Can this Ottone Veneta be saved?

[VCHIK]

I picked up this medium Ottone Veneta for $45 from a reputable consignment shop. Everyone is sure it's authentic. As you can see from the photos below, this bag was extremely loved, hence the low price. My question is if it can be rehabilitated? I can't tell if it's filthy or if the dye has actually worn off. Structurally the bag is in very good condition. I took it to the best purse/shoe repair in town and they wouldn't touch it. They told me that since I basically have nothing to lose I could try washing it. Which I did with cold water and distilled white vinegar only. It looks somewhat cleaner, but not a lot, it's not completely dry yet either.
I will be in San Francisco and LA in two weeks and I've thought about taking it into one of the BV stores to get their opinions and to see if BV would be willing to rehab it. Or would they laugh me out of the store? I'd be willing to pay up to the current resale value for rehabbing or redying. I think my other option might be sending it to Luvin' My Bags to see what they can do.
What do you guys think, can this Ottone Veneta be rehabbed? What is the max you think I should spend to rehab it?
Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

[boxermom]

Because of the Ottone finish, it may be very difficult to clean and rehab. Why not call one of the likely BV stores you will visit and ask if Ottone is even accepted by BV for the spa treatment? That way you know if they will even touch it.

Good luck. I've never seen one quite this worn and soiled.

[castorny]

Ouch. Good luck. I hope BV or someone can help.

[doloresmia]

is this ottone or the gold BV did earlier? i don't know the color code for ottone. ottone was not made in veneta except by SO so you would know if this has a metal bv plate on the inside.

in any case, since you only paid $45, totally worth checking BV and/or loving my bags. good luck and make sure you show us the results!

[VCHIK]

Originally Posted by doloresmia

is this ottone or the gold BV did earlier? i don't know the color code for ottone. ottone was not made in veneta except by SO so you would know if this has a metal bv plate on the inside. in any case, since you only paid $45, totally worth checking BV and/or loving my bags. good luck and make sure you show us the results!

Ahh, thanks so much, I'm not as familiar with BV as I am with Balenciaga. So I double-checked the bag and and no metal BV plate inside so that would mean an earlier gold version?

[VCHIK]

Originally Posted by boxermom

Because of the Ottone finish, it may be very difficult to clean and rehab. Why not call one of the likely BV stores you will visit and ask if Ottone is even accepted by BV for the spa treatment? That way you know if they will even touch it. Good luck. I've never seen one quite this worn and soiled.

Yeah, if this bag could talk I wonder what it's stories would be?
In any case, I didn't know that BV accepted bags for Spa Treatment. (I live in the midwest nowhere near anyplace that even carries BV.) As I've found out above it"s not an Ottone, so I don't know how that will affect its chances for rehab. I will call the BV stores in San Francisco and LA to see what they say. Thank you for the suggestion.

[Mid-]

I believe this is a gold colour that came out earlier than ottone, which was introduced in Resort 07 and then Resort 08. It (the code) certainly is different from the ottone that I have, and I vaguely remember seeing this code somewhere else.

Best of luck to you!!

[shopaholic&baby]

no offense but I feel heart-broken when I see those pictures. I hope BV can do something about it to make it pretty again. keep us posted & good luck!

[VCHIK]

Originally Posted by shopaholic&baby

no offense but I feel heart-broken when I see those pictures. I hope BV can do something about it to make it pretty again. keep us posted & good luck!

Not offended at all, because I totally understand. I want to take this baby and heal it. I've sent an e-mail to BV, I'll let you guys know what they say about it.

[annie9999]

good luck- hope it can be saved.

[Baggiana]

Originally Posted by doloresmia

is this ottone or the gold BV did earlier? i don't know the color code for ottone. ottone was not made in veneta except by SO so you would know if this has a metal bv plate on the inside. in any case, since you only paid $45, totally worth checking BV and/or loving my bags. good luck and make sure you show us the results!

Just to let you know, my SO venetas do not have a metal plate inside, but do have my initials impressed into a leather "plate." My LE ostrich veneta does have a metal plate.

[boxermom]

8000 is the code for the gold-dusted suede leather. I should have looked it up before posting. Ask them, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. Good luck.

[jburgh]

Originally Posted by Mid-

I believe this is a gold colour that came out earlier than ottone, which was introduced in Resort 07 and then Resort 08. It (the code) certainly is different from the ottone that I have, and I vaguely remember seeing this code somewhere else. Best of luck to you!!

You are correct, my dear! Ottone is 7700. The older gold was 8000 like boxermom said.

[VCHIK]

I just got back from vacation where I was able to take the bag to the BV store in San Francisco. One SA there thought I could send it in for a spa treatment and another SA said "no", that it wouldn't look any better when I got it back. I appreciated his honesty. By the way, they told me this bag was never sold in the US.
So I sent the photos to Barbara at Lovinmybags. And she answered that the bag can definitely be rehabbed and it would look great. She said it would cost $325 maximum to restore the bag.
I can afford the $325, but I'm not sure if it's worth it? What do you ladies (and guys) think? And if I had it restored, but decided I didn't love it, could I sell it for more than $370 (my investment)?

[TDL]

VCHIK - if you really love the style of the bag then go for it! Send it to rehab.

The only thing I would tell you is because it's made of suede the original gold dust will not come back in the places where they've already fallen off. That is the nature of suede leather. It will just come back looking clean - so instead of seeing some gray, it will likely be restored to it's cream/taupe color hence some parts of the bag will have the gold flecks, others will be of the base suede without the flecks.

I was going to advise that you don't wash it yourself but I guess it's too late. What I notice is suede becomes tougher/rougher when we try to do a DIY clean at home. Best to send to a proper bag cleaner that specializes in cleaning suede.