Bozack90

So I have one older piece of Samsonite soft side and a really big soft side American tourister sitting in my basement that I am thinking of giving the heave ho....

the AT needs a new pull and is a 29" roller which I picked up on the cheap but every time I fly with it I overpack it with stuff I don't need.

And the Samsonite is a 24" roller but it seems ridiculously heavy when compared to newer bags, seems indestructible but its too big for carry on which means I am adding weight for just the bag.

Wondering if you all keep older bags and continually use them or once you get new stuff dump them

MtlTourist

I actually just donated 5 old pieces of luggage to Goodwill the other day. It was amazing how much luggage I've accumulated over the years! All were in good condition and all the zippers still worked. I had a 26" rolling Samsonite from the mid 90's that was ridiculously heavy.

gobluetwo

Agree on donations. Will go to good use rather than just throwing on the trash heap.

alphaod

I toss my old bags or give them to friends who need an extra bag when they're moving.

Loren Pechtel

Suitcases that aren't really in good enough shape to fly anymore generally get used as storage containers.

lili

I recently packed a few older, larger ones with nice clothes I no longer wore and gave them to our California gardener who tries to help the poor in the village where he used to live. Much easier for him than hauling a paper bag full of stuff on his quarterly-ish visits to a Mexican village somewhere south of Texas and the suitcases themselves are appreciated. (He also shops garage sales and Goodwill here to find kid's bikes and bike parts and rebuilds them and hauls them south.) I like his one-on-one approach and appreciate that it's his penance for past bad deeds.

When I worked I put my office clothes in suitcases and donated them to a group that ran a Dress for Success kind of program for poor or homeless women trying to get back in the work force.

Any donation of suitcases works, but fill 'em up before wheeling them in.

Dianne47

Domestic violence shelters everywhere really need luggage donations. Women and children arrive with nothing to put their possessions in. Please donate.

lili

Great suggestion, Dianne47. Adding those old luggage locks that aren't TSA compliant might also be something to think about.

IsleOfMan

I just for the first time got rid of a fully-functional bag... I used a cheap 22" from a set I bought for my honeymoon 8 years ago to take give-away baby clothes to a friend in Chicago with no intention of taking it back.

ShopAround

I either donate, give them to friends or use them for clothes storage, depending on the condition they're in.

anna_cate

I gave my old luggage "samsonite" also to our neighbor than keeping and not using it because i have purchased new.

nave888

I keep a couple older, but useable bags. I have an old 24" expandable Tumi, and a small 19 or 20" Samsonite carry on. They're great if I'm going on a trip and expect to buy alot- I don't mind checking them, whereas I refuse to check my newer Tumi or B&R carry on.

Both bags are about 15 years old and pretty banged up, but they're strong nylon, and hold up well. I use them maybe twice a year, and for that purpose, they're great.

OrcaSnack

Old luggage is where my summer clothes live during the winter months, and vice versa. If you can't re-purpose the luggage, donate it. Even if the zipper tabs are broken off or there is damage, someone will be able to use it. If it is usable, don't throw it away.

oldpenny16

I donate older luggage to a family shelter so that's few folks won't have to use trash bags for luggage.

Jeannietx

Donate the bags to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or a homeless shelter.