My Red Kipling Bag

I bought this Kipling Bag at the swap meet 2 years ago.  It was only $2, but the zipper was broken.  I took a chance that maybe I could repair it, and I actually was able to.  I blogged about the repair here. 

I love everything about the bag.  Its red color and matching red gorilla, its size and lightweightness, its many zippered compartments, its ability to open up larger if I chose to . . . just perfect for swap meet shopping and maybe one of my best scores.

Last month (or so) a strange thing happened regarding the bag.  A guy, a fellow shopper, asked me where I got the bag from and how much I had paid for it.  I told him.  He offered me $5.  I refused.

He kept persisting.  I kept refusing.  His offer eventually reached $25.  I showed him my safety-pin zipper repair hoping to dissuade him. 

He said that he really wanted to give the bag to his daughter and it didn't matter about the repair. 

And so . . . 

A father's gift to his daughter I couldn't deny.

I gave him the bag . . . for free.

His name was Richard, and he said that he would never forget this day.

I told him me too.