This isn’t an original article by me, as I am a new handbag collector. But I find this information so important, that I must pass it on.

I have a great handbag collection, but I’m not sure how to store it and keep the bags in good shape. Any tips?

Allow me to speak from experience about how the importance of proper handbag storage. For years, I shoved my bags into milk crates in my closet, and not surprisingly, they always ended up misshapen, scratched, stretched out—or, in the tragic case of one prized vintage Gucci bag—with the shoulder straps mangled and destroyed. I’ve learned my lesson, and now actually take tender, loving measures when it comes to caring for my bags. Here, some tips: (1) Store like-colored bags together: darks, brights, and pastels/lights. Then, further group by leather and suede. The point of all this is to make sure your black hobo doesn’t rub dye onto to your pale-pink clutch. Additionally, it makes it easier to find what you’re looking for. (2) Purchase acid-free tissue paper (archivalusa.com, $7.50 for 12 sheets; also available at any good art supply store), then loosely ball it up and stuff into any bag that needs to maintain its shape (ones made of extra-soft leather, like deerskin, or those that are slouchy or aren’t overly structured). (3) This may seem obvious, but store your bags in a cool, dark place. Keeping them out on a coat rack, the kitchen counter, the coffee table, or any place in direct sunlight will fade them faster than you might think. One of my favorite leather bags suffered such a fate. Read more…

Courtesy of Lucky Digital and Gigi Guerra.

This is sad for me, because I wished to display my more beautiful, yet less usable purses on shelves, and even ones I use but are designer and expensive, with them. My room doesn’t get too much light, but still it probably isn’t good.

And my closet is probably the tiniest in the free world. I organize it as best I can, it’s actually remarkable what I do with that little box. It’s in my room that’s smaller than the walk-in closet I plan to have when I buy my own condo, someday. Oh, such is life!

So … what can I do?

Well, one hope is that we have awaiting pick-up (and awaiting some organization by moi), a lovely armoire to match my room décor and to consolidate. That might solve some things, nicely.

But the article did not suggest many actual products for us. Here are some things I found:

Pictured is a set of canvas shelves to hang on a hanger, that includes shoe shelves! Ideal for full-height closets at 50″ tall. A second option is the Expanding Closet Shelf, which is much more suitable to those small closets with a shelf divider to make the most out of the space (like mine). Last, is the 8-Pocket Vinyl Handbag File, which might just do the trick, simply and basically.

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