Do you care what your luggage looks like?

[ktlm]

Nope. Every time I have gotten new luggage that I really like, the airlines have messed it up within the first couple of times I have used it, sometimes the first time. The even ripped a hole in one of mine through the thick leather reinforcement near the bottom on the back-- I have no clue how they managed that- it must have been something metal that poked through it. I don't splurge for expensive luggage anymore and I use it until something breaks.

 

[MomToOne]

Most of my luggage is at least 15 years old, a lot of it 20-25 years old. I buy good luggage that lasts a long time - I prefer Briggs and Riley due to their general quality and "we'll fix any damage forever" warranty (you just pay shipping to them, they even pay return shipping). A lot of my stuff is an olive green color that has gotten smudges all over - I don't care. New stuff would look that bad after 1 trip anyway. Other than that, it is all in good shape. I have one older large rolling duffle by Travelpro that I've use constantly. At one point, the frame around the edges of the suitcase started to break down. The lining opened up so I just took a look in there, and figured out it was basically a PVC pipe sort of frame, so I just went to Home Depot and bought some new PVC pipe and made a new frame to replace the broken one - good as new! They obviously designed it with this sort of repair in mind - good stuff.

The benefit of buying more expensive luggage? Whenever I start thinking "Oh - I'd like a new piece!", I go look at the prices and immediately remember that my old stuff is just fine!

 

[JaimeK]

I got some new luggage as a work anniversary gift and I LOVE it. I don't think I would have upgraded otherwise but the new set is SO MUCH nicer. Swivel wheels!! Handling the old luggage (15-20 years old) is just awful now.

 

[eliza61]

If it works why replace it. That is a cost you really don't need to spend.

Lol, I have to admit though I want a Disney 21 inch hardcase simply because it's pretty.

I haven't brought it because as you said my old one is actually great but sooner or later, this is coming home with me.

This is sooo cute

 

[Legendteri]

As long as I'm not using plastic walmart bags, I'm happy. No, honestly we got our luggage when we got married 12 years ago at Costco and has been fine for us.

 

[pigletto]

Funny this should come up now. I had a mishmash of bags. One large red case I borrowed and then was told to keep from my parents. It's still in fine working order but has large black streaks on it that aren't coming out. I think they are oil of some sort? Not sure. Thank you MCO.
Then I bought dd a new bag and the telescoping handle broke after one trip with it (thank you MCO). I also have a nicer American Tourister set that I like but is only one case and a carry on. Finally there was a duffle that was great while it lasted but the zipper pulled out and it's cracking. It was 15 years old. I got tired of the side show of bags and just got a 3pc set of hard sided silver luggage from Costco that I LOVE. It felt a little wasteful but I considered it for over a year and still wanted it, and the old stuff was getting embarrassing. Do I think it will last forever ? No. I'm not stressed over it. I considered it worthwhile.
( The intention now is to get rid of dd's suitcase, the red one, and the duffle and use the new stuff and the 2 pc set we had.)

 

[quagmire0]

Ours are pretty beat up, but I see no reason to buy new ones until they break down. And when you consider the beating most bags take, why buy new if you don't have to? What's new will be old after your first trip.

 

[jmmess]

I had my luggage since college, which was almost 20 years ago. It finally had to go as zipper pulls were missing, a wheel had broken, it was marked up, etc. Love our new luggage with roll anyway wheels and got the small size for carry on. It was $80 or $90 at TJ Maxx plus I bought discounted GCs, so it dropped the price.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I don't care what it looks like - for me it's all about is it still working for me.

I had a large red suitcase that looked horrible and was also heavy without anything in it so I got rid of that 2 years ago and got a more lightweight dark purple that has more space inside even though it was the same size as the red one. I won't be replacing the purple one until it breaks.

 

[kirstenb1]

OMG, I just realized my husband and I have suitcases that are 26 yrs old. Mom bought them for our honeymoon at JC Penney. We used to fly to WDW but haven't in years. DH did buy himself a rollign suitcase, since he has to travel for work. But I am using the same suitcase I always have. No stains or rips, and just gets the job done.

 

[ready123go]

I replaced some of our pieces when I realized that, due to wear and tear and breakage, we just had a general hodgepodge (that and the carry-on sizes had changed).

I opted for black with unusual handle wraps and nametags. Previously, we had orange cases and the TSA was constantly flagging our them. Also, a few times the orange had been rifled through with no note left - I suspect airport workers looking for pricey souvenirs. I always leave the dirty undies on top and take tags off any purchases.

We travel 2-6 times a year. We go for moderate-priced, sturdy, maneuverable pieces. Nothing fancy.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Nope. Every time I have gotten new luggage that I really like, the airlines have messed it up within the first couple of times I have used it, sometimes the first time. The even ripped a hole in one of mine through the thick leather reinforcement near the bottom on the back-- I have no clue how they managed that- it must have been something metal that poked through it. I don't splurge for expensive luggage anymore and I use it until something breaks.

My husband got a brand new luggage set for his college graduation and 2 trips on the airplane later and a decent-sized hole appeared on the largest bag. Mostly I blame the material which was softer and more flexible than my luggage set but still.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My luggage set in boring black (1 large, 1 medium and 1 small all pre-360 rolling ones plus one small carry-on bag) has been through all sorts of trips. I got it for my high school graduation so it's nearly 10 years old now (yes yes I'm still quite young lol). It's been through a gadzillion trips back and forth during college, multiple road trips, lots of airplane time over the years and multiple moves through houses and apartments.

