Privilege Blog

In Which I Give Away My [Empty] Wallet

In honor of my guest stint at Corporette, where women earn a living, save that living via intelligent wardrobe purchases, all in order to create new family fortunes, I thought I’d have a giveaway. A wallet. Correct symbol, no?

J.P. Tod Wallet, Brown

Open to all regular readers, or even now-and-then-readers, but not to Internet pool sweepers looking for loot, it’s two years old, brown, and made by the Italian firm, J.P. Tod’s. Leather is quite soft to the hand, and the wallet shows very few signs of wear.

Why give it away? Well, it’s quite possible that at the same time I obtained this Tory Burch dress I also found myself the owner of a new wallet. We won’t discuss how it happened, but I will admit that Sales and 30% Off and Free Glasses Of Water were involved.

Just leave a comment, and if you’ve got time, tell me the story of the wallet you best remember. Could be the pink patent leather Hello Kitty from 3rd grade. Could be the Ferragamo from which you paid for all your kids’ school supplies. Or your dad’s, worn and weathered, buying you ice cream on Saturday afternoons. I will draw a winner on Tuesday of next week.

Finally, please help me decide if one more item in my closet is worth giving away. I have a black Marc Jacobs Blake satchel, worn at the corners, and rather full of ballpoint pen marks in the interior, but still nifty. I do not know the mores of vintage. Do the pen marks negate the bag’s value? If not, I’ll give it away too, next week.

Have an absolutely wonderful weekend everyone, and don’t go too wild on this Thursday night. Yes. I do remember those days.

*Today my Corporette post involves a bottle green knit Zara blazer.

79 Responses

  1. The one I remember the most is the travel wallet a company gave me that ended up “spewing” all of my cards (ID, Credit) all over the baggage scanner – I “misplaced” my Am Ex three times before finally calling it quites with that one!

    I believe pen marks can be removed so the bag is worth it!

    1. I love wallets and don’t think I’ve ever found the perfect one. Too big, too small, not enough credit card holders, etc. If I had to say a Mark Cross wallet in the 80’s during my NY years would go down as my favorite. Thanks for the contest!

  2. I had a wonderful “mom” wallet from Levenger. It had the perfect amount of credit card slots at the right angle – i loved that wallet. I used it until i wore the lining through

  3. This is a positively beautiful wallet! Please include me in the giveaway!

    The first wallet that comes to mind is a hot pink one I owned in the 80’s. I was in grade school (not sure of the exact age). I remember it was one of the first times I felt that I HAD to have something because everyone else had one. I can still feel the material as if it were yesterday. It was a soft material..not leather..not plastic..I cannot even describe it!!

    Thanks for helping me remember a great memory!

  4. My favorite wallet ever was a pink Angelica (from the Rugrats) wallet I bought at Target in college. It was perfect in every way. It fit in my back pocket or my purse. It had space for cash, cards, and change. I used it for years until it fell apart. I miss that wallet.

  5. The wallet I best remember…a lovely bright pink Chanel wallet that a great love of mine gave me when we were newly dating. It had a delicate clasp and the signature Chanel emblem. It had plenty of space for credit cards and was on the larger size (which I prefer)…the rectangular kind larger than a checkbook. It was soft and pretty but functional. Like me! And when I think of it, I think of how I felt when I first met that man who I loved for so long.

  6. When I lived in Los Angeles I had a bright yellow car and a bright yellow wallet. I loved that they matched.

  7. I rarely carry a purse but just wanted to say that is quite beautiful, Tod’s is such a lovely brand, I had a pair of loafers from them that I wore for 16 years then left behind on a trip.

  8. Aged eight, growing up in the midwest, I was given a red and white woven wallet. It was thick, too large for my small hand. I loved opening and closing it and looked forward to the day when my hand would be large enough to grasp it in an adult manner: when I would grow into such an adult treasure. I found out later it was a souvenir item from the south made of woven cigaret packages …. I know my taste has evolved since then and have no doubt that the Tod’s wallet would elicit a similar experience of pleasure.

