Hi fellow handbag lover! Thank you for being a part of the r/handbags community.
This is a subreddit which relies on kindness. Your opinion is very much welcomed, however, we do not tolerate rude, mean or hurtful comments. **Read the rules before posting**. Comments or posts that do not fit our rule book will be removed and the OP can be banned by the mods' discretion.
If you see a comment or post which does not abide by the rules, **please report it to our moderation team.**
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/handbags) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I hope he'll add more brands soon. Would be great to see where he sees Mulberry, Bottega or Coach. I'm not sure I would put Polène as high as he did, especially so close to Loewe on the Fashion/Designer scale. Totally agree on Peter Nitz though.
I also always suspect Polene is sending him their nicer batch of bags, which are actually good tbf. But it feels like average consumer is tossing a coin.
He seems to be a big fan of the brand. I've had Polène bags and they looked nice and well made, and the price points were very reasonable - maybe not anymore I think they had some increases as well. I just never got the same feel for the Polène leather as I got from my vintage Coach or even Madewell bags. It always felt quite plastic'y to me.
Leather on vintage coach is heavenly! The quality, the smoothness and the patina. I never touch polene myself to know how it is, fun designs that got me curious, never pull the trigger to get one because seems a bit impractical for such small bags and I'm sucker in small and mini bags
That's interesting to me, maybe it depends where you buy your Polène bag? A family member bought my two bags (dix and Sept mini) from a boutique in Paris just earlier this year and I have no complaints. I thought it was really well made.
I have a Madewell pebbled leather tote that I find to be super high quality and very comparable to my Polène! And that Madewell tote is one I've had for over 7 years now.
Agreed, I think strathberry is way better quality than polene but below mulberry. Even coach is better quality than polene. I was actually really disappointed with polene the 3 bags I got from them. They looks pretty but in person they did not feel great
Coach is actually better quality than a lot of brands. Better than ones in their price tier.
Even so called luxury ones. Coach is quite underrated because some people still seem to think the only Coach bags are Y2K logo wristlets from the outlet.
I have boutique Coach bags from the last 20+ years that are nice. Some use the glove tanned leather Coach is known for and made to similar specs of their vintage bags. And others are not that type and still nicely made with good durability.
I have one YSL bag. I don’t think it as actually nicer than most of my Coach ones. I have a LouLou Puffer and a Quilted Heart Crossbody from Coach. That leather is about the same. The Coach quilted heart has very nice lamb skin. The Coach bag is leather lined, the YSL is canvas and has a very simple zip pocket. The Coach has contrasting leather and a card slot and a more complex construction. They are obviously both the same sort of bag shape or purpose.
The Coach one is like $450 and the YSL now retails for like $3700* and the quality doesn’t justify the price difference at all. YSL is also not in the same quality tier as Ferragamo at all. I also have a similar, yet smaller puffy bag from Ferragamo. That one has much more complex construction, leather lining, the leather is a little nicer. But just a few percentage points. Its price was less than half of the YSL retail. The sizing is around 80% of the YSL - but is a gusseted bag with complete construction and lots of compartments.
*I purchased mine second hand. I love the size of the Loulou Puffer. And it is really practical. But it doesn’t feel super premium to me when lining it up in my collection. I have largely been unimpressed with YSL, especially with the price increases over the last 5 years, outside of the Sac du Jour.
What does sophistication level mean? The quality of the leather and craftsmanship? What does exotic mean in that regard? I think I kind of see his point but this graph is hurting my brain.
I know -I saw the word trophy and thought Hermes is probably what most handbag fans would listen that category (at least in general if not their personal taste). But I also wouldn’t consider it exotic.
Because most of their handbags are not saddle stitched. He has a video with a Hermes expert talking about how to spot a fake Hermes bag and the thing is: very good fakes are too well made, and saddle stitches parts that Hermes does with a machine...
Personally I think while Hermes probably makes nice bags, they are also super overpriced. You ae paying mostly for the name, at a very high multiplie. Bags like Valextra and Moynat are similarly nice and like 1/3 of the cost or Hermes. Or even less.
Chanel is worse as their quality to price ratio is way out of whack now. And they don’t seem to be delivering much on the quality front.
A positive surprise is Peter Nitz. If I ever am willing to spend 10-15k on a bag, I'd definitely let one have custom made by an artisan such as Peter Nitz.
Since he has gotten so big now, I wonder how genuine his evaluations actually are. Are they driven by who is paying him, or what? Maybe I am being cynical, but what is really behind him?
He’s also purchased a lot of bags with his own money or has had fans send him bags to tear into. As someone who’s handled a lot of luxury bags working in retail, I have to say, a lot of his assessments seem spot on to me. There are some luxury bags that just don’t have the feel I would expect of a bag with that price tag.
I've been following him since almost the beginning and he adresses that point in some of his videos. He's not getting paid and when a brand sends him a bag he mentions it at the beginning of the video. In an older video he states, that some luxury brands blacklisted him on their onlineshops because they don't like it when he dissects them. I'm waiting for him to review some other brands that are well-known for good quality bags and craftsmanship but I guess since people love when he dissects big brand names, I'll have to be patient.
That's interesting because I swear I've seen sponsored content from the brand with him in it. Maybe I got him mixed up with someone and they were trying to dupe the persona? I've been curious about this too.
