Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
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Turns out my bag is a pretty rare tote Legacy tote from the 70s...not the best piece to do my first rehab on! Yikes! I've managed to get all the residue off with soap and water, but the sink drain indented the leather with rings...I'm putting a board on top of the still damp leather overnight. Hopefully it's not permanent...any suggestions are appreciated! 
I use Wenol or vinegar. With both, I have to use fine steel wool to scrub in order to get any results. Some people on here have a Drexel tool they use.
I use Brasso. I think it works fine. I usually apply with a q-tip then rub with a paper towel. It sometimes takes a couple applications if the brass is very tarnished, but I think it does a good job. The tarnish rubs right off.
I use wrights brass polish and love it, the bottle will last you ten plus years!
I would rub my hand on the inside of the bag while damp in that area to smooth out the indent and if that is not enough maybe overstuff it so it removes the indentation... Good luck
I love this bag congrats. I had this in British tan and sold it, it is really pretty! Coach calls this their original legacy bag and it is from the 70's!!
Nekolassa, I saw that auction last night as I was trying to find out more info on the bag! I couldn't believe it - I'd been inspired by all the posts here, went thrift shopping on July 4, and scored the tote at half off for 8.00! I wasn't even sure if it was real since it had no creed and there were no brass rivets. Still, the leather felt good enough to me that it was worth the risk. 
My first green bag didnt rehab as well as I had hoped...but considering her age (made in 1988-94), shes still a beautiful Leatherware City Bag, especially for $7.50!
The before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-140.html#post24925710
After cleaning the interior with a dry toothbrush, I gave her a warmer-than-usual bath and soak with Dawn. Rinse and stuff to dry. Used Leather CPR and Blackrocks 2x for both. Buffed with a horse hair blend brush and polished the brass a little.
The biggest issue was the spots on the bottom. I soaked them repeatedly with Soilove and scrubbed with a toothbrush. Didnt budge
But I guess theres just no way to know what the spots are or how long theyve been there. Im not gonna spend much time looking at her bottom...the top is just too beautiful!
The shoulder protector is not original equipment, but matches and adds a little something...sadly her hangtag was missing, but I can dress her up with a solid brass one.
The before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-140.html#post24925710
After cleaning the interior with a dry toothbrush, I gave her a warmer-than-usual bath and soak with Dawn. Rinse and stuff to dry. Used Leather CPR and Blackrocks 2x for both. Buffed with a horse hair blend brush and polished the brass a little.
The biggest issue was the spots on the bottom. I soaked them repeatedly with Soilove and scrubbed with a toothbrush. Didnt budge
But I guess theres just no way to know what the spots are or how long theyve been there. Im not gonna spend much time looking at her bottom...the top is just too beautiful! The shoulder protector is not original equipment, but matches and adds a little something...sadly her hangtag was missing, but I can dress her up with a solid brass one.
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I JUST LOVE THIS BAG! My first Italian Coach is a 1994 Madison Copley #4414 in Beechnut. The before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-140.html#post24925739
My jaw just dropped when I found her at Goodwill for only $7.50! There was some wear on her bottom edges and where the top handle joins the flap, but I figured I could deal with it...otherwise she was in spectacular condition.
As always, I used a dry toothbrush on the inside, then gave her a sudsy bath in Dawn. There were a few white spots on the outside that disappeared with a little gentle toothbrushing. Stuffed her to dry, and conditioned with Leather CPR while she was still a little damp.
Then I made a mixture of brown, black and just a dot of red acrylic to touch up the wear on the bottom edges of the bag and the edges of the strap. While at Jo-Anns buying paint, I discovered my new favorite rehab product: gloss enamel. After the touch-ups were completely dry, I re-painted with the gloss enamel and the fixes look good as new! Check out the detail photo of the strap edges.
I finished with Blackrocks, buffed with a horse hair blend brush and a microfiber cloth. Also my first adventure with pebbled leather, this rehab was a great success for me!
