Over the weekend, I decided to brave the deep dark recesses of my storeroom to clear and reorganize the mess. It had gotten so bad in there, that I could not open my cupboard doors, and it was while trying to put away my luggage bag, that something in me snapped. So, I took it into my head to start clearing it out.
And one of the things I found I had bags and bags of were, paper bags. My name is Paris B and I’m a paper bag hoarder!
I’m quite sure I’m not alone in this Paper bag Situation.
You know how it is right? It’s always so nice to receive something in a fancy paper bag, and then you carefully fold them away, telling yourself it’ll come in handy one day.
Then, one day you open the door to your storeroom, and you can’t move, because those bags breed and you now have paper bags of all shapes and sizes spilling out of every shelf, tripping you up, and falling on your head as you try to get them in order.
What do you do? Are you a paper bag hoarder?
You know, I remember my Mom would pick out the nice paper bags that you often used to get from department stores at festive periods. Remember those? It was always so interesting to see the varied designs the stores would come up with. Metrojaya used to do really pretty ones, as did Parkson. But I don’t think they do them anymore – or at least I don’t pay attention.
But Mom used to fold them up nicely and store them away in a cupboard, on the basis they’d come in useful one day. That one day never came apparently, because the last time she cleared out the cupboard, she tossed out everything. Every last paper bag so carefully kept over the years! And you know, these bags don’t really degenerate – they look good, and continue looking good, as long as you keep them nicely. And they look so pretty that you don’t want actually USE them LOL! 😀
I seem to have inherited that problem LOL! 😀 In my case, the rapid breeding is partly due to the gifts from events I attend. Yes, it’s incredibly fancy to carry a branded paper bag around, but it’s when I get home that I think to myself – what am I keeping these for?
I could, I suppose, use them as I would an eco-bag, except paper bags are harder to tote around, as opposed to a foldable eco-bag that fits in your handbag. I’ve heard and read of people who sell their fancy paper bags as well. Genuine paper bags bearing the logo or name of a luxury designer brand usually do well, I’m told. I don’t go there, because I believe that for the most part, they are bought by counterfeiters to scam an unsuspecting buyer into believing their goods are real. I’ve even read about original receipts being sold, for this purpose but that’s a story for another day. Suffice to say, I take a strong stand against the counterfeiting industry and I refuse to aid them in any way.
What I usually do is to use paper bags if I’m gifting or handing over stuff to people. The sturdy thick paper and flat base also makes it useful for carrying or transporting things, and it is actually quite compact, due to its shape. I also find that it can carry quite a lot, depending on the quality of the bag, so it’s useful for when I need to be toting heavier items around.
I usually separate out the smaller bags to hold gifts. I do often have to warn the recipient that the contents may not reflect the name on the bag LOL! 😀 But a pretty ribbon on a paper bag makes for pretty gifting without having to fuss with wrapping paper (and I pass my paper bag problem to someone else! YAY! 😀 )
What I did most recently, was to only retain a small percentage of the paper bags I have. I kept the more sturdy ones and tossed out the flimsy paper ones, or any damaged ones. I separated them out by size, folded them flat and stored them in a larger bag, for when I need to get hold of them (which may be never LOL!) I threw most of them out, with a heavy heart but who knows, someone else could have picked them up. I left them by the paper recycling bin, and they had disappeared the last time I checked LOL! I guess someone else has a paper bag problem too 😀
When I mentioned this on my Instagram Stories, a friend replied to tell me that she uses her paper bags as makeshift paper bins, because they are sturdy, and they stand up nicely. Once they are full, you tie them up and toss it out. I thought that was very clever! So I’m going to do that too.
I could of course, refuse paper bags where I can, and I often do, if I’m just picking up small items. This is more so in Sephora cos I find their bags really flimsy and tear easily so I usually refuse them. But sometimes, it’s easier to accept the paper bag, because it makes it easier to carry a bulky item, or because it helps protect the item better; and I think I’d be churlish to go to an event and tell the hosts that I’m refusing their gift bags but taking the gifts – I just think it’s a little rude.