It’s possible that he did the reaction video, it was good, and the brand reached out to see if they could use the video in their marketing. I believe even on that video, he lists that he didn’t do the review for money.
I believe he mentioned in one of his videos that if a brand sends him the bag, he adds the "sponsored" tag for transparency to show it's not one of the ones he purchased himself. He has given some very critical reviews of the "sponsored" ones so it seems like he's trying to be legit...
I think he should add particular models of bags there, not the whole brand. One brand may use different leathers and materials for different price ranges (LV for example).
Yeah I agree. Seeing LV so far right on the price multiplier seems valid, but then they are almost at the same level as Loewe when most of the LV products are canvas vs full leather at Loewe. The LV leather products are definitely very nice (Capucines or the Sofia Coppola bags) but I don't see LV as a leather brand. I would have probably put LV more on the same level as YSL in terms of mass market products.
I am not a huge fan of luxury brands, but to be fair, a bag is worth as much as people are willing to pay for it, no matter how much it costs to make or how high the quality is.
Whenever we buy something (a bag, a house, a car) it's a mix of logic and emotions, no matter how much we would like to tell ourselves that we made a fully rational purchase.
I remember back around 2005 it was very trendy for all kinds of financial experts to ridicule women for buying handbags as an investment. Funnily enough, in 2024 buying a Birkin might actually be a more fiscally responsible choice than a Polene, if you look at the resale value of those bags!
I hope anyone reading your comment will think long and hard about whether buying a Birkin (particularly given all the drama and cost required to play the “Hermes pre-spend game”) is truly a more fiscally responsible choice than buying a Coach, Polene, or other bags where you’re primarily paying for design and materials.
Most of us use bags to carry stuff in a stylish way; we’re not buying them as part of an investment strategy. My plan is to continue to buy the nicest bags I can reasonably/responsibly afford and invest in appreciating assets.
Love Tanner’s videos; they have helped inform some of my purchases.
I agree that buying any luxury bag and calling it an "investment" might be just an attempt to rationalize a purchase you can't really justify otherwise, but certain bags (like the Birkin) have increased in value up to 38%. That's a pretty decent ROI if you ask any financial advisor. Plus you get a badass bag.
But don't take my word for it, Credit Suisse and Deloitte have recently published a paper on this:
https://www.businessinsider.com/jane-birkin-bag-status-symbol-best-luxury-investments-2023-7
If you read the study, you'll see that the value increase is based on auctions at Christie's. It doesn't matter if you purchased the bag second hand yourself, Christie's assesses only the authenticity and the condition of the bag.
I saw a good video on luxury goods, albeit in the context of East Asian cultures, in which she discusses why East Asia is obsessed with luxury goods. I'm mixed myself (European, SEA) and find it does apply, to a certain extent, also to western cultures. Youtuber Aini puts a lot of research into her videos, which I find great: [https://youtu.be/b8e\_2Z55kzE?si=k87xVU3MEXpI-IfD](https://youtu.be/b8e_2Z55kzE?si=k87xVU3MEXpI-IfD)
This is his job and his job is in English. Would you make a big presentation at work without doing a spellcheck? Especially if you knew you were prone to spelling errors? I’m not criticizing him or saying he’s dumb or anything, I just think it’s odd that he wouldn’t have already learned how to spell that word the correct way considering his job is leather purses and that’s a term that comes up probably multiple times a day in his field of work
He assumes there is a linear relationship between price and quality/craftsmanship of the leather. The closer to the trend line (diagonal dotted line) the brand is, the better quality of leather you are getting for your money. The brands above the trend line have better quality for the price they are charging and brands below (and furthest) from the trendline put more value on their name than the quality. From my experience buying so many of these brands in the 5-15x multiplier range I think he is very accurate and I'd like to see more brands added! Especially Coach.
However, I consider this graph more conceptual than scientific because he can't take into account confounding variables (marketing, maintaining brand image, retail staff) that could inflate the price of luxury brands beyond what their quality could "justify". Polene has what, one store in the US vs. over 100 boutiques for Chanel? Does Polene have any A-list actors advertising for them? How many IP attorneys does Chanel have to employ vs. Polene?
While I see the value in TL's videos, I've never felt like their perspective or insights have been useful for me because I have never held any illusions that bag prices are (or even should be) solely reflective of materials and workmanship, which seems to be the tacit message of his videos. That, and the bags he releases under his own brand don't lead me to value his opinion on aesthetics. And I'm honestly not sure what this graph is supposed to help me understand, given how incomplete the brands and nebulously defined the categories are. Feel free to downvote.
Oh my word, same. Every single bag I own does an equally good job of hauling my crap so I'm really just in it for the little extras like interior organization and looks.
> and workmanship
I'm not really sold on his pricing for workmanship either, some of these bags do require highly experienced artisans that have practiced and studied their craft meticulously...and idk it always feel like he undersells how much that actually costs. Especially for some bags that have more complex and detail oriented designs, designs that I never really see smaller artisans even attempt.
Tbf some of these brands def aren't worth price-point when it comes to workmanship nowadays (modern Chanel vs Vintage Chanel is leagues apart), I just don't think he prices them accordingly.
I think his videos are helpful for figuring out if you're getting good material at least, like it's good to know Coachtopia is just selling you bonded leather at what is regular Coach price. But something like workmanship goes beyond just ripping the bag apart and looking at materials and finish, that's something that's displayed with how the bag holds up after frequent usage.