  9. The wallet I remember best is the one that was stolen last week: a bottle-green patent-leather Monsac perfectly designed to hold all my essentials–a slim zippered compartment for my Clipper card, a window for my driver’s license, just enough credit-card slots, two compartments for bills (because I’m fussy about separating 20s from all other denominations). I had it for years. I loved the way I could reach into my bag and identify the wallet by touch (that glossy patent leather … yum).

    I’d happily buy a duplicate, but it appears that Monsac has discontinued its wallet line. Insult to injury!

    Your Tod’s wallet would go a long way toward soothing the pain of my recent loss and sparing me the embarrassment of using a gift-with-purchase Clinique makeup pouch as a wallet. Which I’m sorry to say is what I’ve been doing.

  10. A dear friend gave me a black Gucci wallet for Christmas one year. I carried for over 20 years the leather had rubbed off and my kids said it was embarrassing for me to take it out of my purse. Loved that wallet.

  11. It’s interesting how important a wallet is to us! I get so many nice compliments on mine when I pull it out at the checkstand. Makes me smile!

  12. The zipper on the change purse of my current wallet has broken and I haven’t found a suitable successor. However, the handsome one you are offering would do very nicely.

    A memorable wallet was a madras one that I had in high school. We aspiring young ladies who wore uniforms to school were always searching for something to add visual interest to the homogeneity we endured. Madras was just the thing.

  13. First off, I absolutely love that Tory Burch dress. Gorgeous for fall! My favorite wallet has to be my cheap Transy (Transylvania University) wallet that I carried with me all through college. It kept my credit card, Transy card and cash all in one place with my door room keys attached. No need to carry a purse during college! I still have it as a momento. Hail Transy!

  14. After my mom passed almost 20 years ago, I discovered she had a vintage Chanel wallet. I carried that wallet for about 18 years, and finally had to retire it to a little cloth bag in my dresser. It was a sad day, but I was grateful to have a little something of my fashionable mom’s with me each day.

  15. I´m not taking part in the give-away.
    A nice purse, but I already have one ;)!
    Visited just your Corporette post, and the readers are off topic a g a i n !
    My daughter has shopped at Zara, the clothes are nice, but not for women of certain age, who wish for quality ( imho ).
    Marc Jacobs is def. a give-away, if you can´t sell it onwards ( imho ).

  16. I’ll throw my hat into the ring on this one….my favorite wallet was bought in 1980, at Marshall Field’s in Chicago, in advance of a 5-week trip my mother and I took to England, Scotland and Wales. It was a burgundy foldover thing, with a magnetic clasp at the top.

    I used that until the stitching gave way. Silly me, I didn’t realize that I could have taken it to a shoe repair shop and gotten it fixed.

  17. My favorite wallet was the one I had in college. It was this delightful green leather, it zipped all the way around and had the perfect amount of pockets – but it was the color that just made it wonderful.

  18. My favorite wallet was a multicolored patchwork leather beauty that I got from a thrift store. It reminded of my childhood in the 70s. That is eventually why I got rid of it: I wanted something a bit more modern and professional.

  19. The wallet I remember most was a duct-tape wallet I made when I was 15 or so and did not want to spend money on new wallet. I made pockets for credit cards, and the best part of it was the clear packing-tape window for my learner’s permit.

    I’ve had many other wallets since then, but that was certainly the most memorable one.

  20. I love your giveaways Lisa. Okay, so here’s my wallet story:
    The year I turned down film school to work in the media division at Bankers Trust {I know, what was I thinking?} I passed Valentino near Rockefeller Plaza and a red patent leather wallet caught my eye. I certainly did not have the budget to buy it, although it was on sale. Has that ever stopped a true fashion lover? I got compliments on that wallet from the day it was mind and would’ve kept it forever except it got a giant ink spot that broke my heart…and that’s my sob wallet story!

    xo mary jo

  21. This wallet wipes away all memories of others…it’s perfectly lovely! I do, however, still miss a woven luggage tan one that served many a year. Thank you!

  22. My favorite wallet is the one I am looking to replace now. It is over 10 y.o. black leather Givenchy. It is simple and well constructed with no embellishments/logos. I like things that have strong workmanship and are functional.

