Would you carry it? The vintage suitcase

Vintage Fabric and Leather Striped Suitcase – $139.00 ($500)

Item via HauteLook.  It’s final sale, and how they determined the normal “retail price” is a mystery at the least. 

Is the flash-sale retail community hooked on antiques road show?  Even some first run retailers (Fossil for example) appear to be diving into local flea markets, consignment shops, and thrift stores in search of the old, sometimes bizarre, and often incredibly… well, cool.

If sites like Gilt have led the way in the category of vintage watches, then other flash sites seem to be expanding into vintage luggage.  Nordstrom owned HauteLook for example:

 21″ x 19″ x 9″ Suitcase – $139, 14.5″ x 9.5″ x 9″ overnight case – $99, 18″ x 17″ x 11″ Suitcase – $139

Yes there are immense risks.  First, they’re all final sale (as almost all of these vintage items are.)  So you don’t know what they smell like, how well the latches hold, etc…  The retailer can always say “oh, we never intended anyone to actually use them as luggage… this is decor only.  Who’d actually use them for travel?!?”

But look at em’.  The large suitcase even has what appears to be the key attached to the handle.  If you’re afraid of it popping open in transit, maybe a couple Saddleback Leather utility straps laced under the handle would do the good-looking-trick.  Probably not the best idea for someone travelling often by air, but for weekend trips?

Would you carry it?  And is the legitimate-retailer markup worth whatever peace of mind it might give?  Or would you stick to the obvious alternative: eBay?  And meanwhile, anyone need some fencing foils?