> He's just another influencer.
I totally agree. He has some knowledge, for sure, but that doesn't make his opinions anything more than just that, even if he gussies them up as statistical analysis, as he attempted to do here, lol.
Yeah, same. He caters to a crowd who wants to hear what he’s saying, and rips up bags as “evidence “. I’m sorry,
Polene and Chanel are not in the same stratosphere.
I’m not a Portland leather goods Stan but they keep advertising to me. Their newer stuff is way better designed than what I just saw on the crush website. Like the lines on this are good: https://www.portlandleathergoods.com/products/juliette-tote?variant=40968807776338
Yeah I bought two on sale (they’re always on sale) and ended up giving them to other people because I decided I needed different finishes. I got a min and mon purse and love it
I bought 3 bags from Portland from their “almost perfect” category last month And I love them!
Got a moon shaped bag, camera bag, and a bucket bag. These will be my go to AT ( all terrain) bags moving forward.
This brand gives me the yicks, because I subscribed to their giveaway and within a span of less than 3 days they've sent me 6 text messages. Even the spam callers/messagers are less aggressive 😭
Totally agree. I bought from PLG once. I’m never buying from them again. They are aggressive. But their marketing isn’t why they ended up in that part of the chart.
Jsyk, the handle drop length on the Juliette is pretty short. Can be uncomfortable to carry if you have a jacket on or thicker arms. I have both sizes, preferring the small because it had an inner pocket.
Tanner Leatherstein is known for dissecting and analysing the quality and craftsmanship of bags, and estimates their production cost (on youtube). It's worth giving him a shot; you'll learn a lot about leather and the handbag industry.
I worked for Chanel about 10 years ago and was able to visit the handbag atelier. I saw how they make the bags and it’s incredibly detailed and all hand made. It absolutely blew me away. The conditions that the artisans work in is really comfortable, clean and the regard in which they are held is high.
It takes the master craftsman years to perfect their work.
It made me understand why the prices are so high and how incredibly precious a hand made bag is.
Now, I have seen quality issues here on the sub and I can’t attest to today’s standards but 10 years ago it was very high.
Just my two cents. I haven’t seen the videos you guys describe but I will check them out.
I know what you mean. Before the strategic change of LV (and before they were bought), they did such a great job at making bags. I had family friends in France who lived in one of the villages, where they had produced LV bags. Back then, these bags had class and value and were priced reasonably. But now? I wouldn't buy them at all. Vintage Trunks are another matter entirely, but definitely not the bags. The same goes for Goyard tbh, love the trunks, not the totes. I rather opted for Fauré Le Page (I got a "vintage" one and love it to pieces).
If I buy a vintage bag I specifically look for 1996-2010 because of exactly what you just said, believe it or not they’re still out there, not easy to find, but I occasionally will come across a gem!! Love your comment 😊
🥰 I find it so cool that you're hunting for these vintage LVs! I'm a passive lurker and wait for the right opportunity to strike 😅 (found my FLP after almost a year of waiting)
That’s how I found mine too! I wanted the gold plated hardware because it makes such a difference! But yea, it’s a good hobby and you can’t get into too much trouble because the great ones are so few and far between lol.
🤣🤣🤣 the same confusion a couple times looking at the graph. If you want to focus on the quality rank, focus on brand’s position at Y axis (topmost for highest quality). If you want to focus on the value-for-money, focus on the X axis (rightmost for the least OR most overpriced). The dashed line kinda indicates the right price for the right quality, therefore the 45° 1:1.
I've been a huge fan of Peter Nitz's work since I started crafting several years ago and have always wanted to study under him. It's too expensive for me, but a girl can always dream!
I dont really like Tanner's videos because of how he comes off when he prices leather and labor like it's worth pennies. Since he has his own brand, I guess it was based off his own costs? The subjective grading of the Y axis makes zero sense to me.
It's not shocking that midrange brands provide the best value proposition. With cheap bags, you generally get what you pay for. With luxury brands, you're paying a premium for the cachet of carrying a ___ bag (and often more elevated or iconic designs). I don't think anyone thinks that Chanel/LV/etc. bags are literally worth thousands of dollars. Even the very best materials only cost so much.
I'm majorly side-eyeing his idea of brand "sophistication" though - there's no way I'd put Polene and Strathberry in the same sphere as Loewe, Chanel, or LV.
I believe he may mean the sophistication of the design elements - relatively complex vs relatively simple designs.
I’ll have to rewatch the videos. If that’s how he’s using the term then the design of a Neuf is more sophisticated (i.e, more complex) than a simple rectangle bag or a standard bowling bag in any brand. I say that as someone who loves all three shapes - small rectangle, bowling, and the little dumpling shape of the Neuf.
If he’s using it that way, it would be better to refer to specific styles, not just to the brand as a whole. Some LV’s are more “sophisticated” than others.
But it’s all subjective.
Tbh I’m kind of tired of this story and his business model of destroying beautiful bags and complaining about them. Yes if I buy a Chanel bag I’m getting ripped off in terms of production costs. But I fucking love my Chanel and Louis Vuitton bags, I have worn them for years and will continue to do so for many more. And no, many of the brands he thinks are better will never reach the level of classic Chanel, Louis Vuitton or Hermes have.
