Bought a vintage Kelly and been so scared waiting...
- Thread starter gazoo
- Start date
Wow! 
She is so beautiful...now I have something for my own box kelly to aspire to! 
Congratulations!
She is so beautiful...now I have something for my own box kelly to aspire to! Congratulations!
Hello
Long time no post I'm afraid. Congratulations Gazoo on your purchase of such a lovely Kelly. I'm a big fan of vintage Kellys which certainly have more character IMO.
The clochette is fine, no concerns there and I have no reason to doubt it is the original. The clochette 'thongs' these days have a longer slit at the end so passing through the actual clochette through is easy enough. However, on vintage clochettes the slit is smaller so it is a real squeeze and with a leather like calf box it will crease it if you try to squish it through - been there, done that, now have creased clochette!
No concerns over the lack of Hermes on the lock. The lock and key number matches and it is commonplace that on older locks that Hermes is not engraved. I don't know when Hermes started engaving the locks.
With regards to the cracks, from your pics it is very surface cracking with little penetration into the leather. With good care/storage and regular maintenance you can arrest any further development of these. It's pretty standard on vintage Kellys particularly in that area that gets the most use because of the flap being lifted up and down.
If you are considering some sort of healthcare check for your new treasure at Hermes they may well colour in the surface cracks in a routine conditioning or it may be something you need to request or seek advice. I'm not sure what is included in the US.
Hope this helps and congrats again on such a beauty - pretty good price too!
Best wishes
fleursetcarlines.
Long time no post I'm afraid. Congratulations Gazoo on your purchase of such a lovely Kelly. I'm a big fan of vintage Kellys which certainly have more character IMO.
The clochette is fine, no concerns there and I have no reason to doubt it is the original. The clochette 'thongs' these days have a longer slit at the end so passing through the actual clochette through is easy enough. However, on vintage clochettes the slit is smaller so it is a real squeeze and with a leather like calf box it will crease it if you try to squish it through - been there, done that, now have creased clochette!
No concerns over the lack of Hermes on the lock. The lock and key number matches and it is commonplace that on older locks that Hermes is not engraved. I don't know when Hermes started engaving the locks.
With regards to the cracks, from your pics it is very surface cracking with little penetration into the leather. With good care/storage and regular maintenance you can arrest any further development of these. It's pretty standard on vintage Kellys particularly in that area that gets the most use because of the flap being lifted up and down.
If you are considering some sort of healthcare check for your new treasure at Hermes they may well colour in the surface cracks in a routine conditioning or it may be something you need to request or seek advice. I'm not sure what is included in the US.
Hope this helps and congrats again on such a beauty - pretty good price too!
Best wishes
fleursetcarlines.
Congratulations 
Okay - well I dropped her off at Hermes this morning and actually was able to talk to the crafstman myself. She is a very nice lady with a fabulous french accent! Anyway she said that the bag is in excellent condition and that she would remove the clochette (she actually did so while we talked though it was a huge struggle) and after reconditioning it would put it back on because it looks best that way. She also said that the bag was sturdy enough for everyday use just as long as I tried not to take her out in the rain. I asked if having the shoulder strap clipped on the handle rings would wear the handle in any way, and she said no that it would be fine. She said that these bags are made to be used.
I asked if I should be putting anything at all on either the Kelly or my Togo Birkin, lotions or balms etc. She responded that each leather is treated at Hermes and I shouldn't put anything on it myself except for maybe wiping it down with a soft cloth. She said that the best thing I could do for any Hermes bag was to always fill it with tissue and store it standing especially with the Togo which will "collapse with time as it softens".
Turn around time is estimated at 4 weeks and the cost is $80. She said that she would polish/fix the top corners where the leather is showing wear. She was very nice and I told her I was nervous to ensure its authenticity and she said not to worry that everything was "all good".
Now this is what I found curious. She didn't make a large point of looking at the craftsman stamp, or other areas that I always look at when browsing on ebay, etc. She mainly looked the bag over from the outside, put her hand in and felt the inside and then really inspected where the straps are sewn onto the bag from the inside of it. She really really stared at that area very focused like, during which time I thought I might throw up because of course it was a fake bag or why was she so serious right?? Well after this is that she said "ok everything is fine". I thought I'd share this experience with all of you because I myself found it very facinating.
I'll post pics of her when I pick her up, hopefully in time for Thanksgiving.
I asked if I should be putting anything at all on either the Kelly or my Togo Birkin, lotions or balms etc. She responded that each leather is treated at Hermes and I shouldn't put anything on it myself except for maybe wiping it down with a soft cloth. She said that the best thing I could do for any Hermes bag was to always fill it with tissue and store it standing especially with the Togo which will "collapse with time as it softens".
Turn around time is estimated at 4 weeks and the cost is $80. She said that she would polish/fix the top corners where the leather is showing wear. She was very nice and I told her I was nervous to ensure its authenticity and she said not to worry that everything was "all good".
Now this is what I found curious. She didn't make a large point of looking at the craftsman stamp, or other areas that I always look at when browsing on ebay, etc. She mainly looked the bag over from the outside, put her hand in and felt the inside and then really inspected where the straps are sewn onto the bag from the inside of it. She really really stared at that area very focused like, during which time I thought I might throw up because of course it was a fake bag or why was she so serious right?? Well after this is that she said "ok everything is fine". I thought I'd share this experience with all of you because I myself found it very facinating.
I'll post pics of her when I pick her up, hopefully in time for Thanksgiving.
Oh Golly - my stomach was in knots, reading this, Gazoo!! I'm so glad you're getting your girl spiffed up and ready for the holidays - enjoy!! 
Gazoo - thanks for sharing your experience with the craftswoman! I always find these stories fascinating and so glad you had a positive experience! 
I can't wait to see your after pictures!
I can't wait to see your after pictures! 