Taking A Break

For the next month or so, I'll be taking a well-earned break from charity shopping.  I am trying to save a little money so I can travel around Brisbane and have a bit of a holiday and be a tourist in my hometown.

However, if I do stumble upon something, I will drop in here and note it down for you guys; so please do drop in here and see if I've found something by chance.  But in case I haven't, I'll see you all on at the beginning of February... have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year.

Guess Who...

It's been a good while since I scored a lovely bag from Life Line.  Sometimes I just hit a dry spell and it seems that all the handbags and purses run away from the places.  Oh well, today was the day that finished as I perused the shelves of handbags and my eyes fell upon this gorgeous little beauty.  I thought it was a knock-off and it looked just beautiful sitting there on its own.  So, I purchased it for $10 and took it home.  

It wasn't until I wiped the dirt off it with a damp wash cloth and looked inside it for a maker's mark (or not) and found it was made in Italy!  I then jumped online and found out what it took for my little creme beauty to be a fake.  However, this beautiful little bag is no fake... it's the real deal!  How's that for being at the right place at the right time?  Now, to find the right occasion to use this lovely one at.

Knitted Beauty From the US

Over the time I've been collecting coin purses, I've come across only one other coin purse like this; however, it wasn't in very good condition.  This coin purse arrived in the mail today and it's lovely, knitted and had a magnetic bookmark from Florida inside it.  

I also love the postcard from the 1970's of Niagara Falls pumpkinpussycat put in with it.  What a very retro card!  Thank you again for sending me this, I can't wait to try it out.

From Thailand

This week, I had a great time at my local charity store. However, I didn't find any handbags or coin purses worthwhile bringing home.  There were a lot of the same ones there from last week; so I didn't buy anything from that section of the store.  And the clothes didn't interest me either; they weren't in my style or size. 

But, it wasn't until I walked around the homewares area that I found what I thought was real gem.  A lovely large teapot - a white one - with beautiful fruit and flowers painted on it.  I turned it over and found it was made in Thailand.  Now, a lot of teapots are made in China and the UK; but I haven't come across one made in Thailand.  This one was a very big one; and I didn't know until I returned home and used it that it was a six-cup one.  How wonderful!  The only drawback is that it drips; but I can fix that with a bit of plastic hose fitted to lip which I borrow off my late-Grandma's old teapot until I find a permanent piece for it.

A Notice of Change

This blog has undergone a few little changes in the recent past.  The template has changed, the background as well.  However, now, I'm going to change it's content.  Now, don't worry, it's not going to be a massive change, it's going to be a change to what will be here.  I will be adding to it - not subtracting.  

Recently, I've been finding more things I love at Life Line and other charity stores - more than just coin purses and handbags.  I've been finding some great bargains that I can use in my home and wonderful things that - if you look close enough at them - can be yours as well.  And as I say on the side bar, it's quality not quantity you look for.

The title will be staying the same - as yes, I'm still obsessed with coin purses, however, you'll be seeing clothes, art works and house hold items I have picked up from the charity stores I frequent each pay packet, so you know what I find each time and what I pay for them.

Seventies Florish

While I was out shopping yesterday, I thought a quick look into Life Line would do me some good.  I wasn't planning on buying anything - as Halloween is just around the corner and I didn't wish to break the budget on anything big.  So, I looked at the handbags; and nothing really caught my eye.  I found a nice green dress that tied up at the back and had a zip too; and was made in Australia with its tags still attached!  So, I tried that on and it fitted me well, so I thought to buy that.  Then, I found this lovely little purse.  It has a 1970's kinda feel to it; however it's where it's made that caught my eye.  I looked inside to see the wear and tear on it and found it's brand new and made in Finland.  How cool is that? 

Favourites

I've been collecting coin purse and handbags for some years now and I have found that with each occasion, there's always a particular bag and coin purse to go with it - just like there's a certain pair of shoes, ear-rings and type of jewelery to wear.  

However, I do have my favourites amongst my collection that I use on a daily basis; and I thought to let you guys know which bags I use for when I'm not going out somewhere special.  These bags are for when I'm just in the need for something to take with me to store the stuff for everyday use.

