Civil servant keeps a spreadsheet of her 350 handbags – including £5 Primark to £2,500 Chanel

A mum who owns more than 350 handbags has revealed she has spreadsheet to keep track to her extensive collection. 

Nicola Crawford, 44, from Northern Ireland owns a whopping 362 handbags and says she’ll only stop buying them when she has one for every day of the year.

The civil servant, who lives with her husband and their 10-year-old daughter, Poppy, has been adding to the collection for around 20 years.

A mum who owns more than 350 handbags has revealed she has spreadsheet to keep track to her extensive collection

They range from £2,500 Chanel bags to £5 Primark bags but Nicola’s dream is to add a Mulberry bag to her collection.     

‘I keep them on shelves, in the wardrobe, under the bed, on top of the wardrobe and in my mum’s spare room but my most expensive ones are under lock and key,’ she said.

‘I have a spreadsheet and lists telling me exactly where they all are because it’s hard to find the one I want when they’re all under the bed.

‘I use a different one every day and my goal is to have 365 so I can have one for each day of the year.

Nicola Crawford, 44, from Northern Ireland owns a whopping 362 handbags and says she'll only stop buying them when she has one for every day of the year

Nicola Crawford, 44, from Northern Ireland owns a whopping 362 handbags and says she’ll only stop buying them when she has one for every day of the year

‘My husband is used to me, I buy them and they’re my hobby, he has his own hobbies.’ 

 ‘I’ve always loved handbags since I was a kid. 

‘My mum had a bright pink one that I was obsessed with then when I got my first job, that’s what I spent my money on and my collection just grew and grew.

‘It got to a stage where I had so many I had nowhere to keep them but my aim has always been to have one for every day of the year.

The civil servant, who lives with her husband and their 10-year-old daughter, Poppy, has been adding to the collection for around 20 years

The civil servant, who lives with her husband and their 10-year-old daughter, Poppy, has been adding to the collection for around 20 years

‘The first bag I bought was a simple black bag from Primark, I went shopping on my lunch break.

‘I buy the bags I like, some are branded and some are from Primark.

‘They don’t have to be expensive but my favourite is my Chanel bag.’

Nicola tries to use a different bag every day and makes sure she’s carrying one where ever she goes.

‘I take one of my handbags when I’m doing the food shop or the school run. I’m always carrying one where ever I go.

Nicola's handbags range from £2,500 Chanel bags to £5 Primark bags but Nicola's dream is to add a Mulberry bag to her collection. She is pictured holding a Chanel bag

Nicola’s handbags range from £2,500 Chanel bags to £5 Primark bags but Nicola’s dream is to add a Mulberry bag to her collection. She is pictured holding a Chanel bag

Pictured: Nicola Crawford's itemised list of handbags, including the ones she keeps under her bed

Pictured: Nicola Crawford’s itemised list of handbags, including the ones she keeps under her bed

Nicola Crawford's itemised list of handbags in a handwritten notes  including detail of what number they are

Nicola Crawford’s itemised list of handbags in a handwritten notes  including detail of what number they are

‘I want to buy a pretty special one for the 365th. I really want a Mulberry bag.

‘My husband will buy me a bag as a gift but I tell him which I want. My friends don’t really like to buy bags for me because I have so many.’

Nicola is itching for lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland to end so she can expand her collection.

Nicola is itching for lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland to end so she can expand her collection

Nicola is itching for lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland to end so she can expand her collection

Nicola said she plans her outfits around the chosen bag of the day and has to prepare the night before to save time

Nicola said she plans her outfits around the chosen bag of the day and has to prepare the night before to save time

She also confesses that she plans her outfits around the chosen bag of the day and has to prepare the night before to save time.

Nicola said: ‘I’m very organised and it takes so long to find the bag I want, even with the spreadsheet, that I have to plan the outfit and bag the night before.

‘I also have to transfer the contents of one bag into another so I don’t treat them like a dumping ground.

‘I’ll decide what bag I’m wearing then choose the outfit that will go so if I haven’t used one bag for a while, I’ll find an outfit to match it.

‘Poppy is starting to get interested in handbags now and I’ve told her that she can borrow any of mine as long as she looks after them.’

Nicola added that she'll let her 10-year-old daughter borrow her handbags as long as she takes care of them

Nicola added that she’ll let her 10-year-old daughter borrow her handbags as long as she takes care of them