Bottega Veneta Hobo Help

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beauxgoris

beauxgoris

O.G.
Mar 17, 2006
15,010
448
#1
I've been thinking about getting a BV hobo for a few years now. I have a lot of nice bags (mostly balenciaga and one MJ) but I think that a BV would be nice as it would be a more classic or timeless bag - but it's also a bag that's casual enough bag to wear with jeans.
I know not everyone loves BV - but I love how understated it is (no logos) and that it's a wink and nod bag for those that have it.

That being said: I went to one Dept. store near me that was all sold out from the holidays - i went to a second Dept. store and they had ONE BV hobo in black. The SA told me that the only get 2 or 3 every six months or so. Once they sell out it can be a while until the next shipment. I just returned a different bag, so I was thinking of finally buying my BV hobo, but i'm not sure? Is what the SA said true? Is it really that hard to find a black BV hobo in stock?

I'd love to get feedback from any and all BV owners and lovers. I'm totally new to this line, so I could use some guidence.

Thanks in advance. I really appreciate it! :flowers:
 
#2
Hi,

If you are talking about the most common woven hobo, chocolate and black should not be hard to find as they are basic classics and are available througout the year. I live in NY, so whenever I stop into BV boutique in NY or Manhasset or the nearby Saks, black and/or the chocolate are available most of the time. If you are sure you want it, you may call the boutique in either NYC or Manhasset, Long Island to order it. Their return policy is 10 days in store credit only. However, if you're not sure you really want it, your best bet is to call around Saks or Neiman Marcus which have better return policies. HTH!

It's definitely a good choice for a BV starter. I'm beginning to love BV bags for their understated and subtle designs, yet screams out quality w/out labels on the exterior.
 
#3
I agree that it shouldn't be too hard to find. If you go to the store you may not see it on display as I find sometimes they just leave it in the cabinets in favour of their seasonal bag selections, but if you ask for it, most likely they'll be able to pull it out for you to see!

I don't have one yet, but I am just itching for one! I love it for the same reason I moved towards Balenciaga from LV. It has no logos and just an awesome classic timeless style. PLUS the leather is SO soft!! It felt like petting it a bit more and I could be put in a deep slumber. lol.

Since you're considering one now - I'd love to hear what your thoughts are about BV fakes. That is the only thing holding me back. With the black - it's SO hard to tell a BV is real unless you touch it. I've always been a firm believer that it doesn't matter as long as you know YOUR bag is real, but with all the fake BV I see around... I can't help but wonder - is it worth almost $2k for a bag that looks basically exactly like the ones you can get for $50? OBVIOUSLY, there's no way I would ever buy a fake - so am I destined to live BV-less my entire life?

I guess my problem is with other lines, you can tell the fakes from real a lot just by looking at the hardware and other details. But since BV is so simple, you can't really tell from a glance and would have to touch to know.

Does this bother you too or the thought hasn't even crossed your mind? If you have thought about it and don't care anymore, would you be willing to share how you got over it?

Many many thanks!
 
#4
For me, I don't stand as tall when I have a fake (I had a fake Kate Spade like 10 years ago) - even though it looked the same I knew it was a fake. BV is the ultimate lux cool non-logo bag to me. I think that a BV will last longer than a fake BV, so if you want it for the long haul (as I do) - i'd pay for the real deal.
jmo.
 
#5
I didn't think it was that hard to find a black hobo . . . I would think with all the Saks, NM and Barneys stores you would be able to find more that one. They produce them every year - part of their regular line.
 
#7
beauxgoris said:
For me, I don't stand as tall when I have a fake (I had a fake Kate Spade like 10 years ago) - even though it looked the same I knew it was a fake. BV is the ultimate lux cool non-logo bag to me. I think that a BV will last longer than a fake BV, so if you want it for the long haul (as I do) - i'd pay for the real deal.
jmo.
Click to expand...

Thanks beaux. I have never owned fake anything so I don't plan on starting! My big rule is to never ever own a fake handbag. The only option I could see is not owning the handbag at all. Real or nothing!

My whole problem was trying to get over feeling like an idiot for paying SO much more when people would think I'm just carrying the $50 fake version... and I wasn't sure knowing myself that it was real would overcome feeling stupid about spending so much.

