TAKASHIMAYA NYC DEPARTMENT STORE COLLECTIBLE SET OF 4 RARE SHOPPING BAGS NEW

Description

If you knew the exceptional Takashimaya department store on Fifth Avenue in New York City (opened in the mid-90s), then you know what an awesome, curated specialty shop looks like.. "Less is more," seemed to be the mantra of the store.....it appeared to be more of a museum, with edited merchandise, displayed as if it were a gallery.  Everything about it was special, including the shopping bags for packaging merchandise.
When the store first opened, there were five different types of bags, and all kinds of nifty boxes--including the famous triangle-shaped box. with glittery bronze tissue paper, folded inside like origami, pleated and fitted.  It was a true little treasure.
Here is a collection of FOUR of the bags from the store.  They are all new, unused, but the largest bag has wear at the top edge, see pictures, although the pictures make it look worse than it really is, sorry!), simply from being stored in a bad place in my office.  Truly, the bag is in much better condition than these two detail photos make it look.
Also, the largest bag is made of a significantly lighter paper, while the others are constructed from much heavier stock.  That is another reason it has not held up as well as the others.
If you are interested in the signature triangle bag, alone, then I have one of those on ebay right now, in a single auction.  Take a look.   ALSO:  I  have
one of the VERY rare, asymmetric trapezoidal bags, in another, different, single auction on ebay right now, too.....that bag is VERY different from these trapezoidal bags--that one does not have tassels (handles) and it is NOT symmetric.  It is a VERY rare bag.)
This collection of four bags consists of the triangle bag and three different-sizes of the trapezoidal-shape (symmetric) bag. These bags are wonderful to use to give gifts to someone....the bag itself is a gift! They are made from a beige, heavy paper, with cording handles (two), dark-dark brown or black, cannot tell, with tassels.
The three trapezoidal bags say "Takashimaya" on both sides, in a darker beige--gold-tinged color (not metallic) writing, and the triangle bag has the store logo on ONE side and a Japanese character on another side. The bags are new, never really used, but the BIGGEST bag has some wear around the top, just from storage in my office -- and gain, it is made from much lighter stock than the other bags.
Up until a certain time in the 90s, I guess, the store had five different types of bags.
The triangle bag:  It is a rarity (selling on Etsy for ++ ) now, since the store closed (give or take) ten years ago.... and it is a wonderful bag to use to give a special gift to someone.  it is beige heavy paper, with cording handles (two ); each side is about 10.5" and it has a triangular piece of cardboard in it, to put on the bottom of the bag when it is open.  One side says "Takashimaya" and another side has a Japanese character. Third side is blank.  It is about 10.5" high.  Excellent condition
The  THREE trapezoidal bags:
Small bag:  9" across the bottom, 12.5" across the top, and 6" gusset; absolutely excellent condition.
Medium bag:  11" across the bottom, 17" across the top, 5.5 " gusset; excellent condition BUT, there are two little spots about 5" down from the top edge, along one side edge of the bag, and on the other edge, same side, are two tiny little marks, also, hardly discernible.
Large bag:  16" across the bottom, 21" across the top, and 7" gusset.  This is the one that is made of a much lighter paper, more delicate and this is the one that is not in the same good condition as the other three. That is to say, you would not want to put a gift in it to give to someone.  Still, it's rare and of a wonderful design....beautiful.
To ship, I may not be able to ship flat, and will have to use a large box, to sort of put the largest bags in a kind of U shape, NOT FOLDED, but scooped in a way.  I fear that if I try to ship flat, it will be very oversize, and cost even more.   I did a fast search about shipping prices to accommodate the largest bag.  It may turn out that I have to ship Fed Ex. which could likely cost less.