VAST and ever-increasing TB collection!

[backpack]

I just took the title from Ncb4 on that thread Dear eBay,

Besides testing Darcy new link set up.


Uh uh, the better half wants the computer...... :) ;)


Better half is sleeping so.

What brought you to Tom Bihn Bags?

When did you start your collection?

Favorite bags and... list.


Desire to find non leather bags with style.

I did think I started to buy in 05 but first purchase was in spring of 06.


Aeronaute
Swifts, Brain Bags, Cafe Bags, FJN
Yarn Stuff Sacks, PCSBs, CQCs, PCBs. LSB, Passport Pouches in old and new style

Pouches and Key Straps

[dorayme]

I found out about TB on Ravelry. It was winter 07 and I was shopping for a bag because I was in need of a new diaper bag/knitting bag combo. I saw the Swifts mentioned and checked the website out. I was fascinated, but didn't quite know if it was the bag I was looking for so I didn't bite. (I should have, it would have been perfect, but hindsight is always 20/20)
When the Cork Swift was introduced I knew that I would eventually get one, but once again the timing wasn't right and I wasn't sure it was the perfect bag for where I was at. (it was) Fast forward to September 2010. My daughter has now potty trained so no longer did I need a bag for her and I. Just a bag for me. ;-}
A Hemp LS comes up on Ravelry FSOT and I bit. It came and it was all over because I had found bag LOVE!
January 2011 my Cork Swift and Iberian Large Shop Bag as well as Iberian Large Stuff Sack and some pouches and keystraps come my way. Right after that order Ultraviolet is introduced and I immediately preorder more Large Shop bags. I then purchased my Synapse, Side Effect, a Cork LS from Ravelry FSOT and 2 Utility Totes from eBay.
In May I got to visit the store and bought:
Western Flyer Backpack
Imago with Absolute Strap
Rocky's Brain Bag
more pouches and Stuff Sacks a shop bag
3D clear cube
and all the while doornum3 has been sending me packages here and there with TB goodness as well. :)
Lastly to get my FoJ, I ordered my Packing Cube Shoulder Bag.

Favorite bags hands down Little Swift and Western Flyer, though there are many 2nd favorites!

I really wish I had bought when I was first introduced to TB. I would not have been disappointed and I would have some bags/colors that are now no longer available. I also would have saved money on the other bags that I bought elsewhere that weren't as good.

[falconea]

Oh, dear. After the eBay thread I did go and go over all my orders and I have an alarmingly large collection!

My first order was on 13 December 2007, and I've made 7 orders in total (at US$55 shipping each, ouch!), as well as visiting the store, for which I don't have a complete list of what I bought.

All up it's well over $4,000 worth - including shipping and the store visit it would be nearly $5,000 worth.

Just for amusement, here's the list:

Item				Colour		Qty
Little Swift			Cardinal		1
Little Swift			Forest		1
Shop Bag L			Ultraviolet	1
Cache, Netbook, vertical		Black		1
Side Effect			Plum		1
Pouch Ballistic Mini		Cardinal		1
Pouch Ballistic S			Navy		1
Pouch Ballistic M			Forest		1
Pouch Dyneema L			Ultraviolet	1
Pouch Dyneema L			Solar		1
Screen cloth			Lapis Blue	1
Screen cloth			Iberian		1
Key strap				Wasabi		1
Key strap				Sapphire		1
Key strap				Storm		1
Wrist strap			Black		3
Bottle				Graphite		1
Bottle				Raspberry		2
Cache, Netbook, horizontal		Charcoal		1
Shop Bag L			Iberian		4
Field Journal			Conifer		1
Little Swift			Kiwi		1
Kit				Crimson		1
Bottle				Spring Green	1
Bottle				Midnight Blue	1
Bottle				Royal Purple	2
Bottle				Turquoise		2
Bottle				Graphite		1
Ultrasuede screen cloth		Sol Yellow	1
Ultrasuede screen cloth		Sea Green		1
Ultrasuede screen cloth		Slate Blue	1
Ultrasuede screen cloth		Fire Red		1
Packing Cube, Aeronaut, L		Steel		1
Wallet				Kiwi		1
Wallet				Cacao		1
Stuff Sack			Solar		2
Stuff Sack S			Solar		2
Stuff Sack Tall			Solar		2
Shop Bag L			Solar		2
Ultrasuede Shoulder Strap Wrap	Black		1
Keyboard cover			Cayenne		1
Packing cube, Tristar, S		Steel		2
Packing cube, Tristar, M		Steel		2
Packing cube, Tristar, L		Steel		1
Tristar				Steel/Solar	1
Zephyr				Black/Wasabi	1
Stuff Sack			Steel		1
Stuff Sack Tall			Steel		1
Synapse				Indigo/Solar	1
Synapse				Navy/Solar	1
Synapse				Steel/Solar Dyneema	1
Synapse				Kelly/Steel	1
Absolute Strap					2
Kit				Indigo		1
Wallet				Indigo		1
Wallet				Steel Dyneema	1
Wallet				Navy		1
Pouches - Mini					1
Pouches - Small					2
Pouches - Large					4
Shop Bag L			Solar		1
Pouch - Pencil					2
Stuff Sack Tall			Solar		3
Side Effect			Indigo		1
Tristar				Indigo/Solar	1
Packing cube, Tristar, S		Solar		2
Packing cube, Tristar, M		Solar		2
Packing cube, Tristar, L		Solar		1
Wallet				Sapphire		1
Zephyr				Steel/Wasabi	1
Absolute Strap					1
Freudian Slip - Horizontal				1
Utility Tote			Crimson/Navy	1
Utility Tote			Olive/Cocoa	1
Utility Tote			Steel/Black	1
Utility Tote			Sapphire/Olive	1
Utility Tote			Sapphire/Steel	1
Kit				Kiwi		1
Snake Charmer			Cayenne		1
Key Strap 16"					2
Pouches - Mini					4
Pouches - Small					4
Pouches - Medium					4
Brain Bag				Sapphire		1
Brain Cell - size 5		Crimson		1
Keyboard cover			Cobalt		1
Small Café Bag			Kelly/Steel	1
Pouches - Mini					1
Pouches - Small					1
Pouches - Medium					1
Utility Tote			Kelly/Navy	1
Absolute Strap					1
Key Strap 16"					1
Key strap 8"					1
Padded Pouch - Mini				1
Padded Pouch - Small				1

