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Graduation gift shopping? It's in the bag

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| Wednesday, May 7, 2008 10:47 AM CDT | () comments

The Associated Press

A leather briefcase used to be the norm for a new graduate, fresh from a backyard party with bills slipped inside congratulation cards. But educational milestones have now become occasions for children to ask for an extra-luxurious gift they won’t be able to afford on their own, so the humble briefcase will no longer do.

“Many women dream of a handbag collection to pass down to their daughters or granddaughters one day, and giving them one at graduation is a wonderful way to help them start their own collection,” said Tina Craig, 38, who runs the purse connoisseur Web site BagSnob.com.

High school senior Krystal Schlegel said her friends are specifying designer bags to their parents for gifts.

“They want something nice to go to college, and the sororities will look at (the handbags), too,” said Schlegel, who is headed to Southern Methodist University this fall. She said her friends were looking into handbags by the French design houses Chloe and Chanel or the elusive Birkin, which would start at $6,300. It may seem a bit much for a teenager during a recession, but a bag at any price can make a perfect graduation gift for a high school graduate headed to college or a college grad turned loose in the work force.

For luxury on a budget, consignment stores carry used bags from high-end designers. Vintage designer purses, which can cost half the price of a new version, are an affordable option.

Bags with multiple uses, such as those that are travel-size or can be carried in different styles, are also good buys, especially as gifts for male graduates. Craig said briefcases, messengers or a hybrid of the two styles are the way to go.

Even on a budget, Craig advises spending a little extra for leather, which, at a brand like Coach, may cost only $100 more than a cloth counterpart. “Graduation gifts are gifts you want to last for a long time. Leather will wear better than nylon or fabric,” she said.

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