Can't decide on Leather Replacement

[LeahLVoes]

Hey Everybody!
I can't seem to make up my mind.
I bought myself a Speedy 40 fully intending to have all the Leather replaced. The Bag itself is from 89 which made it very special to me. The Datecode is VI8904 which is basically my birthdate too. So I intended to have that thirty year old girl redone and brought back to her former glory and to give her a frech start patina wise... But now I'm not sure any more. The patina looks really good and the overall condition is better than described by the seller. But one thing does bother me. The little piece of leather that holds the lock is torn so it not functional anymore.

The full leather replacement will take 2 month and cost 450€.

What do you think?

 

[beautycase]

Hey Everybody!
I can't seem to make up my mind.
I bought myself a Speedy 40 fully intending to have all the Leather replaced. The Bag itself is from 89 which made it very special to me. The Datecode is VI8904 which is basically my birthdate too. So I intended to have that thirty year old girl redone and brought back to her former glory and to give her a frech start patina wise... But now I'm not sure any more. The patina looks really good and the overall condition is better than described by the seller. But one thing does bother me. The little piece of leather that holds the lock is torn so it not functional anymore.

The full leather replacement will take 2 month and cost 450€.

What do you think?

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I think the leather looks overall fine and ofc you could clean it easily yourself but the torn leather part is really annoying. I would say it depends on how you would rather wear it? Vintage or more newly look?

 

[LeahLVoes]

I think the leather looks overall fine and ofc you could clean it easily yourself but the torn leather part is really annoying. I would say it depends on how you would rather wear it? Vintage or more newly look?

Yeah totally. It bothers me so much. And I really want this to be fixed but on the other hand the bag is so carefree. And I do like the vintage look of it. But having it remade and like new again would be nice.

 

[Loriad]

Yeah totally. It bothers me so much. And I really want this to be fixed but on the other hand the bag is so carefree. And I do like the vintage look of it. But having it remade and like new again would be nice.

I would lean towards having it redone. It'll be the best of both worlds. A "brand new" bag, with the date code you were looking for. You can create your own beautiful patina in the many years the "new" bag will last!

 

[coffeerun]

That might bother me too. I’d also lean on having it redone. I was in a similar dilemma. I have a Petite Noe from ‘91 in with LV for vachetta replacement. I thought I could live with some cracking on the top trim and strap but it was in poor shape even after I tried to condition it. LV quoted 14-16 weeks. It should be done mid March! Let us know what you decide!

 

[LeahLVoes]

So Ive been thinking. And I agree and I will get the leather replaced. Thanks everybody for your input.

 

[Loriad]

So Ive been thinking. And I agree and I will get the leather replaced. Thanks everybody for your input.

Can't wait to see pictures! Good luck!

 

[LeahLVoes]

Can't wait to see pictures! Good luck!

Thank you! I will share the results. Im very excited about it.

 

[boyoverboard]

I think this is a great idea. It will be like a brand new bag but will still have that special date code, and also the thicker, more durable canvas! Can’t wait to see how it looks!

 

[LeahLVoes]

So today I went ahead and brought in my Speedy 40 for the full leather replacement. It was a very pleasant experience. My SA was super helpful and double-checked with the Manager as she could not 100% confirm if the date code would remain. My SA confirmed the difference in Canvas from back in the day. She complimented the bag and said it was in great condition considering its age (32y/o).

Here are some before pics:

 

[Loriad]

So today I went ahead and brought in my Speedy 40 for the full leather replacement. It was a very pleasant experience. My SA was super helpful and double-checked with the Manager as she could not 100% confirm if the date code would remain. My SA confirmed the difference in Canvas from back in the day. She complimented the bag and said it was in great condition considering its age (32y/o).

Here are some before pics:

Can't wait to see the bag when it's finished!