Blue Dragon Bag is used for most trips into the city, Garden City and to Mum and Dad's place.  It's got a gorgeous long strap that's nice and wide and it can carry a book, my mobile, cards, purse, another carry-all fold-up bag and notebook too.  It was bought last year around March or so for around $8.00 at Life Line and it's made of cotton put out by Esprite. 

Pinelands is a new purchase.  I have handbag exchanges ever year or so at Life Line and this was one of them; my third in fact.  I like to change my shopping handbags to keep up with the changing feel of my wardrobe, life and anything else that may change in my life as well.  This one was a move into a more stable bag from the last one.  It's got a lovely long strap, plenty of room in it, a small double ended zip pocket on the side closest to my body and it's got feet on the bottom of it; so it's good and sturdy.  This handbag cost only $10; which a common price for a handbag for me, as I try not to pay more than that.  It's quality I look for in something like this, not quantity.

Bookcrossing Briefcase.  Now, I bought this one online through the Bookcrossing Supply Store.  It cost me $29.99US and the exchange in that was almost $50AUST; making it all the more expensive.  But once I received it, I found about a year later, they stopped making them.  So, this particular one - in Forrest Green especially - is very hard to get a hold of now.  I'm happy I bought it as it's got all the bits and pieces I'd ever want to take anything and everything to the Gallery to volunteer.  It holds my phone, cards, purse and pens, notebooks, at least three books, any knitting and craft gear I'd want it to; and the best thing is that it has a double-ended expander zip which doubles the size of the brief case if you need the extra room.  The long strap on this puppy has a padded shoulder pad and that can be removed if you don't like it there either... pretty convenient.  I do love this bag as it's so comfy and wonderful to use.

Little Beige Bag.  I bought this one at Life Line a few months back and is one I take with me if I'm going out for a few hours and don't need anything much with me.  It will carry the bare necessities and is very comfortable with its long strap and I love how cute it is.  I have taken this one on the bus all over the city and it's not a burden and has never weighed me down.  A brilliant little bag; could use it overseas with me - most definitely. 

Brown Check Bag is used mainly to collect the mail.  I don't remember where I bought this bag; I think I purchased it from Target for around $15 brand new when I was working, and it's still going.  The straps are wearing away and the colour is fading and it's filthy, but - like I said - it's only to collect the mail with, so it doesn't go anywhere all that fancy.

So, you know which bags I use on a regular basis, which ones are your all-time favourites; the ones you use all the time?  Where did you buy them from?  How long have you had them for?  Did you buy them on an impulse buy, or did you spot it and know exactly what it was going to be used for?  Leave a comment and let us all know.

New Bag Change-over Time

Every now and then, I'll change over my handbag at Life Line.  This is where I'll find a better bag than the one I currently have, buy it, and swap everything from my old one into the new one outside and then hand the old one back to be resold by Life Line.  

This one was a lovely little bag that I picked out.  It's a Pinelands and I do like how good it is.  It's got a lot of space inside it and an outside zipper pocket where I can put other things inside that - like my bus pass and my phone - right where I can lay my hands on them, and right where it can't be touched by other people but me seeing it's right up against my body.

It's got a lot of room inside it and an inside zip pocket.  I like the three-tone colouring and the feet on the bottom makes it very sturdy as well; very solid when I put it down, instead of it falling over like other bags I've had.

Yes, I'm happy with this new one I've gotten.  What do you think?

A Girlie Bag

While I was out yesterday, I also found this wonderful bag.  Now, it's not the type I'd take out on the town, actually, it's the kind of bag I'd use to go out to the movies or to visit a friend because it's just lovely and comfortable.  The great thing is that the gusset in it is big.  There's a central zip and two side sections where I can slide in my phone and store many things - like my camera and a book! 

This bag isn't designer labeled or anything like that; it's just a nice bag that I spotted and found I like.  It's a simple bag that I'll try out next week some time; and let you know how good it is.

The B & B Club

Yesterday, I was looking around my usual haunt of a charity store when I happened to come across some clothes.  Well, after trying those on - and not liking them - I wandered around and found this cute little bag from the 'B & B Club'.  It was something I just couldn't walk past; and it's got all it all.  I love the feet, the handles and the nice clean interior too.  I will be testing it out soon as well.

I am actually getting quite a nice little collection of these types of bags.  I guess they're just the sort of things that are catching my eye lately; and are just so cute!  This one is bigger than the ones I currently have; however, I will keep it in the collection as it's just a lovely Springtime-like bag.

