When I was in high school, my friends and I had a thing for Kate Spade bags. But not just any Kate Spade bag. We preferred the shiny nylon box silhouette with the sensible, protective flap and extra long handles. Any color was acceptable, of course, as long as you chose either black, navy, or graphite. Matte versions, printed versions, and cool, Chanel-like, textured versions were reserved for the tryhards. Those who were in-the-know went old school, plain. The more beat up your bag was, the better. And don't even think about upgrading to an embossed or gray label, the real deal was black grosgrain with black stitching. See below:
But for all its sartorial discretion, a brand new Kate Spade bag, circa 2000, would run you a cool $250+. And then, of course, there were the essential accessories: a matching Kate Spade wallet, an Adidas lanyard onto which you attached your house (and if you were really cool, car) keys, a pager, and maybe a cardboard tube of Lip Venom for good measure. Have I just shown my age?
In light of the news that Kate Spade has since fallen from grace among label-conscious teens—Bloomberg reports that the new hotness is Michael Kors—I wanted to see how much my beloved bag goes for these days. Like a fine wine, these timeless warlocks only get better with age, right? Wrong. I discovered that a gently-used "Sam With Tab" tote with no noticeable surface gashes and an intact lining goes for $39.99 on eBay. (I also found one that was a little less pristine on sale for $8. EIGHT.) What has the world come to? Have we no respect for fashion heritage? Aren't vintage bags totally legit? It's like next you're going to tell me that Quackers the rare, wingless Beanie Baby is going for $1.99. Wait, are you kidding me?!?
