Accessories Anonymous: I Need (Handbag) Therapy

A couple of days ago, I got an email from Coach letting me know there would be an upcoming exclusive "by invitation only" online sale with handbags up to 70% off. I didn't really care all that much, especially since I already own a couple of gorgeous Coach bags, and while I love them, I don't really love how much I see Coach bags everywhere I look. Maybe it's got something to do with working in a high-end bridal boutique, but I honestly think I see at least a dozen Coach handbags a day. No joke. Also, "by invitation only" seemed like something cooked up by the marketing department and the truth is that the invitation went out to every email address in the Coach database. And so, because I feel like they seem to have saturated the market, they seem less special. Regardless, when I got the email this morning that the 24-hour sale had begun, I decided to take a look at what was available. That's when I fell in love with this little darling:

Isn't she pretty? I've been thinking of adding a nice, black leather handbag to my arsenal and this one is just gorgeous! Also, it's enormous. (Exact dimensions according to the website? 14 3/4 inches long X 11 1/4 inches tall X 5 1/2 inches wide. Huge.) Another thing I like about it? It doesn't scream "COACH!" It just has the little label up at the top, but it's not as if it's made with that logo-covered fabric that they tend to use. I like it because it's a beautiful leather handbag. Not faux leather "vegan" junk that's all over the place these days. Real leather. I love real leather. 

So, do I splurge on it? At $153 (plus shipping), it's still a decent chunk of change. But the original retail price?  $498. That's right- almost five hundred smackers for that bag- so I'm getting quite a deal on it. Honestly, I can talk myself into this bag just as easily as I can talk myself out of it- the question is: which do I want to do? 

Pros: 

1.) Real leather

2.) It's enormous!

3.) It's not covered in an obnoxious "look at my designer bag!" print

4.) SUCH a bargain!

Cons: 

1.) It's still about $165 after shipping costs. Not exactly chump change (well maybe for some, but not for me). 

2.) That's the only con I can come up with. 

Arrghh!!! What to do? I'm torn up about it! So torn, in fact, that I spent another hour perusing all sorts of other sites trying to find something comparable for the price. Guess what- it doesn't exist. Beautiful bags cost a lot of money. Cheap bags and cheap-looking bags can still cost $150 or more, just click around the internet for a little while and you'll see. What I'm trying to say is that even though $165 is a lot of money, it's unlikely I'll find anything even remotely equivalent for the price. Sometimes sales are legitimate and I think I may have just convinced myself to go buy this bag! What do you think? Am I about to give my checking account a major hit today? Leave a comment!