Coach Rehab and Rescue Club

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#20,836
Ava_13579 said:
Hoping for an opinion from those more experienced than me.
May I ask: do you think this will rehab well?

I'm starting to feel kind of nervous about it.

The bag definitely has some wear, like:
- Edges, including the corners
- Top handle - Edges (at the back of the bag)
- Loops
- I shouldn't be worried about the leather around the turnlock, should I? (Shown in last picture, below.)

I could see a navy Court becoming the bag I wear most, including for work. So I'd really like it to turn out nicely and look professional.
I'm wondering if I went for a bag that's a bit too worn out already?

(Don't think the listing is relevant, but just in case you're curious: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-COACH-Court-Bag-9870-Top-handle-Crossbody-Satchel-Purse-Dark-Blue-Navy/113762554028)

P.S. Let's say you start with a bag like this, and rehab it. And then wear it quite a lot, so it's not in great condition. Do you find you're able to rehab the bag again, down the road? (Realize this depends on what kind of damage you do to it. But just curious, in general.)
If you get a bag that's in great condition from the get-go, and don't rehab it as soon as you get it, I'm assuming that's ideal? So you can rehab the bag later?


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Ava_13579 said:
I purchased the bag.
When I looked at this bag, I didn't look at it too closely or consider it too much. My bad. The seller said it was in good condition, and I just went ahead and bought it.
In a subsequent message, the seller mentioned the edge wear. I think she noticed that, after that message, my enthusiasm diminished.

Then, a couple of hours ago, she gave me the option to cancel by today if I'd like.

Sigh. I don't know.
Click to expand...
I think it looks in very good condition. Yes, there is edge wear but it is really minor. After a rehab, it should be almost invisible. If you want a bag in new condition, you should be prepared to spend at least 3 times the amount. I wouldn't hesitate to go through the transaction. Yes, you can rehab a bag again later if it needs it. However, if you keep it maintained with regular conditioning, it probably wouldn't need it.
 
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#20,837
whateve said:
Pen marks are a definite no unless you are willing to live with them. Don't expect them to clean off. Any stains or marks may not clean off. I wouldn't worry about scratches. All glove tanned leather scratches easily. Even brand new items have scratches. Conditioner usually makes them not noticeable. Uneven color or faded color will probably even out and deepen with rehabbing but there are no guarantees. I don't worry about minor edge wear. That usually responds well to rehabbing. Scuffs are in the same category as scratches. Only if they are exceptionally deep do I worry. I wouldn't give a thought to worn edges or tattered leather edges. That is natural because Coach didn't use edge coating back then. I think that was a good thing. A bit of conditioner usually gets these hairs to lie down.
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While deciding about the navy bag I posted above, thinking back to this, from @whateve. ^

I've now realized I don't know what scuffs qualify as exceptionally deep?
Or if exceptionally deep edge wear falls into the same category as exceptionally deep scuffs?

LOL I've mentioned this before, I'm in Canada, so a $51 USD bag will cost $85+ USD after import and shipping. ($114 Canadian dollars. With the conversion, it's like Monopoly money right now.) So when possible, trying to rehab bags that have a decent hope; I've only rehabbed a few, so I don't really know what I'm looking at.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
#20,838
whateve said:
I think it looks in very good condition. Yes, there is edge wear but it is really minor. After a rehab, it should be almost invisible. If you want a bag in new condition, you should be prepared to spend at least 3 times the amount. I wouldn't hesitate to go through the transaction. Yes, you can rehab a bag again later if it needs it. However, if you keep it maintained with regular conditioning, it probably wouldn't need it.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU!!!
 
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#20,842
Catbird9 said:
It's too bad when seller's don't disclose modifications like that.

If the holes in the strap bother you and you don't want to use them, you can fill them in with a bit of Fiebing's leather cement and paint over them with a matching fabric paint mixed with conditioner.

Or, if you want to use them, you could get a leather punch and re-punch them so they have nice round edges. (Or you could pay a leatherworker to do that.)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! I’m considering re-punching them. I’m 5’4”, and even on the shortest setting, the strap barely works as a crossbody for me. I probably wouldn’t have bought it if I’d known about the holes in advance, but now that they’re there, I might take advantage of them.
 
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#20,843
Last edited:
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#20,844
katev said:
There's a brown basic bag, made in NYC, on ebay for $17 with free shipping. The pictures are poor but it is worn and faded. I can't tell if the piping is just worn or if it has worn through. It may be missing the hangtag - see link below:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Coach-Bag-Purse-Brown-Made-in-New-York-USA-574-1939/123613125645?hash=item1cc7ea9c0d:g:YsAAAOSwl1lcS8OR&LH_BIN=1
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I think I will take a chance on this and see how it rehabs. I just posted it to be authenticated. Thanks for posting!!
 
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#20,847
#20,849
I always wanted to get a vintage Coach bag so I was really happy to find this City bag at Goodwill (about $20, which I think was fair). It was made in Turkey in June 1998. I love how it feels!
DSC_4958.jpg DSC_4973.jpg

I've been following this thread since I acquired the bag, and I cannot wait to clean it. It's quite inspiring and motivating to see what everyone is doing to restore their bags! I want to document this whole process since I've never done something like this, so I am taking a few pictures for fun. I'm waiting on the Blackrock Leather conditioner I ordered to start, which should arrive next week.

The top of the bag has a rougher texture than the flap which I don't really know if it can be softened. It needs quite a bit of cleaning inside the bag; there's some broken glass/plastic in the zippered pocket, among hair and small pieces of scrap.
DSC_4954.jpg DSC_4943.jpg DSC_4971.jpg

There's some verdigris on the locks and on the leather: it's inside so it isn't really visible at least. I'm wondering what's the best way to tackle the hardware; will it ever look solid without any scratches? I'm not sure how much polish will be needed or if it's just going to make the scratches worse. I tried the magnet trick to see if it's plated or solid: it seems to stick on the lock itself, but not on the hardware on the flap (maybe there's just not enough solid metal to "stick"). I read bags from the 90s were likely plated brass.
DSC_4964.jpg DSC_4945.jpg DSC_4969.jpg DSC_4951.jpg
 
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#20,850
Spilledink said:
I always wanted to get a vintage Coach bag so I was really happy to find this City bag at Goodwill (about $20, which I think was fair). It was made in Turkey in June 1998. I love how it feels!
View attachment 4448665 View attachment 4448666

I've been following this thread since I acquired the bag, and I cannot wait to clean it. It's quite inspiring and motivating to see what everyone is doing to restore their bags! I want to document this whole process since I've never done something like this, so I am taking a few pictures for fun. I'm waiting on the Blackrock Leather conditioner I ordered to start, which should arrive next week.

The top of the bag has a rougher texture than the flap which I don't really know if it can be softened. It needs quite a bit of cleaning inside the bag; there's some broken glass/plastic in the zippered pocket, among hair and small pieces of scrap.
View attachment 4448672 View attachment 4448695 View attachment 4448690

There's some verdigris on the locks and on the leather: it's inside so it isn't really visible at least. I'm wondering what's the best way to tackle the hardware; will it ever look solid without any scratches? I'm not sure how much polish will be needed or if it's just going to make the scratches worse. I tried the magnet trick to see if it's plated or solid: it seems to stick on the lock itself, but not on the hardware on the flap (maybe there's just not enough solid metal to "stick"). I read bags from the 90s were likely plated brass.
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Welcome, and hope you enjoy your first rehab! Look forward to following along.
=)
 
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