Experiences

After all the repairs and upcycles I did, my lot of Vera Bradley bags had two left, a big shoulder bag (Indigo Pop, 2012) and a duffel (still searching for the pattern name and release date), but these are in near-mint condition without any flaws. Since I think they're valuable I'll hang onto these until I can find good homes for them.

I learned a lot working on this project. One: I love repairing and upcycling these bags. It's a new creative challenge every single time, and I often surprise myself with my solutions.

I'm also astounded by how much these bags retail for new. This one purse was $70.00 when it came out in 2019, and the pattern is now retired, so in a few years it will probably be worth twice that.

My favorite bag from the lot was the first one I worked on, and I'll tell you why: the previous owner really loved this bag, and repaired it at least once to keep using it. They taught me something new (use knit fabric for strap repairs!) and gave me a sense of strong connection with them. The whole time I worked on it I thought We are two of a kind, you and me.

I want to do this again, but I need to deal with some anxiety over the bags I've repaired. I keep thinking some reseller will get hold of them, and while I understand everyone has to make a living, I don't like my labor of love being used for profit. At the same time the whole purpose of this project was as a thrift donation, to give back. I think I will gift some of the ones I like most instead of donating them; that way I can have a little control over what happens to them.