Is your manbag insured?
Oh! Can I here the snickers and giggles now. Let’s start with a definition of a “manbag.”
You can find several at Urbandictionary.com or Wikipedia but the gist of it is a bag carried by a man that has a shoulder strap. A traditional style briefcase is technically one also but what everyone calls a manbag these days tend to be soft-sided and more along the traditional “messenger bag”, “courier bag” form.
I was googling around for “pens” (yeah I know… it’s a hobby, what can I say) when an interesting article from Britain popped up about manbags and the value of the contents and the fact that they are often not insured. While the article is 2 years old it has some interesting stats about what is the difference between men and women in what they carry. (And pens are a big thing on the men’s side so now you know why the article popped up!)
The thing that struck me was that the average value was 640 Pounds (then around $1300) not including the value of the bag or any cash (wallet) you might have stashed inside. Also the value of the contents is approximately 10-15% greater for a man’s bag than a woman’s. Go figure.
It is also not normally covered unless you have a rider on your homeowners/renters/automobile policy should it and its contents be lost or stolen. I found out that the “manbag” I carry to work is not insured unless I get an extra rider from my homeowners insurance.
I was also curious as to what the value of my stuff I carry around every day is… and it was a good excuse to clean it out too:
English style Leather briefcase/satchel from Levenger (eBayed at about half retail)… $285
Letter size leather zippered pad folio. Another Levenger item that holds papers and a notepad… $248
Pad (half letter) size leather zippered pad folio… again Levenger used for DOT required Drivers Log Book and other forms… $98
Employer supplied Nextel… $200
Remote Gate Opener I bought for myself… got to have them at work and checking one in and out daily is a pain. And mine has longer range… $20
Silverware to eat with (I hate plastic ware)…
Spoon, Fork, Knife, Strawberry Fork, Iced Tea Spoon… Wallace Grande Baroque… $625
(AAAAGGGHH!!!… I’ve had the stuff for years didn’t know it was that expensive now, I didn’t pay even a third of that!!!!…)
Pair of Sterling Chopsticks from Hong Kong… $75
Tomato Knife for cutting stuff like bread and fruit… Henckels… $125
Flashlight… LED cheapie from Auto Parts House… $3
Ballpoint Pen… Waterman LeMan 100… 20 year old eBay find… needed to fill out carbon form DOT logs… $290
Fountain Pens – we won’t count… they ride in a leather neck holder along with my employee ID.
No Phone, No MP3/IPod, No Laptop… total still comes out to… AAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!… $1969
I had no idea I was toting that much around!!
Just a thing added here and there and it seems to have added up… and none of the customary electronic items most people have. I’m going to keep an extra sharp eye on it from now on since its not covered by my insurance.
So does this make you think about what you carry with you when you leave the house?
Would it really hurt (besides the inconvenience) if you had to replace everything all at once?
Photo credit: Wikipedia.
Roland: Yes, I’m snickering, but your post makes a good point.
At traditional bridal showers, women play this silly game: There’s a list of common and uncommon things that are typically found in a woman’s purse. Each item has a point value. Uncommon items have a higher point value. Your stash with the sterling silver and fountains pens would make you a sandbagger with your manbag! You would win and get to leave with a floral center piece (that’s usually the prize). See what you’ve been missing all these years!
In the meantime, get that manbag insured!
Is this a joke? I have maybe $625 in cutlery in my whole house, if you include my expensive knives.
Honey, you’re carry too much stuff in your man purse!
I’m all about the big bag and being prepared. I carry the Coach diaper bag that I use as a laptop bag. I have tampons, lipstick, my iPod, Tylenol, hand wipes, gum, and tissues in the convenient pockets. But you’re carrying enough stuff around with you that it makes me feel like you’re preparing for the Apocalypse. Roland, I think you need to ask yourself why you’ve got so much emotional baggage in your man purse.
Think about the weight of your bag and what this doing to your neck and back! I’m not so much worried about the monetary value of the items you consider to be essential. I haven’t walked a mile in your shoes (which I’m assuming are Prada loafers), but I wouldn’t want to carry your man purse. It sounds heavy. I say it’s time for a purse diet. Seriously.
Nina: Not heard about that game…but then I’ve not really been invited to “Traditional” Bridal Showers. For men its the “Stag Party” and how much alcohol (and trouble) you can the Groom into.
dogatemyfinances: No its not a joke. I have always believed in having the things necessary for a Formal Dinner…that includes all the silver…that however DOES NOT mean its packed away waiting the couple of times a year it would normally get pulled out. No sense in having it if you don’t use it.
Mine occupies the cutlerly drawer in the kitchen and gets used every day…I just grabbed a couple of pieces to carry with me. For a party it just gets an extra polishing. I was surprised when I looked up the current price… http://www.westernsilver.com ….most of the pieces have tripled in price in the last 2 years and some of the oddball serving pieces are 4 and 5 times more expensive.
It does fall back on my personal philosophy of finding exactly what you like and buying it in the best quality…then you should never have to buy it ever again…and I get to leave it to my neice and nephew.
Serena: I don’t carry anywhere near as much stuff as some of the other motorcoach drivers…a lot of them used wheeled luggage to cart their stuff around. The perils of not having assigned vehicles and the need to have all your contingencies covered “Just In Case”. In any case its not carried around all the time like most people…only when I go to work then it spends most of its time locked in the drivers personal overhead.
Roland, I’m glad to hear you’re not lugging this bag around all day. If you were the type to wear heels I’d be doubly worried about your back. ;^)