Purchased when I visted the store:
Kit				Kiwi		1
Utility Tote			Crimson		1
Utility Tote			Kelly/Navy	1
And more - I know I left with several hundred less in my credit card!

And not purchased from TB directly:
Smart Alec			Steel/Solar	1 (Swapped for that Dyneema Synapse)
Empire Builder			Black/Sapphire	1 (eBay as per the eBay thread!)

Scary, no?

Audrey

PS: that list is in reverse order - newest first.

[gmanedit]

Audrey, that must set a record! Some of those were purchased as gifts, right? (All those bottles . . .)

Dorayme, are we ever going to get a writeup of Rocky and his Brain Bag?

[falconea]

No, for me or my husband. The Steel Tristar with packing cubes was for a work-mate of my husband who split the shipping on that occasion.

The smaller bottles I use for breakfast - I take my own chocolate milk to work each day and they go through the dishwasher once it's full, hence the need for at least 5 - one a day. Since I was doing another order anyway and had to pay shipping anyway I decided to complete my set of 2 of each colour of the smaller bottles! If they all get dropped and broken I now have spares.

Shipping at $55 is a MAJOR consideration for me, and all orders get bulked up with anything I might possibly want in the next year. I always get vaguely upset at the "when the colour combination you like is listed buy immediately" comments because it's not an option for me. So, all my orders revolve around a must-have item and then get bulked out. My next order will probably be when a Forest/Solar Tristar is announced, and will include more Solar Shop Bags - I didn't realise I only had 3 of them!

You can see which is the key piece in each order (from oldest to newest)

1. Brain Bag.
2. Zephyr and Utility Totes for all our shopping
3. Tristar for me.
4. Synapse - couldn't decide on colour, arranged to buy extra and return the ones I didn't like, ended up swapping one and keeping the other as spare
5. Tristar for my husband's work mate and Zephyr for my husband
6. Field Journal
7. Little Swift.

I waffle on far too much! :+>

Audrey

[dorayme]

Dorayme, are we ever going to get a writeup of Rocky and his Brain Bag?

ahem, well I asked him if he would consider it, and thought he would, but he's a busy man. I will see if he intends to, or was just saying he would think about it to placate his bag crazy wife. . .

[thisisme]

@dorayme: maybe you could conduct a little interview session with your dh? :0)

[backpack]

The smaller bottles I use for breakfast - I take my own chocolate milk to work each day and they go through the dishwasher once it's full, hence the need for at least 5 - one a day. Since I was doing another order anyway and had to pay shipping anyway I decided to complete my set of 2 of each colour of the smaller bottles! If they all get dropped and broken I now have spares.

Shipping at $55 is a MAJOR consideration for me, and all orders get bulked up with anything I might possibly want in the next year. I always get vaguely upset at the "when the colour combination you like is listed buy immediately" comments because it's not an option for me. So, all my orders revolve around a must-have item and then get bulked out.
Audrey

I have one of the smaller bottle and intent to have roughly the same setup as you do. :)


I am the one who said "the buy immediately" comment, I am sorry, I didn't mean to upset anybody.

It was one of my few, spur of the moment, post ; I should have clarified and said "buy as soon as you can but place the item in the wish list as soon as possible".