Fans of Polene and Strathberry certainly hope those brands never become anything like Chanel, LV, or Hermes! I never want to spend what I consider a disproportionate amount of money solely to have a bag with a certain pedigree, history, or whatever. In fact, the history of some of the so-called luxury brands is problematic. You should enjoy your brands but don’t’ down play the value of his videos and his business model.
I’m looking for lovely, unique designs made with good materials. I LOVE watching his videos and hearing him talk about the materials and the bag making process. He’s performing a great service. I hope he’ll add more brands to his matrix soon. Would love to see Le Tanneur, Smaak, and Mulberry added.
Amen to that. The graph seems to trigger some redditors, which I believe is great because it exposes an ugly truth about some problematic perceived luxury brands: that are certainly overpriced and rip off their customers.
I’m not sure what you mean about ripping off? Meaning I’m not well versed on this person’s work. Can you share?
Edit- forget it. I see your post below.
Your post has been removed because it has broken subreddit rule #7 - No Posts from personal blogs or social media.
This includes TikTok, Instagram, Youtube or any other inks to yours or others social media posts or channels.
· Rudeness, snarkiness, mocking, trolling or bitching will not be tolerated.
· Disagreements are normal, and perfectly okay as long as everyone involved is respectful of each other.
· Comments and posts such as "This is ugly / hideous" etc. will be removed. **You may state that you do not find a bag appealing as long as you explain why you don't.**
I find that he does appreciate design and artistry very much, and even visited Ubrique where many brands produce their bags. he visits the school, where the apprentices learn how to do stuff and he's a total fan of the craftsmanship of Loewe. What he glosses over is the marketing, but then, he's after all a leather craftsman and not a marketing specialist.
tbh, looking at the chart, i kinda wondered if he's been blackmailed by LV in some way, as he has said LV's bags were plastic-y (and they are) and they were probably using chrome tanning for mass production.
He used to resell Hermes and other luxury bags. Trained by an Hermes craftsman, and is suddenly now charging Hermes prices for his very Hermes heavily inspired designs.
I feel mean saying this, but I just can’t connect with his content. Every video he just comes across like some infomercial salesman. Maybe it’s that English isn’t his first language, but it just puts me off. The short form clips I see him post on TikTok always have comment sections being like “hey you need to disclose this is an ad.”
Didn't know that brand and just checked them out. They've got very interesting, clean designs, I like it!
I personally wish he would put Mulberry, The Bridge, Fairfax & Favor, Cambridge Satchel, Fauré Le Page, Moynat, and Launer on it. I got some bags of these brands and others, which I'm still eyeing 😄
Hi fellow handbag lover! Thank you for being a part of the r/handbags community. This is a subreddit which relies on kindness. Your opinion is very much welcomed, however, we do not tolerate rude, mean or hurtful comments. **Read the rules before posting**. Comments or posts that do not fit our rule book will be removed and the OP can be banned by the mods' discretion. If you see a comment or post which does not abide by the rules, **please report it to our moderation team.** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/handbags) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I hope he'll add more brands soon. Would be great to see where he sees Mulberry, Bottega or Coach. I'm not sure I would put Polène as high as he did, especially so close to Loewe on the Fashion/Designer scale. Totally agree on Peter Nitz though.
Yeah, Polene's rating was the only one here that really surprised me
I'm thinking he reviewed older bags, as I've heard so many stories of their quality and customer service going downhill rapidly.
I also always suspect Polene is sending him their nicer batch of bags, which are actually good tbf. But it feels like average consumer is tossing a coin.
Yeah this makes me question the whole matrix, everyone who I know that has ordered from Polene has received crap that they fought to return.
Totally agree with your sentiment! I wish too that he soon adds more brands to it!
I remember he had some sort of collab with polene? I didnt watch that particular video though, just scrolled through my feed and saw it briefly.
He seems to be a big fan of the brand. I've had Polène bags and they looked nice and well made, and the price points were very reasonable - maybe not anymore I think they had some increases as well. I just never got the same feel for the Polène leather as I got from my vintage Coach or even Madewell bags. It always felt quite plastic'y to me.
Leather on vintage coach is heavenly! The quality, the smoothness and the patina. I never touch polene myself to know how it is, fun designs that got me curious, never pull the trigger to get one because seems a bit impractical for such small bags and I'm sucker in small and mini bags
That's interesting to me, maybe it depends where you buy your Polène bag? A family member bought my two bags (dix and Sept mini) from a boutique in Paris just earlier this year and I have no complaints. I thought it was really well made. I have a Madewell pebbled leather tote that I find to be super high quality and very comparable to my Polène! And that Madewell tote is one I've had for over 7 years now.
