The Celebrity Designer Handbag Auction

Here's a roundup on the online Celebrity Handbag fundraising auction which ended on May 9, 2007 11:59 PM EDT. I wrote about this celebrity designer handbag event in the post Want to Own a Celebrity Designer Handbag? in which I described how celebrities and models generously donated their designer handbags for the online auction by the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) to help fund digestive disease research.

At the top end of town is the nothing short of stunning, yellow patent leather Versace handbag shown here and once owned and will probably always be missed and loved by Donatella Versace, the Vice President & Creative Director of The Versace Group. This designer handbag fetched a price of $716!!! I think that that's an amazing buy for such a gorgeous and priceless Versace designer handbag. It's a real stunner and is rich with detail. Just click on the image to see what I mean. You'll quickly see the amazing detail on this yellow patent leather, Italian designer handbag sporting that oh so desirable gold metal plaque with the signature Versace Medusa. There were 5 bids made by 3 bidders and of all the handbags auctioned, at $716 this designer handbag from Ms. Versace's personal collection, fetched the highest closing bid.

Next, the sophisticated black Gucci designer handbag, an evening handbag once owned by Emmy award winning actress, Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order") was snapped up at a closing bid of $550. From the bidding history it is clear that while this designer handbag didn't fetch the highest price of all bags auctioned, it generated the toughest competition with only two bidders thrashing it out over 22 bids! I asked myself, was it the Gucci handbag or was it the fact that these two bidders were Mariska Hargitay or "Law & Order" die-hards? I would just love to interview the two bidders on this! It really is a gorgoeus Gucci handbag. The silver push clasp with a small raised Gucci logo on the front elegantly contrasts with the black watered silk. Polished silver U hooks, including one that bears the Gucci name, hold the half-inch wide single strap in place. The zippered closure opens to a soft silk interior featuring a single open pocket. This Mariska Hargitay once owned bag will forever be a talking point, I'm sure!

The golden tan leather, "Jil Sander" handbag previously owned by Emmy winning comedienne, Vicki Lawrence ("The Carol Burnett Show") at $466, fetched the next top closing bid. Interstingly though there was only one bidder for this celebrity handbag and was snapped up at the opening bid of $466. It's quite a large bag (18" x 11.5") with lots of room for meetings or travel. The "Jil Sander" name is embedded on the front, near the bottom of one of the front handles and again inside under the flap closure. Cream colored top stitching provides accents on the sides and where the rounded double handles meet the base. The satin interior is divided into three compartments: a center section with a magnetic snap closure and two open outer sections, one with a zippered security pocket and another with a smaller oblong pocket that closes with a leather, Velcro-backed flap.

Next, the luxurious fine leather Lambertson Truex designer handbag once again once owned by Emmy award winning actress, Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order"). The zippered top closure opens to a roomy interior lined in the signature Lambertson Truex luxurious azure blue suede lining. The bag features two flat side pockets that snap shut for secure storage and quick access. A zippered side compartment provides functional organizational features such as a credit card holder, open flat pocket, and cell phone holder. Such features make it easy to organize contents. This soft, structured handbag was faught over by 3 bidders in 4 bids and was finally snapped up at $450.

One of my personal favorites, is the soft black leather Prada handbag. This designer handbag was once owned by ABC News Correspondent, Deborah Roberts. The front and back of the bag fold down for closure, secured by a Prada engraved silver metal clasp. Rounded double straps are attached to the body of the bag with square metal grommets. Expandable sides allow for extra storage. The inside cloth lining features the Prada monogram and a zippered multi-use compartment. Two bidders worked through 6 bids until it was finally sold at $425.

Next, and the final bag that I'll mention here is the off-white canvas Liz Claiborne handbag once owned and adored by the actress, Jenna Fischer ("The Office"). As you can see from the picture, it's an elegant, sophisticated looking designer handbag with brown tonings and brushed bronze hardware. This bag attracted 30 bids by 9 different bidders, the largest number of bids and bidders for all handbags auctioned. So this Liz Claiborne handbag certainly created a lot of interest.

Summing up, there are 16 fashionistas out there smiling no doubt from cheek-to-cheek with the 20 Celebrity Handbags between them :) One designer handbag and/or celebrity lover snapped up 3 of them! Two others each have two!

