A New Addition And a Not So Speedy Chat And Question about The LV Speedy

Hello my sweet friends! I'm kind of bypassing the flea market finds this week to share what has been a long awaited dream piece for me, a Louis Vuitton boite chapeaux (or hat box) I finally found the perfect one on ebay (where else) after looking for one that wouldn't bankrupt me for years! *winks*. Now I'm the proud owner of one of my very own! Yay!! They come in different sizes. This one is the boite 40. (or 40 centimeters) I've been collecting LV for nearly 30 years and my favorite LV pieces are the trunks and hard cases. I just LOVE em!! So I had myself a little photo shoot-o-fun with my new case and some of the older ones. OK well there is one flea market find... this pink feather demi hat that I found at the thrift for $5 *winks*

And with hats packed and ready to travel...

This is a stack of predominantly cosmetic cases with a couple of umbrellas thrown in for good measure The checkerboard case toward the bottom right is in what is known as the damier pattern. This pattern pre dated the LV monogram pattern that is currently most commonly used. However the damier pattern is also still used today. This case is called a damier centenaire. It was only made for one year to celebrate LV's one hundred year anniversary (1896-1996) Strangely it's the 100 year anniversary of the monogram pattern (Louis Vuitton itself started out in 1854) and they released the centenaire items in... damier????... but I digress... There were only 1000 of this style case ever made and mine is numbered 144. So it's my favorite, and another dream of mine is to collect a whole set. (Which could easily take me another 30 years lol!) The little case at the top was made to hold jewelry and is called a boite a tout. It's also an unusual and hard to find piece. The suitcase at the bottom dates from the 1920's.

I thought this umbrella as awning was kind of fun.

And with my new boite chapeaux on top.

Which now brings me to my speedy 30, my favorite bag/purse of all time! And many peoples first LV purchase. There's a reason for this, it's classic, timeless, and iconic. The speedy bag was created in 1930 and in 1965 Audrey Hepburn asked Henri Louis Vuitton if he could create a smaller version of the bag that she could carry daily. He did, and the speedy as we know it was born. Now love or hate LV? I have to tell you that its quality is exceptional.
This speedy below started my whole love affair with the brand. In 1986 I fell in love with a co-worker's speedy bag. I asked her what it was? And when she told me, I knew I HAD to have one!! Finding one however turned out to be difficult since we didn't have an LV boutique in my state at the time, and they couldn't be purchased anywhere else. So I had my husband pick one up on a business trip. He came home and handed me a nearly flat parcel. I could see no way that it could possibly hold a purse, but it did! Yes the speedy folds flat for travel *winks* I was completely underwhelmed. Made of vinylized canvas it didn't look like much up close. And it cost $225!! Was this the same "dream" purse that my friend had carried? Somehow I remembered it being way more interesting/wonderful than this! Now $225 was quite an expensive bag back then. An average nice leather bag at the time might have been purchased for around $20-$25.And the only leather it possessed was on the handles and trim! But once I popped that baby up and filled it with some stuff it was starting to grow on me. It has continued to do so for almost 30 years. I have carried this bag nearly every day since 1986, and I still receive many compliments on it. And an extra added bonus is that I could turn around and sell it today for more than I originally paid for it. LV bags NEVER go on sale. The current price for the speedy 30 is $790+ tax. They come in different sizes so there's a perfect size for everyone. Expensive yes, but maybe worth it? There aren't many purses that last as long and hold their value quite like Vuitton (The Hermes Birken and Hermes Kelly also come to mind, but cost considerably more)

Here is the chic Audrey Hepburn carrying her speedy bag.

So what do you think? Is it insane to spend so much on something like a handbag? Or does it make sense to go quality over quantity? After all how much money does the average lady spend on purses that wear out or become outdated over 30 years? Have I changed your perspective at all? Are you just the littlest bit tempted to try one out for yourself? (If you haven't already)*winks* I'd love to hear your thoughts... Vanna
I'm joing sweet Sherry at No Minimalist Here for: