Avid Pacific Beach shoppers wandering east of Ingraham Street along Garnet Avenue will be pleased to discover a new store whose name simultaneously beckons and forewarns: The Purse Addict. The new boutique at 1815 Garnet Ave., between Kendall and Lamont, offers an impressive array of flashy, sassy clutches, hobos, totes, satchels and evening bags. Small and cozy, the shop has one up on a typical boutique. Its proprietor, Les Ciapponi, has been a handbag wholesaler for the last 15 years. “Boutiques become very selective in what they buy,” he said. With a warehouse in San Marcos and 800 square feet in the rear of The Purse Addict, Ciapponi can shuffle merchandise to keep his showroom fresh. Moreover, being both wholesaler and retailer lowers the bottom line, allowing Ciapponi to price competitively, he said. “We’ve seen comparable bags for almost double (our prices),” he said. If Ciapponi has the eye for style, it’s his wife and partner, Janet, who crosses the Ts and dots the Is on the daily operations. “I’m the do-er,” she said. Ciapponi concurs. “I know where everything is in the warehouse, but I don’t know how to run the cash register,” he said. The couple agrees that their natures are usually complementary, but sometimes it’s unclear who’s in charge. The Purse Addict is his baby, but he has little chance to forget that his wife is a retired elementary school principal. “She was the boss at school for all those years, so she doesn’t like taking orders from me,” Les said. Janet believes the move to retail is a natural progression for her creative husband. “He is an artist,” she said. “Having this type of environment allows him to showcase himself.” Most bags at the shop are moderately priced at less than $50, but the couple will soon add a rack of $200 to $300 leather purses. The Purse Addict 1815 Garnet Ave. (858) 272-8585 FUN STORE FACTS • The Purse Addict also sells shoes, sunglasses, wallets, luggage and jewelry. • Les and Janet Ciapponi attended high school together, but didn’t date until they were reunited at their 25th reunion. • The Purse Addict has more than 150 handbag styles on display. • The Purse Addict was originally conceived as an outlet store.