Are you a paper bag hoarder? What do you do with your paper bags?
I am quite sure I’m not alone in this predicament, so do share what you do with your paper bags. I’m sure there are some clever ideas out there that we can all benefit from! Share! 😀
Paris B
UGHHHHH… We need a paper bag hoarder anonymous! You can be the chair please. UGHHHH… I have bags stuffed to the brim with other paper bags. Yes, I’ve heard that you can sell them but I seriously can’t be arsed. You need to photograph them, ebay them, etc and ebay/paypal takes a cut. Seriously, how much can you get out of that and I think my time is worth more than that! So, like you, I use them to pass stuff around to others. I’m a bit paranoid about throwing them out because I don’t want someone to rummage through my bin and know that I may have designer goods at home.
Speaking of paper bags – I’m not a fan of the yellow-blue new branding from LV. Thoughts? 😛 It feels a little like Ghesquire making his mark, removing every last trace of Mark Jacobs – understandably. But it seems like a drastic move. No. RIKES. 😛 😛 😛
Well it looks like we have enough people to form a committee! Yes I do the same – stuff bags with other bags. I keep my paperbags for sentimental reasons (some of them) and I even cart them back home if I’m overseas! That’s how bad I am about it LOL! That’s a good point about not letting people know too much about what you own – always pays to be careful.
Incidentally, I don’t own anything in the new orange LV packaging yet. I find it garish and less elegant compared to the brown which I felt to be more understated. But I can see why they wanted the change – orange photographs better (and that matters a lot today, in terms of marketing) 😛
I have the same errr… “issue”. Other than saving on wrapping paper and using paper bags for Christmas pressies, I can think of no other way to part with my hoard without feeling heart pain. That said, it gets easier these days to discard some bags as they are no longer as pretty as those from ye olde days (yes! Metrojaya Christmas paper bags!!!).
The one way I try to decrease the expansion of my hoard is to decline the pretty paper bags when I purchase items small enough to toss into my handbag. It’s painful and some might argue that you’re, in fact, paying for the bag as part of the packaging. But better to nip the “issue” in the bud right? And there are just so many Jo Malone paper bags that you “need” eh?
I still have those epic Christmassy ones from Metrojaya from ages past. Saving those for my Paper Bag Museum” that I intend to set up in my old age. HAH!
Also, thank God I don’t live in Japan because I wouldn’t just be hoarding paper bags but all the pretty packaging stuff they use to wrap your purchases! I’m torn between love and horror at the Japanese way of wrapping up your purchases. They’re extremely beautiful and I actually consider their presentation “art” and yet, the greenie in me can’t help but feel acutely guilty at all the paper and stuff used and then (presumably) discarded.
Oh oh but Jo Malone packages your purchases so prettily! I love how they spray the tissue paper with the scent you bought. It’s such a lovely experience I can’t say no to their bags haha! Japanese packaging are in a league of their own. Their paper boxes are so beautiful, and then each item is individually wrapped. I can barely bring myself to eat Japanese cookies!
I would like to join Paper Bag Hoarders Anonymous too!!
My weekness is for the Christmas-themed paper bags at the end of the year ?
I swear companies take extra effort to design beautiful Christmas bags! I can never say no to them haha! 😀
Guilty as charged!
But I stopped cold turkey. I do not buy as much these days and when I do, the purchased items goes into the shopping bag I have with me. Now I am reversing the inventory from years of hoarding.
The hubs have no qualms about using the lovely bags for recycled items, such as bottles. The bags tends to be sturdy and can hold many bottles. I on the other hand, cannot tahan to see such good looking bags being used for trash.
Agree with your observation about Sephora bags. Can’t do much with them.
Sephora bags really are so flimsy, it almost seems like a half-hearted effort. I’d prefer a plastic bag to be honest, simply because then I can use it for trash LOL! I do more online shopping these days and so my personal accumulation of paper bags have dropped, but then the number of boxes has increased. I’d like to think there’s a need for them one day, but that day also never comes! I threw out a ton of empty boxes, while clearing my storeroom. It seems all I was doing was hoarding paper bags and boxes! LOL!
