Why are handbags so cheap? Or watch straps so expensive?

neilfrancis · Mar 15, 2018

It’s just that when you compare the amount of fine leather and workmanship that go into luxury bags, shoes, etc watchstraps look very expensive, don’t they? Or are the shoes and bags cheap?

Or is the amount of aligator not much of a factor here?

Can anyone shed any light on this?

(Not sure what to put up as a picture as I don’t own any handbags. But here is some Python on a JLC.)

An expensive portion of snake, earlier.

ulackfocus · Mar 15, 2018

The most expensive part of any product is usually the labor. It doesn't take much more time to make a handbag than a watch strap.

..... and, from experience buying for my wife, I can safely say handbags are NOT cheap. Google "Hermes" and "Louis Vuitton" for giggles.

lillatroll · Mar 15, 2018

I think a fair amount of the price is a marketing ploy. All 'luxury' brands do this to some extent. Of course the design has to be tip top and desirable but I think a fair amount of the price for designer brands is a way of making it exclusive.
Spending on 300 dollars on a watch strap or 1000 dollars on a designer jumper for some people feels ok because they are one of the few who can while the majority of people can t.

Perseus · Mar 15, 2018

I'm surprised how much a leather strap costs compared to a leather belt.

ulackfocus · Mar 15, 2018

Perseus
I'm surprised how much a leather strap costs compared to a leather belt.

Ever priced Mont Blanc or Ferragamo belts? 😲

asrnj77 · Mar 15, 2018

I think watch straps are way cheaper. You can get a nice alligator strap for $200 but an alligator purse starts at 2k. Alligator shoes are $700 and up. Granted it’s a much smaller piece of leather but handbags and everything else are more expensive

Fritz · Mar 15, 2018

Because there's more crazy people willing to pay stupid money for a purse than a strap.

A more direct comparison would be the watch itself, like the designer purse vs. the higher end but relatively common item, do you really think it costs that much more to make the expensive piece or are we just being hosed for the name. Double the price maybe but ten times?

Set a Grand Seiko against a Patek... Do we really believe there's that much more effort gone into the Patek or that the watch is that much better?

Or would we really rather be seen with the Patek name on our wrist... honestly now...

Good sense says buy the Seiko.

But then, who wants to be seen in a Seiko.

Set a Coach or Hermes labeled purse beside a higher quality, similar looking but nameless item and see which one the shopper grabs first... its all about image, we'll pay a lot for image.

ulackfocus · Mar 15, 2018

Fritz
But then, who wants to be seen in a Seiko.

😜 Apparently, there was a certain former member who'd like to be seen in my Seiko. 🤦 😜😜😜

Fritz
Set a Coach or Hermes labeled purse beside a higher quality, similar looking but nameless item and see which one the shopper grabs first... its all about image, we'll pay a lot for image.

Brand is the most important thing to most women. 😉

Fritz · Mar 15, 2018

U ulackfocus
😜 Apparently, there was a certain former member who'd like to be seen in my Seiko. 🤦 😜😜😜

Brand is the most important thing to most women. 😉

and Speedmaster owners...😁 ::stirthepot::

neilfrancis · Mar 15, 2018

Perseus
I'm surprised how much a leather strap costs compared to a leather belt.

Me too. This is a better comparison to my mind.

Lucasssssss · Mar 15, 2018

In addition to labour, I think what also matters is the size of the leather being used is not directly proportional to its price. 4 squ inches of gator for a strap does not cost 10 times less than 40 squ inches of gator for a bag.

Sublime_1 · Mar 15, 2018

My wife collects handbags and I don't feel like the Louis Vuitton purse I got her for our 10th was cheap...not in the least. I could have got a new watch for close to the same price.

On a side note most Hermes special edition bags increase in value at a rate of about 15-20% a year...I wish I could get that return on my investments!

Foo2rama · Mar 15, 2018

A lot of cheap alligator is just leather pressed with a pattern.

Archer · Mar 15, 2018

Fritz
and Speedmaster owners...😁

Well since the Speedmaster is made by Omega, yes making sure it's an Omega is certainly important...I would think it would be the case for all Omega collectors.

rcs914 · Mar 15, 2018

If something costs more, it's obviously of higher quality - right? 🙄

ConElPueblo · Mar 15, 2018

Lucasssssss
4 squ inches of gator for a strap does not cost 10 times less than 40 squ inches of gator for a bag.

That's because nothing is ten times less - it's one tenth of the price 😉

As a side note, with most exotic skins only a relatively small part of the hide can be used on the watch strap as opposed to the much larger handbag. The size of the scales and such is important, limiting the supply meaning a higher price.

Perseus · Mar 15, 2018

U ulackfocus
Ever priced Mont Blanc or Ferragamo belts? 😲

No...I appreciate quality materials and workmanship but I'm not there at this point.

Lucasssssss · Mar 15, 2018

ConElPueblo
That's because nothing is ten times less - it's one tenth of the price 😉

Went searching the internet about this one, this is what turned up; "Those with a poor mathematical education or reasoning capacity recognize 'less' is the antonym of 'more' but, not that it is only correctly used when applied to addition that is, "I have 3 less," can be equivalently stated as, "you have 3 more." To express this another way, the inverse operation of addition is subtraction, whereas for multiplication it’s division. It's sloppy and incorrect however, it is found in common usage."

Turns out you are right, and I have poor mathematical education and/or reasoning capacity

ulackfocus · Mar 15, 2018

Lucasssssss
Turns out you are right, and I have poor mathematical education and/or reasoning capacity

Quotes like this make me long for the good old days when this would have been a phrase forever memorialized as your custom avatar message. 😜

Professor · Mar 15, 2018

Lizard and snake kin aren't that expensive if you buy remnants large enough to make watch bands. You can check out the Tandy Leather site and while I consider their stock to be greatly over priced you can still find deals on remnants of exotic hides of various types.

I figure a medium to low priced watch band is normally made using leftovers from bag or belt manufacture while high dollar bands are cut from complete hides.

Possibly my most comfortable and handsome watch band is made from ten smaller pieces of faux leather intricately and amazingly neatly sewn. The stitching is so finely done It would be nearly impossible to duplicate it. If I could get one of these made from real leather I'd be pleased as punch.
The watch it came on was Japanese, and a very good quality medium priced quartz watch. I still have that watch now fitted with a Milano type metal band.

The EPA put most US leather tanneries out of business long ago.

These days most products marked as Genuine Leather only have a core of split cowhide thickly coated with Poly Urethane with a grain pattern rolled on.

the tiny 100% Calfskin band I got for the vintage Bulova I gave my sister came from Thailand and seems to be as advertised. Not expensive but not cheap either. It bore a well respected old time US watchband company brand name, "Kreisler".

Why are handbags so cheap? Or watch straps so expensive?

neilfrancis

ulackfocus

lillatroll

Perseus

ulackfocus

asrnj77

Fritz

ulackfocus

Fritz

neilfrancis

Lucasssssss

Sublime_1

Foo2rama

Archer

rcs914

ConElPueblo

Perseus

Lucasssssss

ulackfocus

Professor

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