Bad Alice

While out shopping yesterday, I dropped into my usual Life Line charity store to have a look around.  And I found a few little treasures to bring home with me.  One of them is this lovely little Goth bag called 'Bad Alice'.  Now, at first, I didn't think anything of it until I Googled it to see if it was of a particular design (as I had never heard of it before); and what popped up was a UK site where it was a popular style of handbag for teenagers overseas.

So, I'm lucky to have found a brand new one of these bags - with its tag still attached - on the shelf for $4.00!  What a steal!  And I love it as it's right up my alley of bags.  I do love these little bags that have a little attitude of their own.  Now.... to find the right occasion to flaunt it!  For more information about this little bag, I've put up the official site for it on the sidebar.

Astroboy!

 I remember when I was young, Astroboy was a big thing on my television screen; and the merchandise was massive too!  However, little by little, the craze diminished as I grew and the next generation of children enjoyed his antics on the small screen as the re-runs had them watching on.

On Wednesday, I was amazed to find an Astroboy vinyl wallet in the glass case at Life Line.  There's a few magic marker lines on it, but I've been unable to get them off.  This doesn't matter, though, as the magic of this wallet still goes on with this smiling face in black,white and red.  It was something I just couldn't pass up.

Handbag Exchange

Every now and then - about once a year or so - I change over my handbag.  It's something I do just for something different; it's a little like changing over your wardrobe every few years.  It's a nice thing to do for yourself.

And on Wednesday, I found a new bag at Life Line (who says you have to buy something brand new?).  The bag was something I could adjust the strap on, it had zips on all the compartments and those said compartments were roomy and deep too; so they could hold everything from a notebook, a book to my keys, phone, purse and - well - anything else I need in a day out.  I used it while I was out shopping and for once I didn't feel as though I was wading through a new bag.  I actually felt as though I had a bag which I was made for me.  This bag could be slung either across me or over one shoulder - depending on the length of the strap - and it felt very comfortable too.  So, once I emptied out the old bag, transferred my gear into the new one, I handed it straight into Life Line.  The lady smiled and took it from me, checking it to make sure I had everything, and then thanked me for it before taking it out the back to be cleaned.  So, where do you get your new handbags?  Do you do what I do and claim second-hand ones and do a type of exchange, or is it brand new or nothing?

Two Gorgeous Beauties!

First off, I must say that I have finished my clean out and didn't come across anything that was worthy of a give away... sorry about that. But I didn't wish to part with any of my good purses; but I didn't want to give you guys anything that was horrible not worthwhile either.

Well, I went out today to do my fortnightly shop and was looking at changing over my handbag again. I'm just not comfortable with it; that's all. It bugs me all the time and doesn't seem very easily accessible so I thought to find another one. However, instead, I found two lovely bags and nothing to replace my handbag. Bummer, but I guess that's how it happens sometimes.
It was the Glo-Mesh evening bag I saw in the window I spotted first; and grabbed it straight away. It's brand new, made in Hong Kong and has never been used. And if it has, it's only got a few little marks on the tiles. I looked inside and - instead of being white - the inside was brown; a colour I've never seen before. I looked at the tag and it saying Hong Kong explained why. This bag looked new because it was a recent make and the colours inside had changed from the vintage white/creme colours to a chocolate brown instead, very nice and clean too. I'm impressed with my purchase and happy with it.

The next one I spotted was hiding in amongst the other handbags on the shelves. It's a Burberry Bag, made in London; something we don't get here often, and if we do, it usually costs a lot of money to import. It's been used, and loved, however I love the simplicity and complexity of it in the same bag. The checkered pattern on the outside is continued on the inside where it's nice and neat and very well-taken care of. On the bottom, there's little feet and the handles are in very good condition too - with no frays to speak of. This impressive little bag is something I love to collect now as it's very cute and is easy to cart places; and with the feet on the bottom, it keeps the dirt at bay. So, these two bags were my impressive scores at Life Line today... it's amazing what you find when you go into an Op Shop!

Spring Clean!

This weekend, I've been busily Spring Cleaning my townhouse.  This means, I'll be coming across bags and coin purses I haven't seen in a long time.  So, I'll be documenting them here on the Coin Purse Obsession.  I can't wait to keep you all up-to-date with what I find around my office and bedroom (as these are the two main room I keep them).

