Hello ********!
I'm so glad that you started this thread! And of course you've titled this conundrum perfectly!
Here is my cut and paste below from the "other" thread. (Not sure if I am doing any of this correctly btw, since I am a total Luddite, so it may end up looking really wonky!)
Originally Posted by Escala
I received "the call" yesterday morning from my
Saks SA letting me know that my fuchsia lamb mini had FINALLY arrived. However, I decided to pass on it and I have no regrets.
In fact, I'm kind of glad that it took this long to arrive. Because had it arrived earlier in the season, I would have purchased it immediately and I wouldn't have looked back. But because it took so long, I purchased the Patent Fuchsia in the meantime, something I never would have even considered doing since all my Chanels are lamb or caviar. Patent wasn't even on my radar! However, when I saw the Patent Fuchsia next to the Fuchsia Lamb, I discovered that I much preferred the Patent. It just looked more "special" to me (maybe because of the shine?), but I know for a fact that I LOVED the slight blue undertone! It just seems to suit my skin tone better (I've always favoured reds with a blue undertone too). I also feel like the blue undertone makes this bag a lot easier to match with shoes based on my observation of the fuchsia shoes available this season from various designers which also appear to have a blue undertone. But the clincher for me was when I brought my patent fuchsia home, I noticed that it really complemented all the colours in my wardrobe and looks particularly nice with anything navy blue (thanks to the blue undertone!)
Anyway, the only thing that caused me to doubt myself at any point was the fact that EVERYONE on TPF was raving about the Fuchsia Lamb. So, when I finally saw it in person, I was kind of disappointed to be truthful and I started to question myself and wonder why I wasn't loving this Fuchsia Lamb like everyone else? To me, it looked better (darker & more saturated) in the photos than in real life which is probably why I was disappointed. Furthermore, just as you have pointed out, the leather didn't seam as soft or luxurious. It felt like it had been treated with a coating of some sort that gave it a very matte appearance which I wasn't crazy about. The Fuchsia Patent, on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise and much prettier than any of the photos that I had seen.
So, I think it's a good idea for you to see the Fuchsia Patent in person if you can.
The lamb is pretty too and had I not seen the patent next to it, I probably would have purchased the lamb and been perfectly happy.
So, there is really no wrong decision here. It's just a matter of personal preference.
Best of luck with your decision!
Originally Posted by Escala
I am glad to hear that ******** will be weighing in on this discussion later today.
The fact that it is so difficult to choose between the patent and the lamb, tells me that both are pretty in their own way and wouldn't our lives be so much easier if one of them was just plain ugly?
Oh well, these are what my husband likes to refer to as "first world or one percent problems."
I too had the same concerns regarding patent colour transfer and the lack of ability to refurbish it. However, they were allayed after I reached out to Nadineluv who owns patent minis and described them as "very worry free."
So, in terms of overall durability, I think the patent fuchsia will look newer for longer than the lamb. This is kind of important to me because I am a bit of a freak when it comes to my Chanel bags. All of mine look brand new which can sometimes be a problem because my husband will often ask if I just bought a new bag and my response typically goes something like this, "Don't you remember when you bought this for me in Paris five years ago?!"
I am very careful to avoid colour transfer with all my bags, caviar or lamb. And although it is not discussed very often on this forum, colour transfer can and DOES occur easily on lambskin.
I realize that in these instances you can have the bag refurbished and re-dyed. However, refurbishing is a pain in the butt and can be costly too. You will be separated from your bag for months and the quality/finish of your lamb may not be the same afterwards, so I would not rely on refurbishing as a "safety net". In my opinion, it's best to exercise care and avoid colour transfer in the first place.
I own several rectangular minis and if you wear them as they are intended (crossbody), over time due to the rubbing against your hip, you will have abrasion wear on the back pocket of the lamb (similar to what happens on the corners of all lamb bags), whereas the coating on patent makes it more resilient to this type of wear.
I'm am usually a silent reader on this forum, but when I noticed that others were struggling just like me to choose between these two pretty options, I figured it was time for me to break my silence and chime in, especially since it looked to me like the patent wasn't getting a lot of love compared to the lamb!
Anyway, I hope this helps!