I have been lurking in this sub for weeks now and the time has come for me to post because I mean business. I am on the hunt for a BIFL tote bag for everyday use as a mom of small humans. I want this bag to be as durable and stain resistant as possible and could even bounce back if, say, a water bottle were to leak inside of it a bit. Ideally it is one big open main compartment with one or two small inner compartments. I have been known to run out of the house with the likes of a full-size tissue box, a 40oz Owala, and a 300 page book in my bag along with all the usual essentials so it’s gotta be pretty substantial in size. To give an idea of size, the above tote’s specs are: 19” across top, 13” across bottom, 7” deep and 10” tall. My current tote pictured above has brought me so much joy and has served me very well size wise but the color is terribly impractical and I just do not have the patience or time to continue to stain treat it (I think that is the third pen ink stain to date) and I’d like to transition to something a little more sophisticated. I would like the bag to have some unique charm or intrigue but I’m looking for something more understated than the beloved Mr. Rogers quote. This could mean just going with a safe, dark neutral like navy and dressing it up with a bag charm or scarf. I do not want anything with loud branding. Lastly, I am going to be buying this bag secondhand and I don’t want to spend over $1K so also want to hear where you’ve had a good experience buying secondhand bags! Bags I’m gravitating towards are:

1) LV Neverfull MM in EPI Leather (but it’s quite expensive even for a bag in not great condition on the resale market, plus I’m afraid to spend $800 on a bag where I can’t even see the color in person and it’s shipping to me from a consignment shop in Japan!)

2) Vintage Coach Soho Lafayette (4140 or 4155)

3) le pliage- my hesitation is I have heard even the dark colors like navy are hard to keep looking clean and tidy because the nylon gets water stains? Also this bag in the dark neutrals is just a little too boring for me. I adore one I found in baby pink but there is no possible way I could keep that clean).

4) Mulberry Bayswater Tote (I love this bag but it seems like the leather may be a bit too soft/delicate for my use?)

Open to any and all suggestions based on the above. TIA for the help!!!