    Both giveaway items are wonderful classics! MJ Blake is perfect workbag.
    The fact that my role model wore it makes this piece extra special.

  23. A Minnie Mouse wallet my nieces brought back for me from Walt Disney World a few years ago when they were smaller. Although I myself am not a huge Disney enthusiast, whenever I prepare to visit them I transfer my money, cards, and license to it and take it with me, just to experience the delight they seem to take in the fact that I am making use of their present.

  24. I’m not entering, being the owner of so many wallets and all, but I just want to say that this is a lovely wallet and I hope your new one is even nicer and brings you much luck and wealth.

  25. This is a story about a wallet for my dad. I was about 13. He asked for a new wallet for Christmas. I saved up all my money and decided to buy him an expensive leather wallet. It was a beauty. Black, supple leather. It made me swoon. I gave it to him. He thanked me, but said it wouldn’t do since it was a bifold instead of his preferred trifold. I was heartbroken. I returned the beautiful, beautiful wallet. He bought a Michigan State trifold wallet with a velcro closure. I rolled my eyes.

  26. I had a wallet at one point in college – I can’t remember the brand but the construction was poor and it broke. Without much in the way of money (the aforementioned wallet was empty), I decided to put a roll of duct tape to use and made my own.

    It was durable, reflective and water resistant. Oh and quite the conversation starter. As it happens boys appreciate a girl who knows her way around a role of duct tape.

  27. A not so close friend gave me a lovely red leather Kate Spade wallet 15 years ago. The wallet lasted much lnger than the friendship, but it’s now looking a bit worn. I’ve thought about replacing it, but haven’t yet.

  28. A- how kind are you to host this giveaway?

    B- forgot to note how much I love the Tory Burch dress you featured earlier this week.

    C- I remember buying an Esprit wallet with a geometric sphere with a peace-sign in it, circa 1993, just before I turned nine. It was black and neon green and hopelessly rad.

    D- No wories about the ‘Bee on Thursday PMs thru Head of the Charles, she has 5 AM practice every Friday morn!

    xoox

    kHm

  29. More than 30 years ago, my husband “splurged” and bought me a Buxton wallet. It was – and still is – very supple, chamois-colored leather in a simple design that I continually revert to. I have used other wallets for a few months at a time, but I always go back to my trusty old favorite.
    This wallet looks like a keeper too – I would love to win it.

  30. Hi Lisa, I’m too happy with my wallet to take part in the giveaway but it is very beautiful.

    The wallet I have is the same as K-Line’s a beautiful leather one from m0851. It’s more urban edgy than the J.P. Tods, but very nicely stitched and it folds very flat. I love it.

  31. Hi Lisa. I love this post (and the wallet that goes with it!) There’s something lovely about an item that’s been a bit worn in and carries special memories and then giving it away.

    My favorite wallet was a crocodile-skin brown wallet (with green accents in the grooves of the skin itself!) which an old boyfriend gave me. It was stolen soon after I moved to London in 2006 and I still rue that day.

    The reason I loved it so much was not the sentimental tie. Rather, it was the first time that I owned a truly “grown up” wallet. (Hello Kitty and her descendants probably figured in my life well into my 20s…) So it was a sort of accessory signifier, if you will, a marker that I’d crossed some sort of line. I have a really nice (green) wallet from Harrod’s now but it doesn’t give me the same frisson.

    Delia Lloyd
    http://www.realdelia.com

  32. My mother bought me my first wallet before I left for college. I remember we went to a small, family owned luggage shop on Witherspoon Street in Princeton where I grew up, and I picked out a black and tan number (which seemed very elegant and understated) that had room for a check book which was the sine qua non of adulthood, as far as I could imagine. Imagine a check book! I felt very very grown up with my wallet that had all those empty slots for credit cards (because I had none). I wonder what I put in all those slots? Photos of friends from high school and library cards, I imagine. And fake IDs for buying beer. I had it for 15 years before I was pick-pocketed in London.

  33. In my family, the best wallets are the ones made by my middle school daughter out of duct tape. They’re surprisingly durable and she takes custom requests (mostly involving one’s favorite duct tape colors/patterns).

