Normal wear and tear on Cabat?

shopaholicsister

shopaholicsister

Chanel fever
O.G.
Oct 19, 2006
697
242
#1
I'm thinking about finally getting a Cabat! But I'm in no rush and haven't yet decided if I want to buy one brand new from the boutique or if I want to try to find a gently used one online. So naturally I'm keeping my eyes open to new arrivals on consignment and auction sites and what I've seen so far has left me concerned about how the Cabat's leather wears over time. It seems like the edges on the handles crack and the leather gets rubbed out in many places...you can see what I mean if you look at the bags currently on Fashionphile (http://www.fashionphile.com/BOTTEGA-VENETA-Nappa-Intrecciato-Medium-Cabat-Black-21011) or eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bottega-Ven...H_Handbags&hash=item1c2295ee51#ht_8576wt_1108).

Is this normal wear and tear for the Cabat? If so, are they really worth buying brand new at full price? Lastly, BV do anything to refurbish the bags? I'd really appreciate any feedback you can give me. TIA!
 
#2
yoga1566 said:
I'm thinking about finally getting a Cabat! But I'm in no rush and haven't yet decided if I want to buy one brand new from the boutique or if I want to try to find a gently used one online. So naturally I'm keeping my eyes open to new arrivals on consignment and auction sites and what I've seen so far has left me concerned about how the Cabat's leather wears over time. It seems like the edges on the handles crack and the leather gets rubbed out in many places...you can see what I mean if you look at the bags currently on Fashionphile (http://www.fashionphile.com/BOTTEGA-VENETA-Nappa-Intrecciato-Medium-Cabat-Black-21011) or eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bottega-Ven...H_Handbags&hash=item1c2295ee51#ht_8576wt_1108).

Is this normal wear and tear for the Cabat? If so, are they really worth buying brand new at full price? Lastly, BV do anything to refurbish the bags? I'd really appreciate any feedback you can give me. TIA!
Click to expand...


i would say it really depends on the user. it takes effort/time to rub out the leather. and the cracking handles are definitely not normal. but if you are militant about having your bag look new forever, you should realize that classic BVs look better with use and age.

personally, i find BV leathers to be very hardy. they're my "beater bags" and they still look really good. if i treated my other bags the same way i did my BV's they would be totally trashed.

yes, BV does refurbish.

if you want to see other cabat which have held up well, check out Love That Bag on Malleries - she's a trusted seller:
http://www.malleries.com/bottega-veneta-c-3312-s-356.html?columns=true
 
#3
I agree with apey_grapey. The amount of wear and tear depends on the user, how they are stored, how often they are used, etc. It also depends on the type of leather used, the type of leather treatment, the color, etc. I think this would be true of any bag, not just BV.

My Cabats have held up well, to my eye and my standards, anyway. I don't baby them, either--I use them as commuter bags and for shopping and errands. I don't use them in the rain, though. My nappa Cabat has probably changed more than my stiffer and heavier calf Cabats, but it's probably my favorite, regardless, and I didn't expect it to look the same forever.

As for the Cabats that you listed in your post, they seem like they are probably more than several years old. Mine look like they're in much better condition, but I've only had mine between 1-3 years.

As for whether the Cabat is "really worth buying brand new at full price," that's really a question for you to answer. I've bought all of mine new from the boutique, and I have no regrets, but then again all of my BVs are from the boutique, except one that I got new from Neiman Marcus for full price (not that I have a huge collection; I just prefer to buy bags new from the boutique). I also bought them before the recent price increases, for what that's worth.
 
#4
Thanks for the input ladies! I actually have a couple of BVs already (large Veneta and New Pyramid) and they are both a few years old by now and have worn beautifully. I absolutely love how they have softened up and draped over time and I haven't had any of the issues I noticed in these listings - and that is exactly what raised the red flag of concern on the Cabat. I do realize though that the type of leather on the Cabat is different than on my other bags (I think the New Pyramid is nappa umbria(?)).

