^^^ thanks TammyD! I initially thought ostrich will darken over time, e.g. develop a patina, adding a shine. Then reading some info about its colour will fade, therefore lighten rather than darken. So i'm quite confused. Is it the bottom line that there will def be dis-coloration no matter what? Be it darken or lighten? I need to have another good chat with my SA who is the bag buyer of the store so maybe she can explain better.