  34. When I was about 7, my grandmother gave me a small wallet from Paris. It was made of incredibly soft calfskin, cream colored and printed with gold fleur de lis, and the most luxurious, beautiful thing in the world to me. I was amazed that I was considered worthy (old enough!) to have something so gorgeous. Thanks for the memory!

  35. Found you from Gift Wrapped Life. Funny that your giveaway is a wallet. I was just thinking yesterday about my dad’s wallet. It is kinda canvas I think with mallard ducks on it. It makes me happy to think of it.

  36. The year was 1983.
    The wallet was Yellow canvas with blue whale ribbon trim.
    It was proudly purchased at the popagallo store that was on main street across from the yum-yum shoppe where all my 5th grade friends and I used our allowance to buy “frappes”. I think I saved the green and yellow and blue striped bag that it came in for a few years.

    As a curly haired Italian girl, the ribbon headbands got lost in the frizz. . . so my inner prep had to satisfy herself with a yellow and blue whale wallet.
    *sigh*
    I’ll always remember it! :-)

  37. A tan, ostrich skin Dayminder from the 80’s. Dayminders were what we yuppies carried in pre-PDA/cell phone days. Aaah, Dayminders and tickler systems, those were the corporate days….

  38. I’ve had my pink and green Kate Spade wallet since the summer I got married (five years ago). It was also my first trip to Newbury Street in Boston. The pink and green matched the bridesmaid dresses so well that I had to have it. I still use it to this day although the corners are extremely faded and their are nail marks around the clasp.

  39. ooh, post a picture of your satchel. I’m sure if you’ve held on to to it this long it still has some life left in it. (PS, don’t count this in your wallet giveaway, I already received your lovely Ferragamo shoes – I want to spread the love around)

  40. Lisa I am fortunate to be in possession of two lovely wallets so i do not want to participate but thank you for the opportunity.
    The Marc Jacobs bag would surely make a great giveaway, I gave my daughter in law my Marc Jacobs turn lock bag because it was just too heavy with all the leather, pockets and hardware! She seems to enjoy it.

    In the spirit of giving pass it on!

  41. Love your blog, love your wallet. loved the wallet I had when I was about 12 ( yearrrrrs ago! ) anyone remember the old-timey folding wallets w/ photo sleeves & snap coin area & strap? saw them a few years back in the Vermont country store catalog…natch! went well w// my Angel Face compact & white frosted lipstick! sigh….

  42. Oh, I totally want it!!! It’s lovely and I am constantly wearing out my wallets what with all the stuff I seem to buy and the receipts they produce. I remember many wallets fondly. The one I have currently (which is excellent but starting to show its wear), is one I’ve bought 3 times before over the last 15 yrs – in different colours of course!

    Pen stains are no problem!!

  43. My first wallet was a “Western” style, from Knott’s Berry Farm. Leather tooling, red I believe, with heave white looped stitching. I was about 6, and a real cowgirl.
    Pen marks, and scuffs are bad for selling vintage. Most places want near perfect condition. Better to donate.

  44. The wallet I remember best? My friend Naomi’s dad’s wallet. Medium brown, tri-fold leather, beaten at the corners and contoured to his professorial chair. What was most memorable, though, was the amount of *stuff* he kept in it. It was somewhere between 1 and 1.5 inches thick at the center with bits of receipts hanging out. I was in awe of the organized chaos.

  45. My fave wallet was a Buxton. My husband bought it for me the year my oldest son was born, so I’ve used it consistently for nearly 14 years. It’s definitely showing it’s wear, the zipper won’t close and it’s been overused, but I’ve been unable to find an acceptable replacement. I think yours might just do the trick. :)

  46. what a beautiful wallet! i am still mourning the berry-colored one i put on the top of my rental car while filling up on this summer’s virginia road trip. needless to say i didn’t find it when i stopped the car seventy miles later.

  47. When I was a little girl, young enough to still find my grandmother somewhat magical (an Atlanta belle with an accent and charm that would have put Scarlet to shame), she gave me a leather coin purse. It was a muted purple with tiny gold embossed fleur de lis. The closure was the type with flexible metal pieces that could be squeezed to pop open and closed in the most satisfying way. I never win anything –lucky I am not –but I’m happy to remember her and my admiration of her.