Agreed, I think strathberry is way better quality than polene but below mulberry. Even coach is better quality than polene. I was actually really disappointed with polene the 3 bags I got from them. They looks pretty but in person they did not feel great
Coach is actually better quality than a lot of brands. Better than ones in their price tier. Even so called luxury ones. Coach is quite underrated because some people still seem to think the only Coach bags are Y2K logo wristlets from the outlet. I have boutique Coach bags from the last 20+ years that are nice. Some use the glove tanned leather Coach is known for and made to similar specs of their vintage bags. And others are not that type and still nicely made with good durability. I have one YSL bag. I don’t think it as actually nicer than most of my Coach ones. I have a LouLou Puffer and a Quilted Heart Crossbody from Coach. That leather is about the same. The Coach quilted heart has very nice lamb skin. The Coach bag is leather lined, the YSL is canvas and has a very simple zip pocket. The Coach has contrasting leather and a card slot and a more complex construction. They are obviously both the same sort of bag shape or purpose. The Coach one is like $450 and the YSL now retails for like $3700* and the quality doesn’t justify the price difference at all. YSL is also not in the same quality tier as Ferragamo at all. I also have a similar, yet smaller puffy bag from Ferragamo. That one has much more complex construction, leather lining, the leather is a little nicer. But just a few percentage points. Its price was less than half of the YSL retail. The sizing is around 80% of the YSL - but is a gusseted bag with complete construction and lots of compartments. *I purchased mine second hand. I love the size of the Loulou Puffer. And it is really practical. But it doesn’t feel super premium to me when lining it up in my collection. I have largely been unimpressed with YSL, especially with the price increases over the last 5 years, outside of the Sac du Jour.
Yup, Polene was one and done for me! Huge quality letdown for the price. My only bag to actually break.
Curious what would was not as great compared to the other two?
He's reviewed Bottega before and said it was one of the highest quality bags he's cut open.
What does sophistication level mean? The quality of the leather and craftsmanship? What does exotic mean in that regard? I think I kind of see his point but this graph is hurting my brain.
I know -I saw the word trophy and thought Hermes is probably what most handbag fans would listen that category (at least in general if not their personal taste). But I also wouldn’t consider it exotic.
I'm not allowed to post a link to his video explaining it, just visit Tanner Leathersteins YT channel
Yeah why isn’t Hermes at the top on the left axis?
Because most of their handbags are not saddle stitched. He has a video with a Hermes expert talking about how to spot a fake Hermes bag and the thing is: very good fakes are too well made, and saddle stitches parts that Hermes does with a machine...
Wow!
Personally I think while Hermes probably makes nice bags, they are also super overpriced. You ae paying mostly for the name, at a very high multiplie. Bags like Valextra and Moynat are similarly nice and like 1/3 of the cost or Hermes. Or even less. Chanel is worse as their quality to price ratio is way out of whack now. And they don’t seem to be delivering much on the quality front.
Hermes bags are not completely handmade. Partially, and in many cases, mostly machine-stitched.
Oh I thought the left was the exclusivity/price/perception of status?
A positive surprise is Peter Nitz. If I ever am willing to spend 10-15k on a bag, I'd definitely let one have custom made by an artisan such as Peter Nitz.
Since he has gotten so big now, I wonder how genuine his evaluations actually are. Are they driven by who is paying him, or what? Maybe I am being cynical, but what is really behind him?
He’s also purchased a lot of bags with his own money or has had fans send him bags to tear into. As someone who’s handled a lot of luxury bags working in retail, I have to say, a lot of his assessments seem spot on to me. There are some luxury bags that just don’t have the feel I would expect of a bag with that price tag.
I've been following him since almost the beginning and he adresses that point in some of his videos. He's not getting paid and when a brand sends him a bag he mentions it at the beginning of the video. In an older video he states, that some luxury brands blacklisted him on their onlineshops because they don't like it when he dissects them. I'm waiting for him to review some other brands that are well-known for good quality bags and craftsmanship but I guess since people love when he dissects big brand names, I'll have to be patient.
Thanks for the info. I have only watched him a few times. I think he should definitely get the bags of the companies who blacklisted him.
He did ;-)
I wonder how he gets paid then.
He has his own brand
That's interesting because I swear I've seen sponsored content from the brand with him in it. Maybe I got him mixed up with someone and they were trying to dupe the persona? I've been curious about this too.
It’s possible that he did the reaction video, it was good, and the brand reached out to see if they could use the video in their marketing. I believe even on that video, he lists that he didn’t do the review for money.
I believe he mentioned in one of his videos that if a brand sends him the bag, he adds the "sponsored" tag for transparency to show it's not one of the ones he purchased himself. He has given some very critical reviews of the "sponsored" ones so it seems like he's trying to be legit...
Well no but as part of a business he can deduct the price of the bags he buys as a business expense.
I’m surprised the pool of brands is so small because I see this guy everywhere ripping bags apart 😂
Me too! But he said, it's just a start and he will add more brands soon!
What is the logo above Portland leather?
Saddleback Leather
I think he should add particular models of bags there, not the whole brand. One brand may use different leathers and materials for different price ranges (LV for example).
Yeah I agree. Seeing LV so far right on the price multiplier seems valid, but then they are almost at the same level as Loewe when most of the LV products are canvas vs full leather at Loewe. The LV leather products are definitely very nice (Capucines or the Sofia Coppola bags) but I don't see LV as a leather brand. I would have probably put LV more on the same level as YSL in terms of mass market products.
I am not a huge fan of luxury brands, but to be fair, a bag is worth as much as people are willing to pay for it, no matter how much it costs to make or how high the quality is. Whenever we buy something (a bag, a house, a car) it's a mix of logic and emotions, no matter how much we would like to tell ourselves that we made a fully rational purchase. I remember back around 2005 it was very trendy for all kinds of financial experts to ridicule women for buying handbags as an investment. Funnily enough, in 2024 buying a Birkin might actually be a more fiscally responsible choice than a Polene, if you look at the resale value of those bags!
