Originally Posted by 12XU
I have recently ordered a custom bag from Seagull (Dan's the nearest to home) and would definitely consider it a decision based on wanting a unique item. That having been said, I'll be waiting about 6 weeks when I could have a similar style from Chrome for less than half the price (wholesale, as I work at a shop). The undiscerning eye of non lifestyle cyclists would likely see my purchase as neat and unique, I would have instant gratification, and I would save money. Pretty sweet deal if I were going for maximum ego inflation, but I wanted specific parts of my bag to reflect my perceived needs. Yeah, I want to try messengering at some point, so I needed a large backpack with padding as I perceive that to be the most comfortable way to haul lots of weight and maneuver in traffic. Whether I'll actually be a messenger or not, I'll still have a wonderfully made product by a local guy which will serve me for years to come. It's not like we're buying thousand dollar PS3s, Beanie Babies, or body kits for sports cars we're likely to scrape while driving into a fast food joint's parking lot. We're buying things in response to our perceived needs and, I think, very sparingly on fetishism. Anyone that doesn't use their spendy messenger bag is a dolt, just like any other wasteful person.
A great story, and I generally like your style, but for the sake of my argument I'd point out that Seagull has been around for like a year and change, and is one guy who by his own admission didn't know how to sew and knew nothing about soft goods design or construction when he started out, and learned by trial and error rather than anything like real training or apprenticeship. I've never seen one of his bags live, but you can look at the pics online and tell that the stitching still leaves a lot to be desired; he's still getting things like curved taping and seam pucker sussed out. He says they'll last for a long time, which is funny as hell considering that I have crap in my freezer that's in the middle of a longer wear cycle than any bag he's ever made. But he does custom decorative work, and guess what: there's a waiting list for his stuff.