Suitcase for Christmas

A Vegas Suitcase for Christmas!


Blonde4ever gets a “Vegas Suitcase” for Christmas…

I got a suitcase for Christmas!

I am sure you are puzzled as to why I consider this to be a Vegas topic. Las Vegas is almost always my destination, so luggage = Vegas in my mind.

Once upon a time my parents bought me a set of lovely blue suitcases. Those bags are still in excellent shape, the only problem with them is that they have no wheels. They are from the olden days when every trip we took was by car, and you didn’t have to worry about how to wrangle them through an airport. Even though they are in good shape, they don’t meet my needs at this point in time.

Suitcase for Christmas

Our current family suitcase set was purchased about twenty years ago; two large suitcases and two medium suitcases. And they are black. Boring black. The same colour suitcase of almost everyone on the planet…black.

Three of the four suitcases of our set have all broken in the same place; the zipper. (At least they are consistent.) On my last trip, the fourth and final suitcase was hanging by a thread. I had visions of it bursting in the airport leaving a wake of jewelry and fat lady clothes.

We have held on to all of these faulty suitcases because my husband says they are going to be fixed on the fictional “someday.” I just won’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen.
So when my daughter asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year the first thing out of my mouth was “A suitcase! One that isn’t broken! A pretty one!”

I have had a severe case of “suitcase envy” for years. I stand forlornly beside the baggage carousel in McCarran and watch the lucky people who know exactly which suitcase is theirs.
“Look at that woman,” I say to myself “She has a red suitcase, she knows which one is hers! Ooh, and there is a silver one! Oh and animal print! No one could mistake that!” Obviously it is conceivable that other Vegas visitors could have the same or similar suitcases, but you have much better odds of locating yours when it is distinctive. I have seen my black suitcase lifted off the carousel and put back a number of times.

As an owner of black luggage you have to play the “How to make a black suitcase look different from all the other black suitcases” game. We tie ribbons on the handles and put stickers on the sides and add various and assorted accoutrements to make them stand out. My husband (the electrician) wrapped yellow electrical tape around the handles of ours and I have never seen another bag decorated in quite that way. I always added the finishing touch of a glittery Vegas luggage tag to help with the identifying process.

Suitcase for Christmas

My daughter and I set out before Christmas to find my special suitcase. That involved running all over town checking prices and features. I found a perfectly serviceable one at Winners for $100, but IT WAS BLACK! I refuse to go down that road again. As God is my witness I will have a coloured suitcase or die trying.

We drove over to a large department store that, oddly enough, now has a lawsuit against it for having fake sales.

We saw a huge sign that said, “All Luggage 70% off!!” Wow…what a sale! We thought we had lucked into the best sale ever until we looked at the price tags. The 25-inch suitcases were all either $299 or $249. I am sure that none of those bags had ever been sold at that price before;  they were just jacked up so that they could advertise a fantastic discount. Even though I was annoyed at them for their tactics, there was a beautiful teal blue suitcase winking at me from the sales floor. I examined every 25-inch suitcase in the building but kept returning to that one. Finally, it was decided that that one had to come home with us. I am now the proud owner of what I am sure is the most attractive suitcase ever made. I am so excited to pack for my next Vegas vacation in it!

Suitcase for Christmas

I will be like a proud mama as my teal blue baby emerges from the shoot at McCarran baggage carousel. Heaven help those baggage handlers if they hurt it!

[Photos: Blonde4ever]

32 thoughts on “A Vegas Suitcase for Christmas!

  1. It sounds absurd, but I have a set of luggage that’s brown with green polka dots. I always see it when it comes down the carousel. And the luggage handlers and desk agents are always so fascinated by it they treat it nicely. That luggage has been around the world with me.

  2. congrats, Bonnie! Years ago, I found the best way to identify my bags is to hand paint on them. Yep – I just take cheap fabric paint and do something unique on each side so you can see it from every angle. No one has ever picked up my suitcase by mistake, and nothing can be ripped off by mistake (or on purpose, by a thief). On the rare occasion it goes missing after a trip, the bag agents only need to hear “hand-painted” and they can identify it easily.

    Love the blue – it will stand out.

  3. Love your new bright blue luggage. No mix ups when you grab your bag off the carousel. Before I had my brightly colored luggage I made fuzzy tassels (seemed appropriate for Vegas luggage…LOL) out of fluorescent orange and pink yarn. My hubb & I could always spot ours easily. But then bright coral-pink luggage came into my life and I love it. I still check out luggage all the time and during this past Christmas shopping outing I spent 10 minutes checking out the outrageously gorgeous luggage at TJ Maxx. They have the best selection of crazy colors and patterns if anyone is looking.

  4. What a nice article on such a mundane and important subject. We have black and dark green bags decorated with the ribbons. I’d say wheels and handles go first. I guess I should buy luggage as sturdy as our golf club travel cases.

  5. I have a small soft bag that fits under the seat in the plane, I can cram 5 days of stuff in it, & I have no baggage fee!
    I hate baggage & carry fees!. & Resort fees….lol

  6. I have been fascinated by the newer 4-wheel suitcases, as they look as though they would be easier to handle, since you wheel them by your side as opposed to the 2-wheelers that kind of drag along behind you. It seems that the 4-wheeler would be much better for someone with foot/leg problems as well, since you wouldn’t be angling your body forward to pull the weight behind you. Let us know how this new style works for you. My balance isn’t what it used to be, and anything that would make me less apt to fall on my face would be welcome!

  7. Looks SO purty, Blonde! Now you can just say “Walk with me” to your bag, and not have to drag it, while it screams for it’s life behind you! ENJOY!

  8. I got such a laugh out of this.i also have had what you can call luggage envy standing in line waiting for my boring old suitcase to come around.my request for Christmas was also a new luggage set,in which my husband told me,why when we have twenty perfectly good pieces in the Attic. Some have wheels, some do not, they are that old. I did get my gorgeous set and to make sure my husband understood,I sent him pictures constantly,so he wouldn’t forget

  9. excellent, I love it! I am still using black, but I did buy a new piece 2 years ago. it is a handsome piece of luggage by Tommy Bahama, brown in color. I am still kind of hoarding it, I have not had the nerve yet to let the airlines tear it up!!

  10. Very nice! Next time you need a new suitcase try Marshalls or TJ Maxx for suitcases! Lots of colors and brands and bags in FUN colors are often on clearance for well under $100!!!!! I got my newest bag for $30 and it is a large blue Nautica.

  11. I’m in Canada and we just got Marshalls in Alberta, so don’t worry Blonde, I’m sure it’s coming your way. My suitcase broke on our last Vegas trip, the zipper finally gave way, so I’ll be sure to check out Winners or Marshalls.

  12. As always, an enjoyable read. Got to tell you, I think your old cases are classic. Hope the baggage handlers treat the new bag with respect.

  13. I love your new luggage! I crossed the boarder and got one a bright purple one at Carson’s that was black tagged and 70% off! It was around $50 USD so great deal even with the exchange.

  14. For my American friends – Winners is the Canadian version of TJ Maxx.

    We operate T.J. Maxx and Marshalls (combined, Marmaxx), HomeGoods and Sierra Trading Post, as well as tjmaxx.com and sierratradingpost.com, in the United States; Winners, HomeSense, and Marshalls (combined, TJX Canada) in Canada;

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