So it was my birthday recently, and I decided I needed a new laptop bag as my current one (a lovely Muji number) is fraying a bit, and I’m disturbed that one day it might just fray into nothingness… with my laptop still inside. I hate anything that looks remotely like a laptop bag – hence the Muji number – and decided this time, I’d look for a Crumpler.

Now, Crumplers are expensive bags, especially if you want one of a suitable size. Even though I only have a 12″ Powerbook, I also have a habit of carrying around adapters, a mouse, notebooks, odds and ends, and maybe a large book – and that all fills out. I eventually settled on a Crippy Duck (now renamed to The Luncheon). Nice size, portrait-orientation.

£90 of your English pounds (if you head to Micro Anvika). Ouch.

So today, I was in Virgin in Croydon, and remember that they were selling off Crumplers online. Before I bought my bag online – for a decent price of £55 inc postage – I thought I’d have a look around. I found nothing, until, on the way out, saw a basket by the till… full of Crumpler bags.

And one Crippy Duck on the top.

The £90 bag was marked up as having cost £70, except, because it was in the sale, it was now only £40.

But the bargains didn’t end there; the barcode in the bag revealed that the bag was, in fact, £19. So I bought it pretty sharpish.

It’s a very nice bag, you know.