Interestingly enough I was in Balenciaga East Hampton last month: I was wearing my very well worn 2002 flat brass hobo. The young man that was on the sales floor greeted me when I walked in and then complimented my bag. I told him I was collector from the early N.G. years and how most people wouldn't even have noticed my bag, but he knew. ("if you know, you know" he said). I told him I just wanted to see the new models and we talked about how great the original designs were. The most interesting part was that he told me he had tons of people coming in asking for the old model city bag or work - and that he had to direct them to the next best version of the older design. So ironic that a new generation wants that 2000 - 2010 look of the city, first and work bags - but they don't really have that kind of stock anymore.
Btw I'm heartbroken that CeeJay can't read this update - she would have loved my interaction with the next gen of Bal sales people and info.