So what's interesting from this Celebrity Handbag auction, is the correlation, if any, between the bidding price or interest generated in the handbags from the perspective of the designer labels and the previous celebrity ownership associated with them. In other words, was the decision to bid on these celebrity designer handbags based primarily on the handbags themselves (albeit used but in perfect condition) and a wish to get them at a great price? Or was it driven by the desire of owning a handbag actually once owned by a model or celebrity, an Emmy Award or Academy Award winning actress or a television personality, a persepctive that makes them priceless?

Of course there is another element to why one would bid, and that is, the auction benefits a good cause; this was a fundraising auction by the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders to help fund digestive disease research.

To see the full details of the auction including bidding history, simply visit the Celebrity Handbag Auction.

Want to Own a Celebrity Designer Handbag?

How would you like to own a celebrity designer handbag? Now I don't mean a fake designer handbag or a designer knockoff handbag, I'm talking about authentic designer handbags like a Gucci designer handbag or a Prada designer handbag that was once actually owned by a model or celebrity, an Emmy Award or Academy Award winning actress or a television personality.

Take for instance the nothing short of stunning, yellow patent leather Versace handbag shown above. And you just have to click the image to see the amazing detail on this Italian designer handbag stunner, sporting that oh so desirable Versace Medusa. And get this! This Versace handbag was once owned and will probably always be missed and loved by Donatella Versace herself!! Yes, owned by the Vice President & Creative Director of The Versace Group. "Impossible!" I hear you say! Well don't discount all this just yet, read on....

But perhaps you'd prefer to own the dark tan, genuine Carteras Italianas handbag previously owned by Christie Hefner, Chairman & CEO, Playboy Enterprises Inc. Or maybe the Liz Claiborne handbag owned and adored by the actress, Jenna Fischer ("The Office"). Then there's the luxurious Lambertson Truex once owned by Emmy winning actress, Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order").

But then again you might fancy a Gucci designer handbag like the black Gucci evening bag previously owned by actress, Mariska Hargitay or the pinnacle of chic, the gorgeous, sleek black Gucci designer handbag, in this case the Gucci clutch shown on the right and previously owned by model Camille Grammer.

And there are many more stunning, celebrity handbags that you can choose from including the bright turquoise leather Moe "C.L.I.C.K." bag owned by journalist, host Samantha Harris ("E! News," "Dancing with the Stars"), the gorgeous reversible designer tote bag by Enzo Angiolini, from the Splitpursenality line by Sherie D. Giles, the soft black leather Prada handbag shown above left, featuring a Prada engraved silver metal clasp and once owned by ABC News Correspondent, Deborah Roberts, as well as the golden tan leather, "Jil Sander" handbag previously owned by Emmy winning comedienne, Vicki Lawrence ("The Carol Burnett Show").

I guess it all depends on what's your celebrity favorite handbag? But either way this is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to own one of these priceless celebrity handbags! A chance to own a designer fashion handbag used by any of these famous women as well as other handbags owned by other celebrities and there are some luxury designer handbags amongst them including the two gorgeous Gucci designer handbags mentioned above and two to die for Prada designer handbags.

How? Well all of these women and others have donated a personal handbag for an on-line auction, the net proceeds of which will be used by the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) to support research. Bidding for these handbags will begin on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 and will end on Wednesday, May 9.

There really is something for everyone in this auction, from upscale, luxury designer handbags to whimsical tote handbags for the beach. There are many different handbags featured. Some of the handbags are truly one-of-a-kind, plus, the auction benefits a good cause: digestive disease research. Oh and you will also get a donation card signed by the previous celebrity owner, and in some instances a little more, included with any handbag that you end up purchasing.

And once again remember that these are not fake designer handbags or a designer knockoff handbags that you might come across on some auction sites. These are authentic designer handbags. Yes they are used designer handbags but used by their previous celebrity owners and judging from the pictures they look in near perfect condition. So if you're looking to buy designer handbag, then I'm sure that you'll agree that this is a great opportunity.

To participate in and keep track on the progress on the bidding of any handbag simply visit the Celebrity Handbag Auction

IFFGD is a registered nonprofit education and research organization dedicated to informing, assisting, and supporting people affected by gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Founded in 1991, IFFGD has been working with patients (both adults and children), families, physicians, practitioners, investigators, employers, regulators, and others to broaden understanding about gastrointestinal disorders and support or encourage research.