result in a big regret. Minimalism is not as easy as it seems, but if you aren’t attached to your possessions, you will get past a lot of frustrations, anger and anxiety in life.

So you’ve purchased a few designer bags, are maybe thinking of the next purchase, and are almost done with or are revamping your collection. Or perhaps you want to downsize your current collection to either have less bags or to make room for others. Or maybe, just maybe, you have all the bags you need, but some simply make you think twice (and not in a butterflies in your tummy type of way). Regardless of where you are in your handbag collection, if you are like us, sometimes you wonder, should I let any of my bags go? To let go or not to let go, that is the question.

@kugzz

1) What are Your Handbag Goals?

Think about what you want your collection to be. Are you an avid collector with a “the more the merrier” mindset? Are you a minimalist and want to only have X number of bags (if so, you must read @kugzz ‘s article No More than 10 Bags – it will make you think about your collection and what you truly need). Or do you fall somewhere in between? Perhaps you don’t have a number in mind, but you want something manageable and want to not go overboard with the number of bags in your closet.

If you fall in the first category, perhaps you never want to let go of any bags as they are part of your never-ending collection. And that is okay. But if you are in either of the other two categories and have been toying with the idea of whether to rehome your bag(s), we hope this article can guide you through that process.

Train your brain to always pick the best of the best. This is a question that both of us ponder … often … and more often than not together. Our conversations go something like:

@dailyloves: @kugzz what do you think of [name a bag]—should I keep it? Let it go?

@kugzz [aka the voice of reason]: Okay let’s think about this. How often do you use the bag? Do you need more than one bag in the same color? Will you miss it?

@dailyloves: [insert thinking emoji]

In all seriousness, you are not alone if you’ve debated whether or not to rehome a bag (or many bags). Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether to let go or not to let go.

@dailyloves

@dailyloves

2) Is There Anything Holding You Back from Letting Go?

Scarcity: Insufficiency or Shortness of Supply; Dearth.

In the handbag world, certain leathers, sizes, colors and hardware combos seem like the hardest to ever get your hands on. What happens when you manage to get your hands on that prized possession, only to later realize it is just not your style, doesn’t match with any of your outfits, and it’s just out of place in your wardrobe? Most owners get stuck as these bags are really hard to part with.

Sentimental Value: Emotional Shoppers

First designer bag, paid with first pay cheque, anniversary present, and so forth. If you fall into this category, it may be a little challenging to let go of that bag, but if you focus enough, everything is possible. Baby steps… And for some, there is room for that one bag that will never see the light of day but still brings you joy because you associate it with a special person or moment in your life. That is okay too.

The Minimalists

People with limited funds/the minimalist (even the millennials who prefer experiences over materialistic things) would like to use their items almost every day rather than sitting pretty. If you fall into this category, you are more likely to buy and put your items to use immediately and watch that cost per wear take a hike.

@kugzz

@dailyloves

3) Why Do You Think You Want to Let Go of Your Bag(s)?

Perhaps your bag has been sitting in the closet for far too long. Maybe you don’t like the color, style, or size anymore. It could be that you found a replacement you like more now. Or you simply don’t have the space for it or need the money for something else.

@dailyloves: @kugzz can you tell us about the first luxury bag you rehomed?

@kugzz: Chanel medium size flap in beige color with gold hardware—the must-have according to many fashionistas. I loved it for a while but to be honest, after few months, I started to notice that the bag wasn’t working for me. The color was definitely hard to wear and the chain drop would hit me at the wrong spot. It was like being in a bad relationship that I wouldn’t admit to. I know, I am being dramatic, but you catch my drift. The thought of selling this flap came with key words like “classic,” “must have,” “investment piece,” “price increase”—I mean how could someone sell a bag like this? I was hesitant to sell at first but wow, what a relief! My goal is not to reduce life to the fewest amount of things, but to fill it with the optimal amount of things.

Let’s talk about the “IT bag” for a moment. I would like to take an example of a Chanel minaudière. How many of us have drooled over those beautiful creations while watching the fashion shows on TV or social media, let alone experiencing their beauty live and in real life at the boutique? We all have weak moments and bought things that would never work for our lifestyle.

@dailyloves: @kugzz remember when we were in the city of lights, chasing that gorgeous new Chanel? Oh it was so dreamy, so special, so blingy! We both really pondered this bag…hard…until we tried to fit our phones and the bag wouldn’t close. That was an easy “no” for us.

What may work for others, may simply not work for you. That is when we learn to admire from afar and focus on the “IT bag” for us.

There is always something to change/upgrade to, while we are rarely looking to downgrade, simplify or reduce.

Do you still remember when you bought your very first designer bag? The feeling? Omg, that is a lot of money, remember? Justifying it to yourself that you only live once, no need to be the richest (fill in the blank) in the cemetery, I only want one designer handbag, etc.

Our natural inclination is always to accumulate, to elevate, and to build upon. There will never be a level where you will be done wanting things. But then again, always focus on how many possessions would you really need in your impeccable closet and whether those possessions bring you joy or are they “just another.”