While it has frays on the edges it's still in good enough condition for me. Would I like a newer cooler pattern one? Yes but I also know, especially from my husband's set-see my response post above), that new doesn't always equal more rugged and also while I like the idea of a shiny new set I'm just as concerned about others regarding theft. When I travel, since mine are black, I put a ribbon or specific luggage tag or both to identify mine from someone else's still though my identifying marker isn't crazy loud in color or pattern. When the time comes I'll get a new one but for now it's perfectly fine for me to keep my old, worn looking set.

 

[Faith Shelton]

I think if I had to start taping things up with duck tape then maybe I would switch but until then I'd rather dump the money into a better vacation

 

[monarchsfan16]

I don't care what it looks like, but I do care how it functions. When the horrible rolling duffels I'd received as a gift finally started getting holes in them, I jumped at the opportunity to get the new 360 wheels. WAY more functional, and since it's rectangular, it doesn't topple if it's not being held like the rolling duffels did. This year, I started regularly having to sign a waiver at the ticket counter when I checked my bag saying that I wouldn't claim wear and tear on the back of the baggage claim ticket, because my bag arrived at the airport that way. Between that, the missing zipper pulls, and the wheels that no longer spun, it was time for a new suitcase. I went hard-sided spinner. Super lightweight. It takes its maiden voyage in two weeks. Looking forward to not worrying about my clothes getting wet if it's snowing when we leave NH or raining when we arrive at our destination.

 

[afan]

I don't care as long as it works. I've replaced a suitcase after a trip to Boston when my suitcase smelled like fish, must've been on top of it or under it. Replaced one because the wheel was busted off when I got home. Other than that I have replaced because the handle wouldn't go up and down any more, makes it hard to pull on the wheels that way. There are times when I wish I had my parent's old no wheels, no zipper, hard sided samsonite because it would probably be better than anything out there now.

I try to buy my luggage at Ross, Marshall's, TJ Max or Penney's with a sale and coupon.

 

[marthachick]

OP here. In 2001, we bought 2 new large green bags (American Tourister) and 1 matching travel tote. The large bags have skate-type wheels. We bought DS a relatively cheap black set at Walmart 6 or 8 years ago. Two years ago I bought me a bright pink (American Tourister) 21 inch carry-on bag with the spinner wheels on Amazon really cheap using gift cards to pay for half and got free shipping. Last year at church we had a yard sale and I got a new looking large blue bag for $5. (The family that donated is very very clean so I wasn't worried about that.)

The wheels on the green set have kind of had the outside off of them but they still roll smoothly. The brand name plate was torn off DSs black bag but just left 2 very small holes where the rivets were sometime on our trip out West.

I would kind of like to have all spinning luggage and DH (who never gets excited about luggage) mentioned that it would be nice to have all spinner luggage. When we travel, we look like a circus. But I know if I bought new luggage and it got damaged (as I know it will) I'd be seriously ticked. So we'll probably just keep taking our mismatched but still functional luggage until it dies.

And to top it all off, when we fly to Denver for our road trip this summer, we'll probably take a cooler that we bought on our 'Out West' trip in 2013. We fly Southwest so it's cheaper than buying a new cooler (that we don't need anyway!) Thanks for all of your input!

 

[tvguy]

We bought Delsey hard sided luggage 33+ years ago and expected it to last our life time. So far it has. We did buy a new piece of luggage because travel has changed a bit in recent years with extra fees for checked bags. We bought the biggest hard sided carry on that you can get that still fits under the seat or in the overhead bin for short trips. I absolutely hated people who brought those kind of bags on flights, and now I have become one of them.

 

[pjlla]

Nope, we are divers so our luggage gets stuffed to the gills, holds wet smelly gear and goes some strange places. As long as the zipper works and it rolls, we are happy. We do have about 5 different sets because it took us a while to find some that was light weight enough to get gear in and still be under 50 lbs yet sturdy enough to last more than one flight. We also use different bags if we are driving then if we are flying and different if we aren't diving but just visiting.

Do you mind telling me what you bought? DD is a diver and just spent a semester abroad in Bermuda. What a PITA to pack her dive gear along with enough stuff to live for 3+ months! To add insult to injury, we had bought her a new piece of luggage for a trip abroad she took in 2014. I thought it was too big (because when it was fully loaded it was well over 50 lb), but we didn't return it. She used it as her primary case to take to Bermuda and it came home with a front wheel totally ripped off. So she used it on exactly TWO trips (one to Europe and one to Bermuda) and it is now trashed. Super frustrating! And the second bag we had sent along to Bermuda was already really worn, but it too now has one wheel ready to fall off.

And I went to visit her in Bermuda and MY suitcase ended up with a big tear in it when we got there! I had to tape it up for the trip home! So we now have three relatively useless suitcases in our house. I may leave them in the attic to store linens and such because I HATE to put so much into the landfill!

But now we need to buy more luggage (especially for DD) and I don't want to throw good money after bad! HELP!...............P

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I don't care about scuffs, or mis-matched pieces thst we've added to the collection. But, when DW starts stuffing grocery sacks (cloth and plastic), I draw the line. We HAVE real luggage. I don't want to go staggering into the hotel looking like I just came from Walmart LOL