Marni Polished Leather Card Case.

Source: Marni

More slim card cases, less bulky, fat wallets!

Marni card case available at Marni for $105.

Stocking Stuffers - Christmas '07: Tod's Ostrich Card Case.

Source: Neiman Marcus

First featured this past February, this Tod's ostrich card case is on sale for $172 (reduced from $245).

It would make a fantastic stocking stuffer.

Available at Neiman Marcus.

Marc Marmel Card Case.

Source: Marc Marmel

Like all Marc Marmel pieces, the leather exterior of this card case looks rough and cracked, but that's the whole appeal of the brand - conveyance of ruggedness infused with subtle style. Though no one knows how long the leather will last before it starts flaking off and degrading, the hardsided frame will keep its functionality.

Jumping On The Croc Bandwagon.

We start off with this colorful array of Nancy Gonzalez card cases ($390). Jealous, drunk, jolly, adventurous, gloomy, livid, or serious, there's one for every mood.



Continuing on to the venerable house of Yves Saint Laurent, we find the price of a similar card case goes up by $105, most likely due to the label. Maybe the crocodile was killed more humanely, you tell yourself as you justify the price discrepancy.



Travel wallets are great when you realize your already turgid wallet doesn't have enough slots for hotel room keys, airline vouchers when the flight is delayed or canceled, and travel checks. (Yes, travel checks actually do come in handy.) But if you spend $995 on this Lambertson Truex, your plane ticket to the Maldives should at least cost just as much.



No post on useless spending is complete without mentioning Bottega Veneta. At $780, it's not too bad.



He's next.

Photo Credit - Nancy Gonzalez and Lamberston Truex (Vivre), Yves Saint Laurent (YSL), Bottega Veneta (BV)

Henry Beguelin Card Case.

Source: Barneys

I'm normally not too fond of the stitching on Henry Beguelin leather accessories, but this two-tone card case looks gorgeous, and the upper half white leather blends in the contrast stitching effortlessly.

Henry Beguelin card case available at Barneys for $69 (reduced from $135).

Graphic Image Croc-Embossed Business Case.

Source: Vivre

I think $40 is a bargain for the thrifty consumer who wants an elegant-looking card case. It does look like real crocodile skin unless you inspect it up close.

I like Graphic Image. They have wallets that are exactly the same as Prada saffiano wallets, except missing the little Prada logo, and they cost about 1/4 the price. There's always a pile of them on sale as Saks, and if I didn't already fork over the inflated price for a Prada, I would have picked one up.

Available at Vivre for $40.

Dolce & Gabbana Card Case.

Source: Saks

Really? $350 for that disfigured thing? It's not even a full-sized wallet, in which case the price might have been justifiable. Maybe I'm just odd, but the DG monogram isn't appealing at all to me. It doesn't have the clout that, for instance, the Louis Vuitton, Goyard, and Gucci monograms have. Part of the reason is that Dolce & Gabbana is still a young label, whereas LV, Goyard, and Gucci have history. Also, the DG monogram is just ugly. It doesn't help that the huge logos are now plastered all over the sunglasses and featured on Myspace and Facebook profile pictures.

Sometimes I wonder if the Dolce & Gabbana label would survive for long after they die. (Don't think I live and breathe fashion because I certainly do not care enough. If you want to wear orange leather Prada short shorts, go right on ahead. I'll laugh, but I won't do an analytical fashion critique. I just like bags and accessories.)

For half the price ($175), you can get a Paul Smith leather card case that is much more visually pleasing. I normally don't like contrast stitching, but the white stripe brings everything together nicely.



Source: Saks

Dolce & Gabbana card case and Paul Smith card case available at Saks.

Neiman Marcus Leather Accessories First Call Sale.

If your nightly excursions necessitate only an ID and a credit card, this Salvatore Ferragamo card case is for you. Otherwise, this won't do you any good.

Salvatore Ferragamo Bleeker case available at Neiman Marcus for $43 (reduced from $85).



Look at the beautiful pebbled leather and tell me you don't want it.

Tod's wallet available at Neiman Marcus for $117 (reduced from $195).



I like the dual vertical and horizontal card slots. A bit more creative than having just horizontal slots, don't you think?

Ermenegildo Zegna card case available at Neiman Marcus for $105 (reduced from $175).

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Olive Green Bottega Veneta Card Case.

Source: eBay [donbeth]

As much as I love the olive green pebbled leather, that card case wouldn't last two weeks in my pocket. I have a tendency to overstuff my wallets/card cases with unnecessary things - health insurance card, supermarket club card, ATM receipts, nude picture of Jude Law, three credit cards I haven't used in about a year, and a copying machine card which I deposit money into and print for $0.10 instead of $0.15, thereby saving me $0.05 per page. I was joking about the Jude Law part...maybe.

There are only two slots on that card case, which pretty much restricts you to a drivers license and one other card of your choosing. Such restriction may be beneficial/necessary if you want to limit the number of credit cards you swipe per shopping trip. Unless you are smart and use a debit card instead.

Available at eBay [auction #: 20106341009]. Starting bid $99, Buy It Now for $129.

Orange Goyard Credit Card Holder.

Source: eBay [collegephilly]

First, an orange Prada tote catches my attention, and now, this orange Goyard credit card holder is stuck in my head. I don't even like the chevron print that much, and I'm pretty sure I'd get tired of it fast, but I like the color.

I guess I shouldn't bid on it. I got bills to pay.

Birds Of A Feather.

Source: Neiman Marcus

If you want to start collecting exotic leather pieces, you might want to start small. (Unless you're filthy rich and a $40,000 luggage is pocketchange.) The Tod's ostrich card case would be a good starter piece. If you have a raggedy wallet that you've been using since the dotcom bust, it's time for a renewal anyways. Try not to stuff it with unnecessary receipts, membership cards, and wads of $1 bills. The point is to maximize utility and minimize carrying extraneous, inessential items.

Available at Neiman Marcus for $245.

Broke My Pseudo-Resolution.

I bought a Marc Jacobs vest at Barneys last month but decided to return it because it was just a tad big. My intention was to walk out of there empty-handed, but no... I walk on over to the Goyard counter. I thought to myself, "Hmm...I just returned something - I should get something else." (I really need to stop buying things. My credit card bills say so.)

So what do I end up buying? An ugly card case. Which I absolutely do not need. For more than the amount I got back from returning the vest. For that price, I could have bought a Bottega Veneta wallet and be much more satisfied with the purchase.

I asked the SA if the paint chips off easily, not expecting such a flippant response. She says, "That definitely happens." So they agree that their products have a fundamental flaw, yet they have the temerity to charge such exorbitant prices. At least the Louis Vuitton monogram, which is just as tacky and ugly, lasts a lifetime.

I never made a firm commitment to not purchasing useless things because I knew I would never last long. But yet again, I disappoint myself in my lack of self-control.

Chomp.

Source: Bergdorf Goodman

Until the day I can afford the Bottega Veneta crocodile luggage set comes, I'll just have to settle for little knick-knacks. These Bergdorf Goodman crocodile credit card cases come in four different colors, and they're half off. They'll probably sell out pretty quickly, so act fast.

Available at Bergdorf Goodman for $73 (reduced from $145).