Byline: By Joanna Peart
A study by insurers Legal & General shows that the typical worth of a woman's handbag is around pounds 1,000. Joanna Peart asks a group of North-East women whether this rings true.
What men may never understand is how women seem to be able to fit Remote Dimmer LD-DI-12-WL the contents of the British Museum into their handbags, with space left for a box of tissues.
A working woman's handbag is an office, washroom, first-aid centre, travelling suitcase and financial department all rolled into one.
The chic, little off-the-shoulder number tends to have a substantial business compartment to hold a weighty personal organiser and diary amongst other things. Small photocopiers have been known to fit into larger handbags.
There's also a dark inner pocket in most handbags which harbours women's personal items, and there's always a strange accessory buried at the bottom, like a mini sewing kit or random hockey ball.
Most females are very conscious of bag-snatching, especially while on foreign trips, and sensibly clasp their bags with both hands firmly against the body.
It is widely known that when the famous handbag of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was auctioned in 2000, it was purchased by a Scottish businessman for pounds 100,000.
And while most of us have more moderately-priced accessories, the value of a bag and its contents can quickly add up.
Now insurance company Legal & General is warning women to check that their home insurance is up-to-date and sufficient to cover the cost of their handbag ( after calculating the average contents at pounds 1,000. This includes the cost of a mobile phone, glasses, perfume, car keys and make-up as well as a host of other possessions.
Head of marketing at Legal & General, Andy Sampson, says: "It is surprising how the value of something like a handbag can mount up. It is upsetting enough for someone to lose their handbag without them realising that they are under-insured and will suffer financially too."
The Journal asked four North-East women to empty out their handbags and add up the contents, to see how valuable their prize possessions really are.
Rebecca Hartman, 18, is a full-time model with Tyne Tees Models based in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.
She lives in Ryton, Gateshead, with her parents, Sandra and Austin.
"I'm really surprised the contents of my handbag come to this amount, but as far as I know my home insurance covers it.
"I don't think many women realise how things can quickly add up, and when I move into my own house, I'll definitely make sure I'm careful with home insurance, and make it cover the cost."
Rebecca's handbag contents:
Christian Dior handbag pounds 400
Purse pounds 70
3 Christian Dior lip glosses pounds 13 each
Small bottle perfume pounds 10
Benefit lip balm pounds 14
Driving licence pounds 10
Christian Dior sunglasses pounds 130
Clinique concealer pounds 15
House keys pounds 10
D&G keyring pounds 70
Moschino keyring pounds 40
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