So thanks so much for reminding me that it IS worth the investment because it will last me forever so I wouldn't be wasting my money. :yes: You know the feeling when you're searching for your glasses and the entire time they're on your head? Well - that hasn't happened to me before, but I would think that feeling is sorta like what I'm feeling now... duh! :shame:

Anyhoo - back to you. If the one you're thinking of is the one Renee Zellweger's been seen carrying - you shouldn't have that much trouble finding it. It comes in both a small and large size and I believe Renee's is the large size. Don't let an SA bully you into buying it by using the "it's the last one and once I sell it you'll have a hard time finding it" shpeel. It'll be there for you when you want to buy it! Maybe not from your local department store (depending on the stock), but definitely from a BV store!

Thanks again for answering me and giving me such GREAT thoughts!
 
#8
Here it is pretty hard to find the hobo and the ball bag because they just get one shipment with a handful of bags every quarter and when they're sold out they're gone. That's a reason why it took me 6 months to get my ball bag.
But we just have really tiny BV shop in the Germany. IMO it's much easier to get the hobo in the US because they're always on Saks.com, Neimanmarcus.com and bergdorf.com. It seems that it's a bit harder to get the ball bag in another colour than white.
I actually don't care if there are fake BVs out there as nowadays there's fake anything. IMO the LV fakes are much worse. A fake BV can never be that soft as a real one and at least I know that my bag is real and that's the only thing that matters KWIM? If you don't want that people think your BV is fake, I'd go for the ball bag as I've never seen a fake of it. IMO you can tell the difference in chocolate and the lighter colours as you can see that leather more detailed.
Good luck, you'll love it!
 
#9
jadecee - I am with you - I think the BVs are so heavily faked and since many are a simple design, it is difficult to tell if it is real without actually touching it. But some of the more recent styles are more distinguishable - woven with plain leather, unusual shapes, etc. I actually just bought my first one and love it - it is the softest leather!

beauxgoris: good luck in finding your bag!
 
#10
Beaux - When I got mine, the SA called around several NMs to find it. So, if you pass up on it, it's still possible to get it if the SA is willing to call around. You can always call BV in NYC. I had a question a few weeks ago, called and spoke to someone named Joseph who extremely nice.
 
#11
neimanmarcus.com has the brown and hazelnut large woven hobo available.

your sa was probably right that they only get a few and have to wait until they get another shipment. I haven't seen it in stores very often. However BV boutiques have them all the time. The only thing about getting it from BV is that they have a short return policy and then its for store credit only.
 
#12
i got my first BV hobo this past December and now I want another one. I just love their bags. I went to the boutique in Atlantic City and they had the black and the brown in stock. Also another good thing with a BV bag is that they will clean the bag for you free of charge for the first year if in case you do get it dirty. i thought this was a wonderful service that they offer. You will love the hobo and will be hooked on BV once you get yours.
 
#13
I would go online to BOTTEGA VENETA and get the number for the personal shopper consultant. She's very nice- I think her name is Ana. Tell her what you're looking for and she'll track one down in one of the many BV stores for you. There are also two BV outlets, however, they usually have only the seasonal colors on sale (red, etc.) The brown and black hobo colors are icon staples and they're hard to find on sale.

Which hobo are you thinking about? There is a large one and a smaller one called the medium Veneta. They are so timeless and beautiful and get better with age. Also consider the Campana hobo. It's an even smaller version with a different shape and a double strap (I think this was recently discussed on another thread) It's my favorite of the hobos.:P

It would be a shame not to ever invest in one because of the fakes out there. When you have a real one, you will know, and you'll feel great wearing it. Don't worry that people might not believe it's real, it's for you to enjoy-and believe me, you will!;)
 
#14
^^^As Marly said, you could order online. They are very helpful. BV doesn't sell the masses of bags that LV or Coach and other brands sell, so the stores don't have a large stock of them. A black hobo will be a classic bag for years and years.

Everytime I've seen a fake there's something tell-tale; usually the font is wrong. There's a coral bag on eBay right now that I wouldn't bid on--the font is incorrect and it doesn't have the "Made In Italy" below the "Bottega Veneta" inside. The more BV's you see, the better you get at telling when they're authentic.

Hope you find your BV hobo!
 
#15
From what I remember--I believe if you buy from online and you're from the US, you can buy it on "consignment"--meaning they send you the bag and "charge" your card. But you have the right to return the bag if it's not what you thought it was going to be... Definitely email their personal shopper that's listed on the website. They're really good at answering questions quickly.
 
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