Ask the Little Bald Bastard

Dear Little Bald Bastard,
  How come Coach bags cost so much when they're probably made by starving children in Nairobi getting paid three cents a day?
- Jenn

Dear Jenn,
  Because it's expensive to be a responsible corporate citizen. Environmentally efficient "green" factories, comprehensive employee benefits, massive donations to underprivileged families, leather taken exclusively from cows that die of happiness; these things are costly, and you should be proud to trade an obscene amount of money for the pleasure of knowing your hideous shoulder bag is contributing to the well being of the whole planet.

  Then again, it's possible that you're paying half a kajillion dollars for ten dollars worth of materials and labor because the popularity of the brand allows its manufacturer to get away with an obscene markup just by virtue of the name. But you're too smart to pay a wildly inflated price for a mediocre product just because of a logo on a tag, aren't you?

  Next week on Ask LBB, lose weight through a simple combination of diet and exercise!