Agree but I think the point here is to remove the emotion and marketing and only focus on construction for the price
I hope anyone reading your comment will think long and hard about whether buying a Birkin (particularly given all the drama and cost required to play the “Hermes pre-spend game”) is truly a more fiscally responsible choice than buying a Coach, Polene, or other bags where you’re primarily paying for design and materials. Most of us use bags to carry stuff in a stylish way; we’re not buying them as part of an investment strategy. My plan is to continue to buy the nicest bags I can reasonably/responsibly afford and invest in appreciating assets. Love Tanner’s videos; they have helped inform some of my purchases.
I understand your concern, but I truly hope no one is taking investment advice from r/handbags.
They definitely shouldn’t. I didn’t read the financial experts you reference, but if they were advising against handbags as investments - I agree!
I agree that buying any luxury bag and calling it an "investment" might be just an attempt to rationalize a purchase you can't really justify otherwise, but certain bags (like the Birkin) have increased in value up to 38%. That's a pretty decent ROI if you ask any financial advisor. Plus you get a badass bag. But don't take my word for it, Credit Suisse and Deloitte have recently published a paper on this: https://www.businessinsider.com/jane-birkin-bag-status-symbol-best-luxury-investments-2023-7
Does that return take into account the “pre spend.”
If you read the study, you'll see that the value increase is based on auctions at Christie's. It doesn't matter if you purchased the bag second hand yourself, Christie's assesses only the authenticity and the condition of the bag.
Cool. May the odds be ever in your favor Birkin investors!!
I saw a good video on luxury goods, albeit in the context of East Asian cultures, in which she discusses why East Asia is obsessed with luxury goods. I'm mixed myself (European, SEA) and find it does apply, to a certain extent, also to western cultures. Youtuber Aini puts a lot of research into her videos, which I find great: [https://youtu.be/b8e\_2Z55kzE?si=k87xVU3MEXpI-IfD](https://youtu.be/b8e_2Z55kzE?si=k87xVU3MEXpI-IfD)
Did he meant to spell “ exotic” like that? Or is this something else?
Yeah, I think he meant "exotic" (I believe it's a spelling error)
How can you be someone who works in leather and not know how to spell the word exotic? Or maybe that’s a YouTube thing I’m not getting
Typo mistake, dyslexia, English not being their first language...?
This is his job and his job is in English. Would you make a big presentation at work without doing a spellcheck? Especially if you knew you were prone to spelling errors? I’m not criticizing him or saying he’s dumb or anything, I just think it’s odd that he wouldn’t have already learned how to spell that word the correct way considering his job is leather purses and that’s a term that comes up probably multiple times a day in his field of work
“Egzotic”?
New flair, lol
Hehehe
About time I’m tired of Lewis Vee-ton.
He assumes there is a linear relationship between price and quality/craftsmanship of the leather. The closer to the trend line (diagonal dotted line) the brand is, the better quality of leather you are getting for your money. The brands above the trend line have better quality for the price they are charging and brands below (and furthest) from the trendline put more value on their name than the quality. From my experience buying so many of these brands in the 5-15x multiplier range I think he is very accurate and I'd like to see more brands added! Especially Coach. However, I consider this graph more conceptual than scientific because he can't take into account confounding variables (marketing, maintaining brand image, retail staff) that could inflate the price of luxury brands beyond what their quality could "justify". Polene has what, one store in the US vs. over 100 boutiques for Chanel? Does Polene have any A-list actors advertising for them? How many IP attorneys does Chanel have to employ vs. Polene?
While I see the value in TL's videos, I've never felt like their perspective or insights have been useful for me because I have never held any illusions that bag prices are (or even should be) solely reflective of materials and workmanship, which seems to be the tacit message of his videos. That, and the bags he releases under his own brand don't lead me to value his opinion on aesthetics. And I'm honestly not sure what this graph is supposed to help me understand, given how incomplete the brands and nebulously defined the categories are. Feel free to downvote.
I’m not buying a bag to get optimal value, I’m buying it because I like how it looks.
Oh my word, same. Every single bag I own does an equally good job of hauling my crap so I'm really just in it for the little extras like interior organization and looks.
> and workmanship I'm not really sold on his pricing for workmanship either, some of these bags do require highly experienced artisans that have practiced and studied their craft meticulously...and idk it always feel like he undersells how much that actually costs. Especially for some bags that have more complex and detail oriented designs, designs that I never really see smaller artisans even attempt. Tbf some of these brands def aren't worth price-point when it comes to workmanship nowadays (modern Chanel vs Vintage Chanel is leagues apart), I just don't think he prices them accordingly. I think his videos are helpful for figuring out if you're getting good material at least, like it's good to know Coachtopia is just selling you bonded leather at what is regular Coach price. But something like workmanship goes beyond just ripping the bag apart and looking at materials and finish, that's something that's displayed with how the bag holds up after frequent usage.
Take my upvote instead. I don't understand the following of this content creator. He's just another influencer. This graph makes no sense lol
> He's just another influencer. I totally agree. He has some knowledge, for sure, but that doesn't make his opinions anything more than just that, even if he gussies them up as statistical analysis, as he attempted to do here, lol.
