How many do I need?

Only eighteen??. Huh ! You're an amateur!! ?

Why do they have to match your shoes or outfit?

My 5 handbags cover all events. All of them have room for a foldy-up fabric carrier bag.

1 Kipling cross body in natural
1 Kipling Red cross body
1 brown leather backpack
1 black leather handbag, rarely used.... funerals etc.
1 navy leather shoulder bag.

When I get a new one, usually off eBay or from a charity shop, I sell an older one on eBay.

2 Modalu
I Laura Ashley
1 White Stuff
1 Clarks
2 Tula
2 Italian
1 accesorize
1 Next
1 Dents
1 Radley

Oops!

coolgran I'm the same as you. And I only really use one! It's a tote that closes with a zip, and it has inside pockets. Second favourite is my canvas cross-body messenger bag.

My children bought me a Radley bag for my 60th (which will soon be 7 years ago) and I will keep that but for the rest they come and go.

I cannot stand a heavy bag. A bag that weighs a ton before you've even put anything in it ... I just don't get that.

....well I think I have another one somewhere...

My husband found my handbag stash under the bed! He was amazed. I volunteer in a charity shop and recently saw a lovely bag. I said to the other volunteer 'don't let me buy it' and she replied that it is impossible to have too many bags so I bought it, of course.

Grannyknot I agree with you wholeheartedly. Can't abide a heavy bag. And like to be 'hands free' if possible. It's no good trying to manage dgc or look for a bargain at TK Maxx while managing a bag. Cross body or backpack all the way.

I have a good look round yesterday and managed to find 5.

1 winter handbag bought circa 2000
1 summer handbag bought 2011
1 evening bag bought 1950s (inherited from my mother)
2 small leather special event bags, 1 bought in 1960s, the other a gift around 2000.

My summer handbag is falling apart so will need replacing sometime soon

No idea about what, if any, brand they are, I do not even know what the top handbag names are.

Only 18

I've got 1 handbag - and when it falls apart I'll buy another.

Last time I sorted out I took 17 bags to the charity shop and still had 2 drawers full under the bed. Just added to them with two bargains off eBay ( Radley), and there's still bags in there I haven't used..... Hmmm, think I might have a problem!

Love my Floozie bag my DIL and son bought me at Xmas. Love handbags. And the more charms n girly bits they have on them the better x

Only in last few years got into handbags, got 12 now and love them all. Like light bags too, some are brand names most just ones I liked at the time.

Can any handbag collectors explain to me why they do it? Isn't it a waste of money to have lots of handbags stashed in a wardrobe/under the bed? I just keep the same (black) one until it falls apart and then replace it. Admittedly, I do have a 'smart' one in the wardrobe for weddings, but that's it! Btw, have never spent more than 40 quid on a handbag. Not smug, just don't understand it!

I have a cross body Kipling bag that I was given to review on Amazon.
I get offered handbags to review fairly regularly, usually they aren't designer brand names.
My daughter is a happy recipient of most of these.
I walk with two sticks, so I have to wear a cross body bag for practical purposes.
I absolutely love my black fabric Kipling! It's lighter than a leather bag, and lovely and roomy.
My first Kipling bag, the only relatively expensive handbag I have ever bought was stolen in a break-in, I was offered this one for free just after it happened.
Karma.

Only have one handbag at a time, and change it once or twice a year (old one gets thrown out as it's absolutely done by then!). My whole life is carried in my handbag, everything I might need for almost any imaginable circumstance. I couldn't cope with having to remember whether I have transferred all the things I might need to a different bag each day - would just feel totally lost and unprepared.

I haunt TKMAXX for my bags. I really like Paul Costelloe bags and I probably have a dozen: red, pink,pale blue, white, black (several) black and white, mock Croc, this year's favourite, silver reversible to teal (Asos) mustard yellow, orange. I could go once, but I guess you get the picture! And don't start me one cute little clutches ..... another dozen.

One handbag. I cant cope with more than that at once, everytime I transfer stuff from one bag to another I spend hours rooting through trying to find things! Drives me mad. I suppose the downside is I am only beautifully colour matched once in a blue moon, so there is an upside to all your bags sunseeker.

I have one large Radley that my daughter bought me on my birthday to replace the previous lage Radley bag she'd bought me three years ago. That's it.

Unless you count the leather backpack I bought in Venice to use when I go for walks.

After a recent 'sort out', I sent half a dozen bags to the local charity shop. Despite this, I still have more than 20, mostly unused (by me,anyway) and some almost identical. In my defence, none of them are designer or expensive. The vast majority are what I have gathered on my trawls around the local charity shops. I don't think I've paid more than a fiver for any of them. I use the same black cross-body bag all the time, with a larger burgundy model for occasional use-although I find it a bit of a nuisance when I have to carry it around. I consider myself a fairly rational being, so why then was I tempted to add to my stash yesterday when I spotted a largish patchwork type handbag? I did talk myself out of it. Perhaps in the absence of Handbags Anonymous I will just have to start practising self-restraint.

Have 4 or 5 small bags (too small really except for evenings) but can't use them now as I need a larger bag in order to carry an epipen at all times. Good excuse for a couple more, I reckon!

i'm a one bag woman too - can't understand why anyone should need any more than one although i've got two friends who are handbag collectors.
i have everything in my bag apart from the kitchen sink - if there's anything anyone needs i've generally got it - once someone asked me if i had something to measure a room so out came my metal tape!! they were amazed.
i usually wear black sandals [clogs in the winter] so my bags are always black and i only buy a new one when the old one has worn out. can't stand transferring everything from one bag to another and then trying to remember where i put everything.
my current bag has loads of compartments and all close with zips so i'll look for a replacement on amazon when it falls apart.
won't spend a great deal on a bag either - my current one was below £20.

Convinced I only had 2, well 3 at most. Am now up to 6 and ALL the old ones had money in them!