  48. I was given a gift of a red Anne Klein French purse style wallet when I was 21. I loved it– it was kid skin, had the lion logo on the flap, and was oerfect for my minimal financial holdings. This was when I was fancy free, no credit cards, cash only, in the 80’s and…I lost it while bar hopping one night.
    Merde!
    At the time, I owned a clothing store, and one day not long after losing it, a woman came in to shop. When she came to the counter, she pulled out…my red wallet. I knew it was mine by the way it was worn at the edges. I was overjoyed, and after describing it and my story of losing it, I was reunited with it.
    Turned out that the woman who had it was the daughter of the bar owner where I lost it.
    Getting that wallet back was an example of the magic that I have enjoyed most of my life.
    I put a lot of trust in the world, always have. Things usually work out all right.
    And, Lisa, I really love this wallet you are showing us. It has the same…Je ne sais quoi of that red Anne Klein wallet of long ago.
    I can still smell it in my memory. I love the way dollar bills smell like good leather, don’t you?

  49. This is beautiful! May I participate, though I’m in India?

    The wallet that comes to mind is a beautiful, inexpensive one that I had bought five years ago. It was a lovely shade of light green. Striking, but not over the top. I saw it and had to buy it at once.

    But not for me. It was a gift for my dearest friend. I was getting married soon, and she was to be at the wedding, of course. It was a gift of my appreciation for her support, my thanks for her presence, not just in the wedding but in my life.

    It’s been five years. Last time I met my friend a few months ago, she was still using it. And I’m so glad it lasted so well.

  50. As women, we tend to get attached to the funniest things for the most sentimental reasons. My favorite wallet was part of a purse wallet set I made, about 30 years ago, from fabric that had belonged to my grandmother just before her death. The purse was stolen right after I finished it (I do hope it wasn’t thrown away so someone else could enjoy it) and I used the wallet until it just fell apart. But I always had such happy memories from it. And if the lining is fabric on your purse, you might be able to get the ink marks out with hairspray. Crazy, I know, but it works sometimes!

  51. the wallet I remember most distinctly is a soft tan colored one my husband’s step mother bought me in Italy several years ago. it stand out in my mind because it’s the one time she’s ever managed to hit on something that’s really appropriate as a gift for me. other (less appropriate for my personality) have been a Danish pancake pan, and a giant crystal studded crucifix. those were “its the thought that counts” category gifts. I managed to misplace the wallet, but I still have that damn pan.

  52. My favorite wallet was a Louie Vuitton I bought at Saks Fifth Avenue when Claude Vuitton was visiting the store and the Vuitton’s stilled owned the company. Fortunately for me I was a manager there and got their fabulous discount. I carried that wallet for years until I finally had to put it away.

    I am a recent subscriber and am enjoying your fashion and beauty advice.
    Sam

  53. A memorable childhood purse was in the shape of a Cherokee Indian doll. She had two long braids and headband on her plastic doll head. Her skirt was leather with fringe and it had a zipper on the back of the skirt for access. It is amazing how we remember the details of childhood possessions.

  54. It was in 1971 that I acquired the sweetest smelling wallet from the Leather School in Italy. I was studying abroad, free from the constraints of parents-I truly felt I was a woman of the world with that purchase. The wallet stayed with me for many years until one day it no longer served its purpose. I thouhgt it had been tossed away, but I was wrong. I recently found it in a book with other mementos of the 1970s and 80s.

  55. I’ve been loving you on corporette! (Add another “favorite” to the bar to distract from the daily grind – thank you!)

    The wallet that has my heart the most is my best friend’s wallet. She was parting from her fiance, and I moved her out of their house. In the process, boy, did we throw away a bunch of stuff. One of the things bound for the Goodwill was a wallet of hers that I always admired. Sure, it was old. And scratched. And “out” of style. But, to me, it was so “her.” I’d seen that wallet with her on a million adventures, a million road trips, a million good times. So, I snagged it, and out went my “new” and “stytlish” wallet, and I carried that thing — broken and tattered as it was — for years.