Now, in my bedroom I keep my Glo-Mesh and Oroton bags, but there are others that are hiding in the wardrobe that I'll be pulling down and looking through.  

This is where you come into play; as followers...

I'll be conducting a giveaway of sorts for anyone who is interested in any bag I offer up as a giveaway bag up here.  However, if I'm unsuccessful in giving it away, it will go on Facebook and the first person who jumps in there it'll go to.  

Sounds good?  Hope so. 

So, stay tuned and I'll keep you posted about it all. 

Tokyo Cat Purse

A couple of months ago, Mum and I were at Annerley to get my mobile looked at when we found the Asthma Foundation's charity shop.  It was a very stuffy place chock full of great things at not-too-bad prices; if you knew what you were looking at.

The handbags weren't anything too exciting - that Mum and I agreed on - however I found my most exciting finds were in the coin purses.  This little one was a very lovely find; however half of it isn't connected up properly.  And even when I tried to fix it, it still didn't work properly.  So, this one will never be used in the real world but does look pretty.

Relaxed In Cotton

Yesterday, I made a deal with myself that if I didn't find anything worthwhile to buy at the Life Line store, I'd walk out empty-handed.  Well, I did find a little bag there that was $5.00 and I wanted it badly.  Fortunately, I didn't leave it behind and my wants - and needs - took over for it.  Isn't it just the cutest little thing?  It's not the hottest-looking bag, but yet, when I used it today, I found it was nice, light and held everything I needed.  I'm glad I bought it; and do recommend that if you come across one like it, not to hesitate and buy it.  And do take into consideration my few rules I have put onto the sidebar for you... never allow the quality of the bag to come between your want for it.  If it doesn't look like it can be used by you immediately, and it needs a lot of work on it, it may not be worthwhile purchasing it.  

Youthful and Cool in Black & White

I had a very confusing time at Life Line today.  There were some lovely handbags, but I didn't have enough money to buy the ones I wanted.  So, I chose only two and bought those instead; leaving the others behind.  Kind of sad really seeing how much I really wanted all of them!  

However, I found that once I returned home from shopping, I had made the right choices.  This little black and white number had been staring at me from the beginning and I just couldn't leave the shop without it.  With it's heart-shaped zipper, I was sold completely!  I just have to find a place to use it.

Monkey Business

On the same day I found my brilliant little Christian Dior handbag, I also found this lovely little red wallet designed by Paul Frank.  Now, I'm not much into monkeys, but when it comes to the design and original things, I really can't go past it.  So, I was surprised to find that this wallet was made with the Paul Frank stamp on the inside of it; and it wasn't a knock-off.

It's a first for me to have a Paul Frank wallet in my collection; but I don't think it will be a last, as the feel of it is very nice.

Christian Dior Original!

Today was a freezing cold one for Brisbane.  So, I rugged up and went shopping in the hope to save a little bit of money; and also thought to search for a pair of jeans at Life Line (seeing I found my last good pair there, I thought I might find another).  I didn't find a pair of jeans that fitted over my thighs!  How disappointing!  But I did find this little beauty!  I saw this bag sitting in the cabinet with all the right tags hanging off it and all the glitz and glamour of Christian Dior, however, I wondered if it was actually a real one; so I asked to see it.  And once I pulled the stuffing out, I was amazed to find that the inside tag read: 'Christian Dior, Paris, Made In Italy'.  Looking at the price, I was doubly amazed to find it was only $12.00!  So, I said I'd take it immediately.  What a find to add to my collection!

Glittery Hearts

Last Week, Mum and I went to the Asthma Foundation Op-shop at Annerley and found ourselves in a place with a really bad air-conditioner and lots of interesting second-hand things.  But I was there for just one lot of things:  coin purses and handbags.  I spotted some nice handbags, but nothing jumped out at me.  However, this little glittery sweetheart did from underneath the glass counter; along with a collection of others.  So, I asked the lady if I could look at all the coin purses and made my choice of around four from about ten; and this lovely little one was one of them.

Strawberry Fields Forever!

Charity stores are just the best places to find the most gorgeous little things; and this strawberry coin purse is an absolute charmer.  When I first saw it, I didn't think much of it until I found the zip that traveled down the side of it and thought it was very inventive.  And I think it was meant for a young girl who was into Strawberry Shortcake; however, she may have grown out of her.  I do love these kinds of things as they're so pretty and animated.