My jaw just dropped when I found her at Goodwill for only $7.50! There was some wear on her bottom edges and where the top handle joins the flap, but I figured I could deal with it...otherwise she was in spectacular condition.
As always, I used a dry toothbrush on the inside, then gave her a sudsy bath in Dawn. There were a few white spots on the outside that disappeared with a little gentle toothbrushing. Stuffed her to dry, and conditioned with Leather CPR while she was still a little damp.
Then I made a mixture of brown, black and just a dot of red acrylic to touch up the wear on the bottom edges of the bag and the edges of the strap. While at Jo-Anns buying paint, I discovered my new favorite rehab product: gloss enamel. After the touch-ups were completely dry, I re-painted with the gloss enamel and the fixes look good as new! Check out the detail photo of the strap edges.
I finished with Blackrocks, buffed with a horse hair blend brush and a microfiber cloth. Also my first adventure with pebbled leather, this rehab was a great success for me!
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Though Im not usually into fabric bags, let alone siggy ones, this MFF light gold and white bag looked like summertime fun to me! Found her at Goodwill for $14.99 and BeenBurned called her a Scribble Tote #F10805 from 2007. Before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-163.html#post24955782
She was pretty dirty on the bottom and corners, and it looked like a candy bar had melted in the bottom...the remains of a wrapper was there as evidence! An earlier experience with a fabric bag taught me how resilliant Coach fabric is, so she got a fairly hot bath in Dawn. The candy remains just melted away with little effort. I scrubbed with Soilove and a toothbrush on the bottom and corners with good results. Also used a little Awesome (Dollar Store spray cleaner) there too. Rinsed well and stuffed to dry. Conditioned leather with Leather CPR and were good to go.
Did I say perfect for summer? Though I (and the Goodwill cashier) had looked inside and saw candy wrappers, we missed the seashell and starfish bracelet somehow. Added bonus - its 925 sterling silver! Yay...yippee...yahoo!
She was pretty dirty on the bottom and corners, and it looked like a candy bar had melted in the bottom...the remains of a wrapper was there as evidence! An earlier experience with a fabric bag taught me how resilliant Coach fabric is, so she got a fairly hot bath in Dawn. The candy remains just melted away with little effort. I scrubbed with Soilove and a toothbrush on the bottom and corners with good results. Also used a little Awesome (Dollar Store spray cleaner) there too. Rinsed well and stuffed to dry. Conditioned leather with Leather CPR and were good to go.
Did I say perfect for summer? Though I (and the Goodwill cashier) had looked inside and saw candy wrappers, we missed the seashell and starfish bracelet somehow. Added bonus - its 925 sterling silver! Yay...yippee...yahoo!
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She looks beautiful. I love this green. One of my very first vintage finds was a new pocket purse in this color.My first green bag didnt rehab as well as I had hoped...but considering her age (made in 1988-94), shes still a beautiful Leatherware City Bag, especially for $7.50!
The before pics are here: http://forum.purseblog.com/coach-shopping/authenticate-this-coach-818914-140.html#post24925710
After cleaning the interior with a dry toothbrush, I gave her a warmer-than-usual bath and soak with Dawn. Rinse and stuff to dry. Used Leather CPR and Blackrocks 2x for both. Buffed with a horse hair blend brush and polished the brass a little.
The biggest issue was the spots on the bottom. I soaked them repeatedly with Soilove and scrubbed with a toothbrush. Didnt budge
The shoulder protector is not original equipment, but matches and adds a little something...sadly her hangtag was missing, but I can dress her up with a solid brass one.
You know I'm jealous of this one! I keep trying to convince myself I don't need a Copley. I have her little sister, Biltmore, who is a pretty good size for me.
You really made out with this one! What a nice bonus! I bet if the person who donated this bag could see what you have done with it, she would be sad she gave it away. I love this shape of this tote.
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