Sell them on Carousell! Kate Spade paper bags go for rm10-15 lol ?
I’ve heard they can go for a pretty penny! But my concern about them being bought by counterfeiters or people selling fakes bugs me. So, I keep the nice ones. I remember the Kate Spade paper bag is quite sturdy. It came in handy when I was moving house, to hold some kitchenware I think LOL!
YES! Do I need to see a doctor?
LOL! The best comment yet! 😀
Yep. And I also refuse the small ones like the Sephora ones these days cos there’s only so many of them I want hanging around…
The small ones don’t really serve much of a purpose for me, except to pass small items to friends. I find them fiddly to carry too!
no more plastic bags use them as shopping bags.
They do make good shopping bags, but they’re so bulky to carry around! I guess it makes sense when you’re making a specific grocery trip 🙂
Yup, guilty as charged!! This post is so timely as it reminds me that I need to get cracking and handle my paperbag drawer situation at home. 2017 is decluttering year for me!
You and I both Iffa! I have been on quite a streak, but it’s been sporadic. I take one step forward and 2 weeks later, the mess returns. But at least I’ve gotten into a bit of a rhythm now 😀
Paper bags don’t keep well, do they? The low quality ones have seams detaching from the dried up glue. I use the as the liner for drawers and pantry as they are quite thick and sturdy. My mum even use them to line the dustbin. You can toss the bags to me, if you want to throw them away.
I use them to line the kitchen and shoe cabinets too. I also cut some of them up to turn them into envelopes to mail small items I sell on Carousell. 🙂
I like the idea of reusing them as envelopes! I suppose you can make them into little boxes as well. I imagine the base of the bag holds up well for this purpose 🙂
Mine have held up actually. But yes, some of the lower quality ones do fall apart, or the handles slip through and then they become useless. Using it as drawer liners is a clever idea! Are you concerned though about the paper attracting cockroaches? We did away with paper lining because of this. I use a non-slip liner in my kitchen drawers these days if I use them. I’ll keep you in mind the next time I do a paperbag declutter.
Great post! I usually decline these bags where I can but when I find that I’ve amassed a number at home, then off to the recycling bin they go! I don’t use them for trash because these paper bags will end up in the incinerator or landfills when they can be recycled. I also recycle the nicer paper bags from designer labels because I find it awkward to use them for gifting. Like when someone receives a designer paper bag to find a box of chocolates inside 😉
Hahaha yes I know what you mean about the gift not matching the bag it comes in 😀 Sometimes, I use pretty stickers and the like to cover up the name partially so there are no nasty surprises 😀 But for the most part, most people I’ve given gifts to this way haven’t been too disappointed. But then, I don’t get people’s hopes up by putting a box of chocolates in an LV bag – now that would be too much of a disappointment! 😀
What a timely post, since I am in the midst of moving house! ?
I too am a collector of paper bags. I am really bad at wrapping presents, so I put said present in a pretty paper bag and tie it with a ribbon; my version of being creative ? The other day the mover came to see the things I needed packed. When we came to my paper bag collection, she said “Biasalah …” Now that made me feel relieved cos it felt like there were other ladies who also brought along their paper bag collection when they moved. Hee hee
Oh I wish you luck in moving Shah! After my last move I swore I’d never move again. It was just too much to handle! LOL 😀 Haha I should laugh at the fact that you moved your paper bag collection… except so did I! 😛 Well, the nice ones anyway. I left a lot behind with a heavy heart, but the nice ones all came with me…. and are still sitting in the storeroom 😛
Yes, yes, yes… mine are pilling up under my study desk. I REALLY need to clear them out of there.
