I never thought much about handbags. The favorite handbags of my past were my purple hippo clutch, purchased by my mom when I was eight and my much dreamed about Aiger clutch, a surprise gift from my father when I was thirteen.

Nope, never gave bags much thought at all, that is, until my "significant other", John, and I packed the kids up and moved to New York City. What a city! I grew up in North Carolina, and I had only been to New York a couple of times when I was younger. Little did John know, I had a huge stash of cash I had been saving for many years. I knew one day I would use it, but nothing ever seemed important enough for me to spend it. I wasn't a very material person...I didn't carry a handbag at all...I had my trusty backpack.

I slowly settled in to the New York lifestyle, and in so doing, I noticed fabulous shops...Prada, Fendi, Hermes...I had never heard of them before. I got sucked in, big time. I bought a new handbag every week. I started out small, with a hippie flap from Coach, then a Speedy from Louis Vuitton. I got on waiting lists, I befriended the sales people...it was becoming an addiction.

Then I achieved the ultimate...a black Hermes Birkin. But what really gets to people is the fact that it just didn't figure into my style. Can you imagine the looks I got on the street...a girl, barefoot, red lipstick, long hair flowing freely, with two kids holding on?? No, I don't care about clothes, or shoes...but I had to have my bags. It wasn't that I couldn't afford clothes, I just didn't want them. Eventually, I had so many bags, if I could find a car dealer to trade, I would have a very nice Jag to drive right now. But you know what? I still drive my '87 Sunbird I have had for years...cars don't really float my boat. If it runs, I drive it, end of story.

But now all I want are handbags...and I make sure I change them at least every couple of days. I even bought our two girls little mini LV Speedys, hoping to share the addiction, but alas, it has only rubbed off on one of them. But I would say the one that does love handbags, loves them too much. She won't stop at carrying just one, oh, no. She has to have at least three, all on one arm.

We just moved back to North Carolina after living in New York for six years. We just got tired of the hustle and bustle. I have so many bags, (all in their dust covers, and stuffed with tissue, of course!), that I had boxes when put together, looked like the size of a fridge. I knew John would make me put them in storage, so I did what any sane woman would do...I re-labelled them. Now, if I want to go change purses, I look for "Kitchen pots and pans", "Out of Season Clothes", or "Important Papers"!