Cab 55

I do love a bargain; even if it takes me a while to find one.  And it's been over two months since I found a good bargain in the charity stores... today being the day my search ended with this little beauty!
Isn't it lovely?  I just couldn't pass it up with its gorgeous purple colour and the bright yellow that brings out its character.  I love its simplicity and usefulness in all the right places; from the sturdy zip to the phone holder inside and the cute little feet its got too!  Nah, I couldn't pass this little bargain up at all.
Tested:  I tried this bag out on Friday afternoon.  It's actually quite small; but it packs a punch.  Believe it or not, it holds everything for an evening out, like your phone, keys, cards and glasses, but nothing in the way of make-up, pens or notebooks.  So, if you're into something nifty and cute, this is a good bag for your occasion, if not, it's good for decoration.

No Purse or Handbags

It's been such a long time since I last posted about anything I've bought here.  However, due to no fault of my own, I haven't found anything that has caught my eye lately in charity stores.

So, don't worry, I'm not letting this blog stagnate, it's because I haven't found any bags worthwhile enough to purchase to put up here for you all to look at.

Like you, I'm hanging in there for my next purchase in the next few weeks. 

Gucci Knock-off

I love my handbags - as you know - and whether it's a knock-off or not, Gucci has some lovely designs.  This one is something that I just couldn't pass up; and besides, I haven't got a Gucci yet in my collection.

I saw it and thought it looked okay; but a little too good.  But when I went back to it, and really looked at it, I found it was because it hadn't been used at all.  This handbag was brand new, straight from the box.  So, I forked out the $7.00 and have added it to my collection.  I think I'll try it out tomorrow at my Dad's retirement party.

Dymocks Book Bag

Yesterday, I went out to the city and had a few hours there to look around and find a few things I needed.  I found that a few new stores had popped up where the old Hoyts Cinema used to be; and so opening up the mall more.  One of these stores is a Dymocks; and so I wandered in and found this wonderful book bag.  Ingenious really to cover a book bag in book covers of books... and make it a nice bright red colour too.  The handles aren't plastic and don't cut into your hands; they are a lovely thick fabric that is nice to grip onto and feels good in your hands.  It made me want to hang onto it and put more things into the bag to make it heavier.  And the handles are nice and long; long enough that I can sling the bag over my shoulder and it'll sit comfortably.

Yesterday, I had two books, a bottle of water and a magazine in this bag and it was still very comfortable to carry with me on the bus and looked very smart around town on such a dull day.  And from Dymocks for $14.95, I think I'll be getting a lot of use from it when I go book-shopping. 

Apologies

I have to apologise for not posting here in recent times.  It's not because I don't want to - I do - but I haven't bought any bags lately from my usual charity as I haven't found any there worth buying.  So, over the last few fortnights, I've gone in and looked but not bought anything.

Sometimes, this happens where a dry spell of no bags or coin purses show up which would catch my eye; then suddenly, there'll be an influx.  So, hang in there, I'm sure more will show up soon.

Stylish Green

While I was out on Wednesday, and around the same time I spotted the Audrey Hepburn bag, I spotted this one.  I was drawn to its lines and colour; it was the classic handbag taken out on the town way back when it was something you only took your essentials in and nothing else. 

There's no brand name on this bag; but the style and colour are just lovely.  It's in very good condition and it's obvious that somebody loved it; and did use it a lot.  The handle is the classic short strap that is designed to only fit over your arm and that's it; as it gets stuck if you try to slip it over your shoulder.  But I'm sure if I put a longer strap of the same design on it, it would look just as lovely.  A very desirable bag for a night out somewhere.

Audrey Hepburn Bejeweled

This week, I found a few little things that were lovely in the handbag arena; but to find this wonderful purse was something I didn't expect.  This Audrey Hepburn bag was hiding at the back of the lot of the bigger display of bags; and yet she looked just lovely all bejeweled the way she is.

So, I picked this up, looked it over and decided right there that if I didn't take it, I'd regret it later.  Just look how lovely those jewels are; how could I walk past a bag that looks this good?  It's as lovely inside as it is outside too.  And I'm so glad I did buy it.  Now, I look forward to adding it to my 'Tested' list soon.