So I'm not concerned with the bag looking new forever but I certainly don't want to drop nearly $6k on something that is prone to the kind of wear that is on display in those two listings. It definitely helps to hear that this kind of wear isn't normal, and that BV can refurbish, so now I just need to decide if I want to buy new or pre owned. I have always purchased new so I don't really know that pre owned will work for me - I'll have to give that some thought.

Btw, I am pretty certain I want the nero nappa Cabat (hence the example listings I posted). It will be my first, and likely only, nero BV!
 
#5
apey_grapey said:
if you want to see other cabat which have held up well, check out Love That Bag on Malleries - she's a trusted seller:
http://www.malleries.com/bottega-veneta-c-3312-s-356.html?columns=true
Click to expand...

Thanks for this! I just checked out her stock and will keep an eye on it going forward. The bitter Cabat listed now is gorgeous! I would jump on it if I wanted another brown bag, but then again her asking price would probably push me to add just a little more to get a new ebano from the boutique.

The reflet Cabat is insanely gorgeous and I realize it was extremely limited, but $7k w/faded corners?!?! I would worry about other wear spots on the bag developing over time and I doubt BV could do much to refurbish that.
 
#6
yoga1566 said:
Thanks for the input ladies! I actually have a couple of BVs already (large Veneta and New Pyramid) and they are both a few years old by now and have worn beautifully. I absolutely love how they have softened up and draped over time and I haven't had any of the issues I noticed in these listings - and that is exactly what raised the red flag of concern on the Cabat. I do realize though that the type of leather on the Cabat is different than on my other bags (I think the New Pyramid is nappa umbria(?)).

So I'm not concerned with the bag looking new forever but I certainly don't want to drop nearly $6k on something that is prone to the kind of wear that is on display in those two listings. It definitely helps to hear that this kind of wear isn't normal, and that BV can refurbish, so now I just need to decide if I want to buy new or pre owned. I have always purchased new so I don't really know that pre owned will work for me - I'll have to give that some thought.

Btw, I am pretty certain I want the nero nappa Cabat (hence the example listings I posted). It will be my first, and likely only, nero BV!
Click to expand...

the napa cabat are made with the same napa as their other bags (except the cabat has double the intrecciato) so if you treat it similarly, it will wear the same way as your veneta. cabat also comes in vachete calf which is stiffer and a little heavier, as well as other leathers. bv metallics are very tough actually. it's not like the metallic will suddenly come off - you'll have to rub it on something. i guess the thing keep in mind that BV makes quality bags with first rate materials and careful craftsmanship (you have proof in your closet). the cabat is THE PREMIER BV bag so i can't imagine they would allow their standard to drop.
 
#7
yoga1566 said:
Thanks for this! I just checked out her stock and will keep an eye on it going forward. The bitter Cabat listed now is gorgeous! I would jump on it if I wanted another brown bag, but then again her asking price would probably push me to add just a little more to get a new ebano from the boutique.

The reflet Cabat is insanely gorgeous and I realize it was extremely limited, but $7k w/faded corners?!?! I would worry about other wear spots on the bag developing over time and I doubt BV could do much to refurbish that.
Click to expand...

the Reflet Cabat is sold out world wide - it was released several years ago - the only way to get it is via the secondary marketplace. i think it was quite a bit more than the regular cabat when it came out. seasonal cabat tend to cost more depending on treatment (i.e. the memory cabat is $11K) also, if you are seriously thinking of getting a new cabat from the boutique, keep your eye on the upcoming price increase this summer (30% bump :wtf: according to a poster here who said she was told that by her sales associate).
 
#9
I own the cabat.. I have had mine for several years... I don't use it as my

primary or every day bag for that matter but I am careful with all bags that

I own.. I say buy wear it & enjoy it... that is what I have learned to do and

to me a certain amount of "wear" shows "love"....
 
#10
apey_grapey said:
the Reflet Cabat is sold out world wide - it was released several years ago - the only way to get it is via the secondary marketplace. i think it was quite a bit more than the regular cabat when it came out. seasonal cabat tend to cost more depending on treatment (i.e. the memory cabat is $11K) also, if you are seriously thinking of getting a new cabat from the boutique, keep your eye on the upcoming price increase this summer (30% bump :wtf: according to a poster here who said she was told that by her sales associate).
Click to expand...