  56. (your posts on corporette have been great; like many corporettes, your blog is now one of my daily reads!)

    My favorite wallet was a knockoff coach wallet i bought in the markets in Hangzhou. I was SO excited to have what I thought was a great “designer” knockoff. It was of surprisingly good quality and lasted me through the end of my college years and law school, at which point I replaced it with a real Kate Spade wallet that I got at a sample sale. I may have stopped buying knockoffs, but I haven’t stopped being cheap!

  57. My favorite wallet … the one my paternal grandfather bought me in Dallas, Texas, while my family was on vacation. Chosen in a souvenir shop, reflecting the taste of my 7-year-old self, it is brown faux suede with a plastic label reading “Texas” in bright colors. I carried my change in it for a while, which is all most 7-year olds have. It now resides in my nightstand drawer. In it I have stored childhood jewelry–a red-plastic band watch, charm bracelets, and costume rings. While I would much prefer to carry the beautiful Tod’s wallet you’re offering now, I wouldn’t part with my old one at any price.

  58. The first expensive wallet I bought myself — a lovely cognac leather, so deep as to be nearly square when I snapped it shut.

    Sadly, the pocket system wasn’t well-developed enough and it sits unused in a flat-file drawer now. But every time I open that drawer in search of labels, xacto blades or origami paper, I spend a moment petting the beautiful leather.

  59. My first real “grown-up” wallet was bought only 5-6 years ago, when my then-boyfriend made fun of me for carrying a men’s wallet. So I went into one of my favorite boutiques in the college town where I was attending school, and bought a beautiful clutch wallet by the brand Hobo. Alligator green on the outside, surprisingly orange on the inside, plenty of space to store all my ID and bills, with a satisfying brass clasp to hold it all together.

    It held up very well for several years, until it was stolen by two guys on a moped — along with all the other contents of my bag — as I was walking home alone one night. C’est la vie!

  60. Lisa, thanks for posting on Corporette all week! It was great to hear a new perspective!

    I’ve always had pretty basic wallets and didn’t think much of them. I’ve always enjoyed buying bags instead. But a few months ago I was in the LV store in Paris and saw a gorgeous one! I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. The only thing holding me back is the $800 price tag. Maybe one day..

  61. That’s a nice wallet. Mine, which I’ve had for about eight years now, is shiny green faux-crocodile. Mockodile. It always has receipts in it that I don’t need but feel bad returning to the cashier. Sometimes this has a nice time-capsule effect, where I can trace what I did for entire weekends months later.

  62. Do you have a nomenclature for the truly cheap high WASP male? My husband is in his mid 40s and uses a wallet that he got for free from a baseball game he attended when he was… (wait for it)… 10. It is a nylon monstrosity at this point, the bottom seam has fallen apart, the velcro no longer velcros. The wallet still “works” after a fashion, by shoving things into it and folding it.

  63. I read Fritnancy’s story above and wonder what it is about Monsac wallets, for mine too is a story of theft. One morning I went to the grocery early and noticed my credit card was missing – and I decided it was probably in my coat pocket from a transaction the previous day. So I paid cash, but an hour later I noticed that my debit card was missing too. I had an idea about that also. But when I got home I found that my coat pocket was empty. My husband had the car where I thought my debit card might be, but the coincidence bothered me, so I went on line, and sure enough the checking account was empty. Called the credit card company, and found I’d spent several thousand at Best Buy the night before too.

    Long story short, after talking to my companion at a busy restaurant the night before, we realized that he had actually not realized what he was watching – that someone removed my wallet, removed my cards, and returned the wallet so I would not be instantly aware of my loss. As I sat at my desk filing the police report, I started to catch a whiff of scent – and sure enough, my wallet bore the faint fragrance of the theives’ cologne.

    While I was grateful to still have my wallet, my license and all those other things that are so incovenient to replace, it was a year before I carried my beloved red Monsac, of very similar design to the one you are giving away.

    I’d love a toasty brown one carried by your very hand.