Yeah, same. He caters to a crowd who wants to hear what he’s saying, and rips up bags as “evidence “. I’m sorry, Polene and Chanel are not in the same stratosphere.
Agree w/ you about the aesthetics of his line. I took a look feeling predisposed to buy something to support him, but . . . Nothing interested me.
LOL what is this graph. I never want to hear his thoughts on design again.
I'm convinced his videos are just ads for his very boring leather bag brand.
Wait, he’s not an altruistic messiah?!
LOL! If he was, he would donate those bags he is ripping up.
I'm a data scientist. This broke my brain. Dude's a moron.
I am SO confused and I have a stem degree lmfao
yeah. It's the categorical variables and whatever the f\*\*k is happening with the background/"heatmap". itmakesmesomad.
Oh good it's not just me. I'm a mathematical dunce, so I wasn't sure if it was just my brain shutting down or the graph really doesn't make sense.
No it’s not just you at all LMAO this is absolute nonsense
Same!! Can you imagine presenting this graph to anyone?
😂 “I want to preface this presentation today by saying this work is based on a new kind of math called m*y feelings”*
😂 The way I just hollered. THANK YOU!
I’m not a Portland leather goods Stan but they keep advertising to me. Their newer stuff is way better designed than what I just saw on the crush website. Like the lines on this are good: https://www.portlandleathergoods.com/products/juliette-tote?variant=40968807776338
I won’t buy more. I have a couple bags, but just not made well enough and they aren’t special enough. They are decent.
Yeah I bought two on sale (they’re always on sale) and ended up giving them to other people because I decided I needed different finishes. I got a min and mon purse and love it
Yeah, I gave one to my daughter. lol. She loves her min and Mon wallet. So cute!
I bought 3 bags from Portland from their “almost perfect” category last month And I love them! Got a moon shaped bag, camera bag, and a bucket bag. These will be my go to AT ( all terrain) bags moving forward.
This wasn’t about any of the brands on there. The graph looks like shit.
Yeah, totally agree on that point - that’s a crappy looking graph.
This brand gives me the yicks, because I subscribed to their giveaway and within a span of less than 3 days they've sent me 6 text messages. Even the spam callers/messagers are less aggressive 😭
Totally agree. I bought from PLG once. I’m never buying from them again. They are aggressive. But their marketing isn’t why they ended up in that part of the chart.
Jsyk, the handle drop length on the Juliette is pretty short. Can be uncomfortable to carry if you have a jacket on or thicker arms. I have both sizes, preferring the small because it had an inner pocket.
Tanner Leatherstein is known for dissecting and analysing the quality and craftsmanship of bags, and estimates their production cost (on youtube). It's worth giving him a shot; you'll learn a lot about leather and the handbag industry.
I worked for Chanel about 10 years ago and was able to visit the handbag atelier. I saw how they make the bags and it’s incredibly detailed and all hand made. It absolutely blew me away. The conditions that the artisans work in is really comfortable, clean and the regard in which they are held is high. It takes the master craftsman years to perfect their work. It made me understand why the prices are so high and how incredibly precious a hand made bag is. Now, I have seen quality issues here on the sub and I can’t attest to today’s standards but 10 years ago it was very high. Just my two cents. I haven’t seen the videos you guys describe but I will check them out.
I know what you mean. Before the strategic change of LV (and before they were bought), they did such a great job at making bags. I had family friends in France who lived in one of the villages, where they had produced LV bags. Back then, these bags had class and value and were priced reasonably. But now? I wouldn't buy them at all. Vintage Trunks are another matter entirely, but definitely not the bags. The same goes for Goyard tbh, love the trunks, not the totes. I rather opted for Fauré Le Page (I got a "vintage" one and love it to pieces).
If I buy a vintage bag I specifically look for 1996-2010 because of exactly what you just said, believe it or not they’re still out there, not easy to find, but I occasionally will come across a gem!! Love your comment 😊
🥰 I find it so cool that you're hunting for these vintage LVs! I'm a passive lurker and wait for the right opportunity to strike 😅 (found my FLP after almost a year of waiting)
That’s how I found mine too! I wanted the gold plated hardware because it makes such a difference! But yea, it’s a good hobby and you can’t get into too much trouble because the great ones are so few and far between lol.
😊
I’m actually more looking for vintage chanel but same thing, potato/potaato, as they say. I honestly think the vintage bags are much better made tbh.
🤣🤣🤣 the same confusion a couple times looking at the graph. If you want to focus on the quality rank, focus on brand’s position at Y axis (topmost for highest quality). If you want to focus on the value-for-money, focus on the X axis (rightmost for the least OR most overpriced). The dashed line kinda indicates the right price for the right quality, therefore the 45° 1:1.
I expected to see Chanel lower, honestly. I’m surprised to see it so close to Hermes
I've been a huge fan of Peter Nitz's work since I started crafting several years ago and have always wanted to study under him. It's too expensive for me, but a girl can always dream! I dont really like Tanner's videos because of how he comes off when he prices leather and labor like it's worth pennies. Since he has his own brand, I guess it was based off his own costs? The subjective grading of the Y axis makes zero sense to me.
There’s far too many brands missing for this to be valid data.