If memory serves me, the Reflet Cabat was somewhere in the 6400-6700 range when it was released, so $7k is still more than retail even with the corner wear. I wish I felt differently about the value of the listing price, though, because it is an absolutely breathtaking bag. And I realize that the metallic treatment won't just "come off", but when I think about the bag rubbing against my body and the potential colorless spots from that...it just makes me very hesitant to spend the money. I would love it if anyone here who has the Reflet could share how it has worn (beyond the corners). I really love the color and I would say that my top choices for the Cabat are plain nero, Reflet or Barcelona. I figured nero was my best bet since the other two are only available at resale at this point.

I haven't yet heard anything about another price increase, but I've been out of the BV loop recently. So thank you for the heads up on that! 30% is brutal!!! Honestly, my first love is Chanel and while I've been considering the Cabat on and off for years now, I keep getting distracted by growing my Chanel collection. Now I think I'm finally down to a 2 bag wishlist: one more Chanel reissue and the Cabat.
 
#11
hotshot said:
I own the cabat.. I have had mine for several years... I don't use it as my

primary or every day bag for that matter but I am careful with all bags that

I own.. I say buy wear it & enjoy it... that is what I have learned to do and

to me a certain amount of "wear" shows "love"....
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input hotshot. I definitely want to wind up with something I can wear and enjoy and I just want to be sure the Cabat isn't particularly delicate. I've been so happy with my Chanels and BVs thus far and can wear any of them without much worry!

On the other hand, I've had a bad experience with the only Lanvin in my collection...it is a bag I've owned for about 4 years and the leather has ripped where the handles connect to the bag and the clasp closure has broken...all of that with normal wear on my part. Lanvin can't do anything except replace the clasp - at a cost (almost $200!). I really like Lanvin but can't see myself buying another one of their handbags. That purse only cost about a thousand dollars and I got a few years of wear out of it so I'm not going crazy over it's current condition, but, I would be gutted if my $4-6,000 purse started looking so ragged so quickly!
 
#12
yoga1566 said:
If memory serves me, the Reflet Cabat was somewhere in the 6400-6700 range when it was released, so $7k is still more than retail even with the corner wear. I wish I felt differently about the value of the listing price, though, because it is an absolutely breathtaking bag. And I realize that the metallic treatment won't just "come off", but when I think about the bag rubbing against my body and the potential colorless spots from that...it just makes me very hesitant to spend the money. I would love it if anyone here who has the Reflet could share how it has worn (beyond the corners). I really love the color and I would say that my top choices for the Cabat are plain nero, Reflet or Barcelona. I figured nero was my best bet since the other two are only available at resale at this point.

I haven't yet heard anything about another price increase, but I've been out of the BV loop recently. So thank you for the heads up on that! 30% is brutal!!! Honestly, my first love is Chanel and while I've been considering the Cabat on and off for years now, I keep getting distracted by growing my Chanel collection. Now I think I'm finally down to a 2 bag wishlist: one more Chanel reissue and the Cabat.
Click to expand...

I could be wrong because I didn't seriously consider buying the Reflet, but I recall that the price was in the $5K range that year (I think it was 2009, the same year that I bought my Barcelona). The Moon Cabat was also around the same price, I think, and I did consider that one and passed on it, so I remember that the price was $5600 or so. I got my Marcapunto Cabat in 2010, and though it was a non-standard Cabat with an upgraded leather and stitching detailing, it was still "only" around $5600. I think that the tie-dye Cabat and the iridescent beetle Cabats were in the $7000s, which at the time seemed higher than what we had been accustomed to seeing from non-exotics.

Concerning wear, I will say that my Barcelona metallic finish certainly has changed a little since I first got it. However, because it was so mottled and vintage-rubbed even when new, the wear isn't very noticeable, and it doesn't bother me. I think of it as a living finish (like vintage hardware finishes, such as oil-rubbed bronze, unlacquered brass, that sort of thing) that changes over time and shows age. I'm not sure if Reflet is in this category or not. I've never actually seen it in real life.
 
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