MammaFiglia Blog

Celebrity Handbags – A Little Stardust Ups the Price

29th June, 2009 - Posted by Miranda Jeffries - No Comments

People have a fascination with celebrities that is undeniable and rather intense. Famous individuals who grace the covers of glossy magazines and steal headline after headline in newspapers take on an exalted role in society. We regular day to day folks place famous people on a pedestal and look on in awe as they continue on in their larger than life style of existence. Even a far off sighting of a B level movie star is enough for someone to send out a mass text to all of their friends sharing the exciting news. Everyone who comes near to a famous person fights to get their hands on just a piece of them, whether it is their signature or a candy wrapper they dropped, that little item will always have a special significance.

 This obsession with the world’s famous individuals lends an explanation as to why someone would do something like pay £101,000 for one of Margaret Thatcher’s handbags. In this case, a person is bidding for a piece of history. What a unique opportunity for someone to get their hands on a former possession of one of the world’s historical leaders. For a purse that originally retailed at £300 in the 1980s to increase in price this drastically indicates the power personal touch and experience can have over even material goods. Simply knowing that the handbag accompanied Margaret Thatcher all over the world to important discussions with world leaders makes the handbag unmatched in its desirability.

 The appeal of her handbag is all the more noteworthy because the phrase, “she cannot see an institution without hitting it with her handbag”, was coined in reference to her. The handbag has a symbolic meaning that is directly tied to Margaret Thatcher, making the purse all the more important. It was President Theodore Roosevelt who said, “speak softly and carry a big stick”, and if he had owned a big stick and then put it up for auction it can be fairly safely assumed that the bids would be quite high, even by 1901 standards.

 The charisma, beauty, and intelligence that famous people have is what makes the rest of us who are caught in the daily grind so envious and full of admiration. By having something that once belonged to a celebrity it is if a person is living vicariously through that object. If someone bought a handbag that Madonna went on tour with then it is as if they themselves had travelled all over the world and stood before a crowd of thousands of adoring fans. To even have a part of something that huge is special because there is a unique story behind that one handbag, no matter how many there are that look like it.

 Collecting the handbags of celebrities very well could become a common practice. A surprising amount can be said by an individual’s choice of purse. The handbag reflects their style, wealth, and perhaps a stage in their life. Janis Joplin’s handbag would no doubt starkly contrast with that of Jackie O. By collecting celebrities’ handbags, people can bring a little part of the larger than life individuals they see in the media into their homes.

 Collectors are always trying to find the rarest and most unique items they can get their hands on. While a handbag on its own might not seem like a very profound object, there can be little facts about it that set it apart from the pack. Owning the leather handbag that was photographed on Halle Berry’s arm over one hundred times makes it far more valuable than its likenesses. A handbag that once carried the baby toys of a celebrity’s daughter makes for another great story to tell admirers.

 Collecting the handbags of celebrities is a way to mark the change of tastes and styles over time as well as gather little tangible tidbits of famous lives. Being able to look at and touch the same handbag that Julia Roberts adored for years can give people the feeling that they are forming a bond with that celebrity. The purse acts as connecting tissue between the famous individual and the owner. While anyone who is able to shell out thousands of dollars for a celebrity’s former handbag is not usually your run of the mill individual, it can give people a taste of the spotlight that is never shone on them.

 Along with having touched greatness, these handbags are also a reminder of the humanity of famous people. It can be reassuring to find out that Hillary Clinton’s handbag has a lipstick smudge inside that matches the one in the next door neighbor’s. Collecting the handbags of celebrities can also mean having little reminders that at the end of the day they are all just people too. Each flaw in the handbag acts as a little peek behind the curtain at the wizard in the Emerald City. While gossip magazine boast that celebrities are “just like us” when they are drinking coffee or tying their shoelace, these handbags serve as a less intrusive and more subtle reminder of this very fact.

 While a piece of the Hollywood sign might look like a regular piece of nameless material to anyone else, the person who possesses that tiny piece understands the true significance behind that item. The same can be said about someone who has collected the handbags of historical women like Marilyn Monroe, Eva Peron, or Aretha Franklin. The handbags of these women are not just run of the mill expensive handbags; they are items that have held importance in the eyes of women who have left their footprint in history. These handbags have been in close proximity to people and events that the rest of us have only witnessed on television or in our dreams. While collecting the handbags of famous people may appear silly to some, the real focus must be put on the history behind each item and the path that it has taken. Those stories are where the true intrinsic value of the handbags can be found.