Local Trivia: Connecticut and billboards

Proving once again that CT has a love-hate relationship with billboards -- the advertisements, not the top-ten-hits chart -- I passed a Carlton Cards store at the Buckland Hills mall on a Newbury Comics excursion with P.C. last week and saw a 90% off sign that caused me to cross (people) traffic to get a better look.

The 90% was off some weird-looking leather "animal" type things (I think one was meant to be an inchworm? That's how weird they were) and some bags in wallet, tote-in-handbag, and large-purse sizes. They were interesting, so I looked closer and saw that they were made by "Vy&Elle" -- out of recycled billboards.

They were way, way too expensive normally, and I didn't even bother looking too closely at the large purse that would have cost around $6 (or $7.50 for a different one), but I did buy a new wallet-type ID card carrier (to replace the MC Falcons one I've had these last six years, which is just about kaput) and a tote that would hold makeup during travel, if I ever used any. (You may be pleased to learn, however, that I do use shampoo and deodorant.)

I paid about $3.50 for the two items together.

While I applaud Vy&Elle's efforts to recycle stuff that would be thrown away into cool handbags, and while I'm impressed that their handbags could be taken out in the rain without being destroyed, I wonder about their prices, and question their product placement (in the Carlton Cards? Who's going to walk into the equivalent of a Hallmark Store to pay $75 for a handbag?).

I guess it's good that new urban chic (or discounted, discontinued urban chic?) is available even in Connecticut, but I'm also beginning to wonder what the people with money and power who might buy these things are carrying in those bags.

(Probably not granola.)