COACHMANIA

My obsession with Coach purses is legendary.  I have owned and/or carried nothing but Coach purses for about 20 years.  After a recent trip to a Coach outlet store, I came home and decided to organize and store them in my handmade amish cedar chest.  Out with the sweaters, in with the purses, who cares if the moths eat my sweaters, my leather babies needed a good home.  I have never really counted them before cause it's a number you really don't want to know or I might have to go to Coach rehab or worse STOP buying them.  I did count them and the range is somewhere like two per year.  Did you know they are lifetime warranted?  Anything goes wrong just send them in and they will fix it.  Love that, and I have done it, it really works.


I recently was visited by my two nieces, 10 and 13 years of age.  We gave the 13 year old a Coach purse for her birthday.  Then we took a trip to the Coach outlet store (there aren't any in Oklahoma) where they each purchased purses for themselves.  I had to wait until I was 30 something before I got a Coach purse, but now it is all the rage for the pre-teen and teenage set.  Didn't know I was so cool.  My nieces came into my bedroom and right away admired my lineup of Coach sneakers in all their dazzling colors.  I love sneakers (cause I'm old and can't wear heels - and they look stupid in a poker room), and enjoy matching my jeans, hoodies, Coach purses with my sneaks.  They were impressed.  I have hats, wallets, wristlets, laptop bag, overnight bags, makeup bags, jewelry bags, sunglasses and a coat.  If they gave out reward cards I would be a diamond/VIP member.  My Coach habit is out of control.  I do however, have a Coach pimp.  He enjoys buying them for me and enables me and my obsession.  He also owns several Coach wallets, shaving kit bag, carry-on duffle bag, briefcases, writing pad book, belts, and various other acessories.  If he goes with me to the outlet store (I never buy retail) I come home with at least one more purse or item then I would if I went by myself.  You may say I am spoiled, but he makes it up on his end with his obsession - WINE - for which we have a whole room devoted to and has it's own air-conditioning system.  I may have to store my purses in there soon.


I have started trying to buy only limited edition purses now, those that you rarely see anyone else carrying.  Look around while you are out, one in five women at a mall will be carrying Coach.  Seems like a good stock to buy.  They have good sales at the outlets, most will be 50 percent off retail with another 30 to 50 percent off for the outlet price.  Put the extra 20 percent special coupon on top of that and you have a bargain.  Monday holidays are best weekends for lowest prices.  I have been to outlets where they had lines outside the store and only let a few people in at a time because the fire code would only allow so many customers inside at once.  FANTASTIC.


Here's the best part about a Coach purse - it doesn't judge.  I don't have to slip it over my hips and hope that its doesn't make them look huge.  It's never too tight and doesn't shrink in the wash.  I don't have to wait to lose five pounds so it will fit.  They rarely go out of style and they remind me of horses because of its logo, leather and detailing.  I will never own a horse, that dream has passed but I am satisfied with my leather "saddlebags". 


I know it is indulgent, try not to judge, think of it as being cheaper than 20 years of therapy.