  64. My favorite wallet of all time (and have never been able to find the right replacement for) was a black and cognac Mark Cross french-size wallet. It was smooth leather, discreet, and perfect. Mark Cross went out of business before my perfect wallet was stolen (car was broken into… don’t ask why I left my purse in my car, just plain stupidity) and was never able to find the perfect, or even adequate, replacement. I did subsequently find a lovely, understated Armani exchange wallet, but your brown wallet seems like it would be perfect for my brown purse.

    Thanks for sharing!

  65. My favorite wallet is an old Coach wallet that WON”T WEAR OUT! I bought it in the early 1990’s, used it for several years, then retired it because I was tired of the brown color. I then bought another wallet, used it until it wore out, and went back to my trusty Coach. I have repeated this sequence several times. The other brands always wear out. The Coach looks as if it came out of the box yesterday. I don’t think they make Coach like this any more. But I got a good one back in the day. As I have this one to fall back on, I won’t enter the contest, but I wanted to share my story anyway.

  66. I don’t know how I missed this post earlier, but Hooray! What a generous and special giveaway.

    The wallet I am currently using is a Coach wallet that is (I kid you not) going on 18 years old. I gave my bridesmaids the same wallets as Thank You gifts for being in my wedding (18 years on Oct 30) and I guarantee I am the only one of the “girls” left who is still using it. Charming or sad? You decide.

  67. First, thank you for hosting this! I am a regular reader, but first time commenter (perhaps the better term is lurker).

    Sadly, my wallet story is not a memory of my own wallet, but that of my husband’s. His grandfather was quite the collector of both watches and wallets. He had two identical Coach wallets — my husband’s grandmother gave one to my husband and one to my father-in-law when Pop passed away. The one that was bestowed upon my husband had the patented Pop add-ons — Pop loved supergluing decorations to things (tables, cars, watches, and wallets!). He passed a little over 6 years ago and the decorations have long since fallen off (perhaps pried off by my husband), and the ligher spots on the wallet always make us laugh and think of Pop and his gluing habits. Hopefully the wallet lasts for a long time — something so small holds so many memories for us.

  68. My father’s wallet comes to mind.

    While mine and my mother’s change based on the purses we carry, my father’s has always been the black leather folding kind. More often than not, well-worn.

    Wonderful give-away!

  69. I have been on the hunt for a new wallet for ages now- The one I’ve been using for the last few years is a yellow Coach clutch- I call it a wallet and use it as such but it is really just a one compartment catch- all- not convenient when you are looking for a particular card.

    I still love it- so maybe it is a favorite- just not practical.

    Thank you for the opportunity to win this one- Ren

  70. Please consider me for the wallet. I have owned a total of five wallets in my life, and have carried each for an average of seven years.. I have loved each one and each either fell apart from constant use or was stolen while I was studying at a coffee shop. Since I am no longer a student, my next wallet will likely fall apart from constant and loving use.

  71. My favorite was a my first wallet- a hot pink trifold that I used for years. I was a child but I still LOVE hot pink. ;) My current is a Vera Bradley and the print does make me smile.

  72. Thanks for the giveaway! My favorite wallet was pink with pastel flowers, carried tucked into a white purse. In fourth grade I took the whole kit to the library and somehow lost the wallet out of the purse. I didn’t know if it was stolen or dropped out.

    My mother offered to replace the $4 I lost — gravely, I said no, it was my responsibility.SHe hugged me. And later that night I found the wallet had slipped into a side pocket anyway.

    Many lessons learned, there.

    Re: the purse with ink stains — ink often comes out with alcohol (e.g., hand sanitizer), so sure.Or someone could replace the lining with some creativity. And I don’t think you need to address it before giving it away!

  73. My most memorable wallet is not my own. My son has a navy blue wallet with a New England Patriots logo on it that is SO not my favorite. BUT, his godfather gave it to him and he works so hard to earn money (he’s 12) and to save it in that wallet. And when he offers to pay for things for his 3 year old brother with his hard earned money from that wallet it melts my heart.

  74. I’ve always owned cheap wallets. No remembe as a girl wanting to buy myself a wallet with my birthday money. It was genuine faux leather, and would have cost me nearly the whole $10, and my mom teased me, asking what I would put in the wallet once I had down all my money. It was a formative experience, and I havenalways hopped from one cheap wallet to another.

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