You know what gets me everytime though? Sturdy paper bags which I got from an overseas trip. I cant seem to get rid of those (ever – unless they are damaged). You know – memories… *sigh lol
OMG YES! I bring them home when I travel you know. I’ll stuff them into my luggage. Sometimes, I even bring the plastic bags home LOL! I agree that it’s the memories, and sometimes, a way to cling onto the holiday just that little longer
Ah.. Guilty as charged. I work abroad and that period of time I noticed I gathered too many paper bags and I’ve decided to use them as a paper bin in my room (ahem.. one of my excuse was to save money. Penny wise, pound foolish. XD)
Most of the time the rubbish in my room is either tissues, cotton pads or Q-tips, I found these paper bags were sturdy enough to be used instead of regular plastic bags. At least, I’m killing two birds with one stone by saving the environment and fully ‘utilize’ the paper bags.
I’m going to be doing the same for paper trash Fiona! That way, I figure I could just send them all straight for recycling in one shot? To be honest though, I sometimes wonder if paperbags are recyclable – many high quality ones are coated to make them sturdier, so I wonder if we’re doing the right thing hmm… 😛
I picked up the same problem from my mother. She is a terrible hoarder.
When I moved from Japan I recycled a bunch because it didn’t make sense to ship them, but there were a few that I couldn’t bear to get rid of (Ghibli museum gift shop). While in Japan I quickly learned to refuse convenience store bags and learned to carry an eco bag all the time.
The nice thing about Japanese packaging is that it is compact and easily separated into paper and plastic, so easy to recycle. The US uses weirdly bulky packaging and mixes plastic and paper, making it difficult to recycle.
I still use nice bags for gifting and donating. I do confess to giving my mom a beautiful baby gift bag that I couldn’t bear to get rid of. She’ll keep it so eventually I will have to deal with it, LOL. I don’t have much of a stash now, since I do more online shopping, and California charges for regular grocery/drugstore bags.
We now are charged for plastic bags on Saturdays, and in some states, everyday. So I’ve learned to carry an eco bag for those times. That said, it’s an interesting observation about the ease of recycling in Japan vs USA. I used to despair at the numerous layers of packaging Japanese products come in but now that you mention it, they are easily separated. As with everything, the Japanese again are more efficient!
I am also jumping on as another member of PHa (Paperbag Hoarder Anonymous).
The big (of any) brand ones, the small Sephora/Body Shop/Kiehls/Under Armour/Isetan one – even the plain brown ones (with or without handles) are all folded and stashed aside with the ever so good foresight of “I will certainly have use for them one day”. And then, there are also some pretty nice paper bags containing door gifts which are given out during a function or a launch of this or that. How could one throw that away?
As for having use for them one day? 5 out of 10 times, it turns out to be correct – particularly for the smaller (averaging around 15 inches x 1 ft) ones as they can be used for carrying and gifting presents and not too long ago, carrying the traditional oranges and goodies as “fruit of the hand” (aka “buah tangan) for CNY visiting.
As for the continuing addiction to hoarding, just earlier this week, my husband expressed his exasperation and inability to understand why and what I am doing with the paper bags that I am hoarding – just because I was trying to get him to slip into his luggage this big plain but solid glossy white paper bag which I got from shopping to bring it back to Malaysia (since my own luggage was full). Ended up, for the sake of peace, I steeled myself and decided to forgo bringing back that white paper bag. It sat all alone and abandoned, next to the trash can as I checked out of my hotel room. Those who do not hoard, know not, understand not, and appreciate not the mental workings of a PHa.
I used to utilise these smaller ones to carry my lunch to work but they have been replaced with a more sturdier canvass bag. (I carry a lot of food for lunch). Now I try to keep only the really pretty and sturdy ones. Key word here is “try”.
The previously accumulated solid big ones are still being kept away in my wardrobe – some too big (or nice) to give away, much less to be throw away.
So the paperbag collection continues to grow until the occasional frenzied spring cleaning.