I also bulk my orders and usually spend six months to a year filling up the Wish List, calculating the amount of each possible order set up, tweaking the order for new items, colors or change in bag needs.
I also start with a big bag or a color and build up the order with accessories.

By the time I am ready for ordering, the cart build up takes very little time, the cost is already known.
It takes longer to enter my personal info since I want to make sure everything is perfect and I am not a number person.


I bought my first TB bag to facilitate the flying segment of a big cross country move, it delivered beautifully and has ever since.

[Katy]

What brought you to Tom Bihn Bags?

I work here :).

When did you start your collection?

On day 1!

My favorite bags: All of them!..No...seriously.

My Collection: Hasn't grown as much as you would think! I have:

1 - Vulcana Hemp Little Swift
2 - Small Clear Organizer Pouches (1 Ultraviolet, 1 Iberian)
1 - Mini Clear Organizer Pouch (Wasabi)
1 - Medium Padded Organizer Pouch
1 - 3D Clear Organizer Pouch (Steel)
1 - Clear Quarter Packing Cube ( Ultraviolet )
1 - Clear Organizer Wallet (Cork)
1 - Field Journal (secret)
1 - Tri-Star (Navy/Solar)
1 - 4Z Horizontal Brain Cell (Wasabi)
1 - Ultrasuede Screen Cloth (Slate Blue)
2 - Large Shop Bags ( 1 Iberian, 1 Ultraviolet )
1- LifeFactory Water Bottle (Orange) though.. this doesn't count.
And a few key straps :)


Wow... now that I look at it, it seems like a lot. I've also bought a few other bags as presents, but they're not listed.

[TXGirl]

I began my Tom Bihn addiction either March or April of this year. So far My collection consists of:

Medium Cafe Bag (Black/ Steel)
Med Dyneema Pouch (Iberian)
Small Pouch (Wasabi)
Small Cork Pouch
Mini Dyneema pouch (Solar, Ultraviolet, Steel)
Pen/Pencil Pouch (Indigo)
Clear Organizer Wallet (Kiwi)
Ego (Black, Black, Cayenne) w/Absolute strap
Extra strips for my Ego (Wasabi seat belt buckle, Cork, Olive)
Synapse (Indigo/Solar)
Side Effect (Plum)
3D Clear Organizer Cube (Indigo)
Key Straps (Sapphire, Storm, Plum)

[Shiva]

I can't quite remember how I stumbled upon Tom Bihn. I have been a long time Patagonia and LLBean and Eagle Creek person. Was getting quite fed up with the increasingly unreliable quality: the materials were just not the way it used to be; the stitching was not great; and the designs were oh-hum. I found Waterfield Designs and Red Oxx first; and from there I found TB! Initially, i remember I could not quite tell what was different about the bags: they looked about the same.
I got a Medium Cafe bag, and it was not until I used it for a couple of conferences that I got hooked!

The thoughtfulness of design; the incredible O-rings; and the placement of everything sold me. I went to seattle for a conference in early 2009 and visited the Store. June was very kind and opened the store for me. I could not believe how open the staff were; and they let me hangabout there, and play with the bags. I got a Western Flyer and some pouches.

Since then, i have had several--and most of them have been "taken from me" by dear and close friends, or I have given them away! Many of my closest friends live in India--and they are as much bagoholics as the best of us here...:) And it is hard to find well designed backpacks and travel bags. over the years, I have been supplier of backpacks and travel bags---

So I have gifted away a smart alec, a synapse, two small cafe bags, a medium cafe bag, a packing cube shoulder bag, packing cube backpack, various pouches. My god daughter who started as a freshman this year took away my small cafe bag again! She said it was the best...:) she has a black/wasabi. I can't think of a greater endorsement than a teenager!!!

I cling resolutely to my Western Flyer; synapse; smart alec; assorted pouches. A shop bag. and thanks to Kinsale, I now use the Shop Bag also as a carry all bag!!!

shiva

[MsMoon]

1 - Field Journal (secret)

Wait - why is the color a secret???

[Shiva]

LOL! not a secret...just not that much on my radar, for whatever the reason!
The ones I gave away: Smart Alec was an Indigo--that I can't get back!
What I have now make up a matched set which was entirely unintentional:
a steel/solar Western Flyer; a steel/black/solar Smart alec; a black/ultraviolet synapse; a steel/cork/wasabi Imago.

i have solar packing cubes--the last ones on planet earth it seems! hehehehe. hint hint

[dorayme]

Wait - why is the color a secret???

Privileged information, need to know basis. Plus if you were told, you would be cut off of all future purchases and forum contact.

[MsMoon]

Privileged information, need to know basis. Plus if you were told, you would be cut off of all future purchases and forum contact.

I was hoping Katy might have a super-secret new color she was withholding from us!