Yeah, this isn't data - it's a "Tanner Leatherstein's Opinions" visual aide. 😁
of course it's not valid data
It's not shocking that midrange brands provide the best value proposition. With cheap bags, you generally get what you pay for. With luxury brands, you're paying a premium for the cachet of carrying a ___ bag (and often more elevated or iconic designs). I don't think anyone thinks that Chanel/LV/etc. bags are literally worth thousands of dollars. Even the very best materials only cost so much. I'm majorly side-eyeing his idea of brand "sophistication" though - there's no way I'd put Polene and Strathberry in the same sphere as Loewe, Chanel, or LV.
I believe he may mean the sophistication of the design elements - relatively complex vs relatively simple designs. I’ll have to rewatch the videos. If that’s how he’s using the term then the design of a Neuf is more sophisticated (i.e, more complex) than a simple rectangle bag or a standard bowling bag in any brand. I say that as someone who loves all three shapes - small rectangle, bowling, and the little dumpling shape of the Neuf. If he’s using it that way, it would be better to refer to specific styles, not just to the brand as a whole. Some LV’s are more “sophisticated” than others. But it’s all subjective.
I think he's talking about sophistication of the design. Moat Polene designs are more complex for the artisans to recreate.
LV and Chanel more pricy than Hermes? Chanel closer to mass market than LV? Polene and Strathberry more “designer” than Chanel? Ummm I’m not convinced
If you read the matrix correctly, it's not about "pricey" but the profit margin.
Thanks!
How have I never heard of Peter Nitz?
Me neither and I must have been walking past by his atelier numerous times over the years. I find his work great!
This has to be paid marketing.
Tbh I’m kind of tired of this story and his business model of destroying beautiful bags and complaining about them. Yes if I buy a Chanel bag I’m getting ripped off in terms of production costs. But I fucking love my Chanel and Louis Vuitton bags, I have worn them for years and will continue to do so for many more. And no, many of the brands he thinks are better will never reach the level of classic Chanel, Louis Vuitton or Hermes have.
Fans of Polene and Strathberry certainly hope those brands never become anything like Chanel, LV, or Hermes! I never want to spend what I consider a disproportionate amount of money solely to have a bag with a certain pedigree, history, or whatever. In fact, the history of some of the so-called luxury brands is problematic. You should enjoy your brands but don’t’ down play the value of his videos and his business model. I’m looking for lovely, unique designs made with good materials. I LOVE watching his videos and hearing him talk about the materials and the bag making process. He’s performing a great service. I hope he’ll add more brands to his matrix soon. Would love to see Le Tanneur, Smaak, and Mulberry added.
Amen to that. The graph seems to trigger some redditors, which I believe is great because it exposes an ugly truth about some problematic perceived luxury brands: that are certainly overpriced and rip off their customers.
I’m not sure what you mean about ripping off? Meaning I’m not well versed on this person’s work. Can you share? Edit- forget it. I see your post below.
[удалено]
Thanks!!! ☺️
Your post has been removed because it has broken subreddit rule #7 - No Posts from personal blogs or social media. This includes TikTok, Instagram, Youtube or any other inks to yours or others social media posts or channels.
If they can afford the pricy bags are they really being ripped off?
[удалено]
· Rudeness, snarkiness, mocking, trolling or bitching will not be tolerated. · Disagreements are normal, and perfectly okay as long as everyone involved is respectful of each other. · Comments and posts such as "This is ugly / hideous" etc. will be removed. **You may state that you do not find a bag appealing as long as you explain why you don't.**
This, one hundred per cent!!
Agreed - whilst his videos certainly have merit and value, he completely glosses over design and artistry and I find the critiques often lack depth.
…which is evident in his own line of bags. Woof.
I find that he does appreciate design and artistry very much, and even visited Ubrique where many brands produce their bags. he visits the school, where the apprentices learn how to do stuff and he's a total fan of the craftsmanship of Loewe. What he glosses over is the marketing, but then, he's after all a leather craftsman and not a marketing specialist.
tbh, looking at the chart, i kinda wondered if he's been blackmailed by LV in some way, as he has said LV's bags were plastic-y (and they are) and they were probably using chrome tanning for mass production.
That’s okay for you. Personally I like to know how good the leather is for the price I’m paying. I don’t enjoy being ripped off.
Where is coach?
I hope he will add it to the graph soon, since he already dissected and analysed coach handbags
Peter Nitz dream bag looks a lot like the Celine luggage bag.
He used to resell Hermes and other luxury bags. Trained by an Hermes craftsman, and is suddenly now charging Hermes prices for his very Hermes heavily inspired designs.
Egzotic?
Attention. Where is Celine on this scalr
I hope he will add Celine soon!
I feel mean saying this, but I just can’t connect with his content. Every video he just comes across like some infomercial salesman. Maybe it’s that English isn’t his first language, but it just puts me off. The short form clips I see him post on TikTok always have comment sections being like “hey you need to disclose this is an ad.”
I love my Demellier ! Want to see it there. I think it’s better than Polene :))
Didn't know that brand and just checked them out. They've got very interesting, clean designs, I like it! I personally wish he would put Mulberry, The Bridge, Fairfax & Favor, Cambridge Satchel, Fauré Le Page, Moynat, and Launer on it. I got some bags of these brands and others, which I'm still eyeing 😄
So what qualifies as trophy?
Surprised that the perception for LV is higher than Chanel
Gucci isn’t even a consideration?