Hi JK, how have you been? 🙂 Oh I’m very careful to set aside any prosperous looking paper bags for CNY gifting too! Haha… I am also fairly indiscriminte in my use these days, just because I want to use them as opposed to letting them rot away in the storeroom, seeing light of day only once or twice a year when I spring clean 😀 Oh and like you, I bring paper bags (and sometimes plastic bags!) home from my travels too! Some for sentimental reasons, and it’s like extending the holiday just a little more when you get home and unpack it. On my last flight, the large paperbag I had served as my “extra” hand luggage. They can hardly expect me to check in a flimsy paper bag, can they?! (it turns out they could if they wanted – but they took pity on me 😛 )
I’m a fellow paper bag hoarderand I use them for all sorts of things. Like you, I use them when I had to pass items to other people. And use them as paper bins. To store my sheet masks. I find similar sized ones to segregate my big drawer into small areas for different items. I poke holes and add on hangers to hang up my accessories (not that I have a lot).
I also put my clothes and shoes and lug it around when I need to change out in between. They don’t work well as grocery bags because I always buy heavy stuffs so I keep a cloth bag handy at all times.
I used to fold them nicely and put them in the biggest paper bag I find, but it takes up a lot of space and it’s difficult to find the size I want. I still fold them nicely but I slot them by sizes beside my box of skincare. Makes it a lot easier this way.
You’re so organized! 😀 But you’re right, it is actually hard to find what you need if you store them all inside a larger paper bag. So what I do is sort them by size, with the external holding bag indicating the size LOL! That makes it a little more organized. Oh and I like the idea of using them to hang your accessories and to sort out your sheet masks. I suppose you cut them and use just the base? That’s very clever upcyling 🙂
Yup, me too. But my collection is under control now, that sometimes I can’t find a suitable paper bag to use. Those special ones which I really like would have to stay with me forever though.
I pack my baby’s clothes and stuffs in paper bags to pass to friends. The paper bags are sturdy and the flat base let it stands by itself. I also use different size paper bags to store plastic bag from groceries, that I later use them to line my trash can in the kitchen. Again, the flat base lets it stand up by itself.
The idea of using paper bag as paper bin in the bedroom is a nice one !
I not only hoard paper bags, I also hoard the so called eco bags too. They are always too pretty that I can’t find in my heart to use them, specially those made from good cotton and washable ones. I’ve always reused the normal ones, like the one I got from baby fair…
LOL Eco bags are another problem! Most of the time, they are not very pretty I find, but they can be sturdy, even the so-called non-woven ones that you can from some expos and stuff. I do like cotton totes and have found a huge stash of them recently, so I put them all to wash, and am now using them more, like a second bag. So I can carry a nice little handbag, and lug the rest of my junk in the tote – works for me and my back and shoulders don’t die! 😀
YES I AM. Proud member of the paper hoarder club too. Though I don’t think I have as many as you do lol..still need to grow my collection! I still keep that paper bag from Uniqlo from that time they did a collab with Laduree cos it has cute macarons printed all over the paper bag. I strangely feel elated when someone hands me something in a study paper bag XD
Haha now that plastic bags are outlawed in some places, paper bags are coming in to fill that void 😛 But to be fair, not many brands do paper bags. The posh ones do, of course, but more highstreet brands don’t. I totally missed that Laduree x Uniqlo collab! How come? LOL! 😀
I just love commenting when the post is a month old. 😛 I’m sure I’ve told you this before, but designer brand paper bags are very popular in Japan. People, especially the younger generation girls, hoard them like gold. There are shops that sell designer brand paper bags too. Students use these paper bags to carry some of their stuff to school. They may not be able to afford buying the actual designer item, but carrying a Chanel/Louis Vuitton/[insert fancypants designer brand here] paper bag comes a close second.
I told Geek once, we should sell our Hermes paper bags on eBay. 😛 As for me, I confess that I keep the designer ones. I keep the rest for a while and then months later, they end up in the recycling bin. I like to keep the sturdier ones – particularly the big bags – to hold bulky items like clothes to bring to Salvos.
Hahaaaa Better late than never, as they say! 😉 But yes I have been aware that there is a market for designer brand paper bags, which I find somewhat unnerving. I mean, I understand wanting to own a bag, but a paperbag? How very strange. I actually still keep my better paper bags. Some of them are years old, but there’s something sentimental about them. So, who’s the sucker now eh? 😛