I saw the Nice Collective bag on the formus for $250 ($500 retail)....

Not bad, I could see myself carrying it. However, I still like the looks of the Julius bag a lot better. I think the Nice bag is a little too generic looking-- it does not excite me. Thanks for the suggestion though!
Anyway, I just went ahead and ordered the Julius bag. I've mostly given up on the idea of buying items I don't like quite as much just because they're cheaper. Spending a large amount of money on an item I love and use heavily doesn't bother me nearly as much as spending money on something that I never use (or end up disliking).