How durable are the balenciaga city arena bags?

[moonshine122]

I apologize if this is a repeated thread... but, I'm in the process of saving up for the black Balenciaga City Arena bag (the classic version). When I stopped by Barney's yesterday to look at the bag in person, I was surprised by how the lightweight leather was almost paperthin.

Like most bag owners, I intend to give my City Arena a long and happy life. I've had a $150 black leather Coach bag (that I received as a gift) for 7 years that has been mistreated and it's still holding up beautifully. Would this be the case for the City Arena, as well? Of course, I plan on keeping it in a dust bag when it's not in use and have NO intentions of banging it up.

For those who own one, how long have you had yours and how intact is it now? Do they last for a long time or do they fall apart through normal wear and tear? I'm asking because I have a Mulberry Agyness ($1350) that is already showing signs of wear although it's been used less than 15x. =(

[Jira]

Hi, welcome to Balenciaga! The Care & Maintenance section has a lot of information on Bbag care.

Bbags are tougher than they look -- the leather might feel thin, but it can hold a lot. It stretches too, so the more you use the bag, the more supple it gets and will conform better to your bag's contents as well as the side of your body (if it's a shoulder bag). Bbags do scratch pretty easily, but there are amends to this; using leather care products and sending your bag off to LMB for a spa treatment are a few options. I'd say the handle and corners are what show wear first, but the rest of the bag may darken/spot later on. Most people at this point would call the bag "worn," but in terms of durability, a dirty Bbag works just as well as a new one. It's usually aesthetics that makes people want to trade an older Bbag in for a new one.

I think the average "usage" in years of a Bbag is maybe several years. But Bbags can go way beyond that Just because a Bbag looks dirty/worn doesn't mean it isn't usable anymore.

Here's a great thread on how Bbags age:
How do bbags wear/last/durability, do they scuff/scratch/spot easily?

Hope that helps!