I just did two red bags and though they aren’t super special colors, I agree with you on that they aren’t as satisfying to rehab like the black and brown ones I’ve done.
Coach Rehab and Rescue Club
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I have just given her another dunk so will see hiw she goes as she dries.
I got rid of perfume smell with aquarium charcoal. I put the bag in a plastic bin with three small bowls of the charcoal, and closed the lid. Every now and then I stirred the charcoal. It took at least a month if I remember correctly. I would have returned the bag because I specifically asked about smells, but it was a grey Willis in otherwise excellent condition.
Are we expecting too much of the bags re bag rehabs or are we thinking too much of ourselves.
Ive redone my green city because I was not happy but is it the age and condition of the bag that determines its successfull rehab? The red city is 2004 Costa Rica but I dont think the leather is as good as the 2002 Cista Rica. But it might be wear more than anything. The 2002 didnt have much wear at all. Yet this 2004 is still soft but lots of scratches on the top flap . Admittedly I did not rehab the 2002.
Ive redone my green city because I was not happy but is it the age and condition of the bag that determines its successfull rehab? The red city is 2004 Costa Rica but I dont think the leather is as good as the 2002 Cista Rica. But it might be wear more than anything. The 2002 didnt have much wear at all. Yet this 2004 is still soft but lots of scratches on the top flap . Admittedly I did not rehab the 2002.
There are things you can't correct. One thing I've never been able to correct is wrinkly leather. Some styles I fail when I reshape them. Many of my rehabs have saggy back pockets.
I think its natural for us to try and strive for perfection. But with something natural like leather, even if its been unnaturally dyed, its the imperfections that make a bag more interesting and give it charactor. Its my OCD that wants to correct the curl in my green city that drives me nuts. Its still there bit not as bad. I just have to stop trying to create an all new bag and enjoy what I have. I dont want to lose the enjoyemnt of rehabbing because Im trying to outdo myself. Rubbing conditioner into leather has been a great stress relief. Even if Ive spent waaaayyyy to much money buying the bags in order to do this. Which ironically adds to my stress.
I can't recover catalog pages from the Wayback Machine but sometimes you can find captures of web pages with information of interest to you. My experiences with the Wayback have mostly been "trial and error" and with a lot of error. Other TPFers may be able to give you better advice and I would like to hear it too!
Here is the link to the archived Coach.com pages on the Wayback Machine. I have better luck with Google Chrome than with other browsers but your experience may be different.
http://web.archive.org/web/*/coach.com
To find the original Coach listing for my rehabbed Kira, first I noted that the serial number on the creed indicated that it had been made in 2009 - so it was probably originally released in 2009 or 2010.
Then I searched for the Kira style number here on TPF and found that it was originally released at the boutiques in late July 2009. You don't want the date when it starting showing up at the outlet, you want to find it on coach.com when it was originally released at the retail stores.
I opened the Wayback site and clicked on 2009 and looked for blue or green circles on dates in late July and early August 2009. The blue circles contain direct links to archived pages and the green circles contain redirects. The redirects take longer and sometimes you get detoured so I prefer the blue circles - but you may not have a choice.
I clicked on some green circles in late July 2009 and uploaded a page featuring the Tribecca style bags. I tried clicking on various links like "New at Coach" and "View All Handbags" and most of them were dead ends.
I tried another date in late July 2009 and "New Arrivals" but it didn't lead to a page with Kira, so thin I clicked on "Handbags" and it opened up a list of collections - but none of them were "Kira"; so I clicked on "Boutique Exclusives" and there was Kira in 3 different colors!
Sometimes you can get to the next page with expanded details for a specific bag but I wasn't able to open any of the detail pages for Kira bags. At least now I know when it was released, that it came in green, blue, and brown and that it retailed for $898. I took a couple of screenshots and posted the images here on TPF with rehab pics of the blue Kira.
So that's my Wayback method and it can be a lot of work to produce little (or no) information; but I do like finding the original listings for bags that I've rehabbed when possible. I suggest you try some experimentation, start clicking around and see what you find. Be patient because it can take awhile for pages to load. Good luck and please share any tips that you figure out!
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More success with the Wayback Machine! I did some online searching and discovered that Kira had also been released in Red, so I searched the Wayback for dates around the 2009 holidays and I found Kira in Red, Gray, Blue. and Green!
If anyone wants a serious challenge...its not authenticated
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Coach-vintage-crossbody-shoulder-bag-/264673836014?_ul=NZ
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Coach-vintage-crossbody-shoulder-bag-/264673836014?_ul=NZ
Dear all,
I recently purchased a Madison Biltmore bag in red. It is in good vintage condition however it appears to trigger my asthma. I have cleaned the leather with leather CPR and the inside lining with diluted Dettol solution (also hovered the lining).
I am very sensitive to Secondhand books and always have to clean them and freeze them before I read them.
Surely I can't freeze a leather bag?
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
I recently purchased a Madison Biltmore bag in red. It is in good vintage condition however it appears to trigger my asthma. I have cleaned the leather with leather CPR and the inside lining with diluted Dettol solution (also hovered the lining).
I am very sensitive to Secondhand books and always have to clean them and freeze them before I read them.
Surely I can't freeze a leather bag?
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Hi everyone,
I have a question about paint on a bag. The Devon that I’m attempting to touch up with a paint and cpr mix appears to have had the edges on the strap painted (like edgecoat on the newer bags). Is there a way to strip it out? If so, how?
Sorry if this has been asked before. I did a search but couldn’t find anything. Maybe I wasn’t searching the right key words. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!
I have a question about paint on a bag. The Devon that I’m attempting to touch up with a paint and cpr mix appears to have had the edges on the strap painted (like edgecoat on the newer bags). Is there a way to strip it out? If so, how?
Sorry if this has been asked before. I did a search but couldn’t find anything. Maybe I wasn’t searching the right key words. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!
I think you have to pick that stuff off, which is tedious. You could maybe try gently sending after to make sure you're down to raw leather. Do you have a photo? Maybe others have better suggestions.
I did once redo the edge-kote on a contemporary bag, and that's how I got the leather clean.
In my case the unexpected outcomes that exceed my expectations are such a tease! One of the reasons I can be cheap about buying bags online (besides the obvious, I would like to pay as little as possible) is that how they will rehab is a complete unknown! I had such high hopes for a camel Bleeker Basket tote, because there was no wear on the handles, but the leather just was not the same as the leather on the blue and two black bags I had in the same style, interestingly. It’s a rehab dud.
And then I look at the fabulous outcomes others have here and I think am I doing something wrong??
I was fortunate to score a Maggie in periwinkle and an Abbie in cornflower blue for cheap, in good condition. They confirmed my instincts to pass on these colors with any significant wear.
If you have worked with yarn, or even thread, you know that they come in dye lots. I think of leather used in these bags in the same way. While I notice general tendencies with certain colors or shades Coach used over the years, I could expect different colors, even from the same season, to clean up differently.
Whenever I post pics of my Patti in taupe, it gets the likes. Yet under that gorgeous flap and on the bottom it is all Wrinkle McWrinkly
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I have had to remove edge coat on the more modern classics when it was cracked and missing in areas.
I had to pick it off by hand which took forever and my fingers would get sore so I would leave it for a few days and get back to it. Some areas were stuck more securely than others and I would have to carefully pick at it with cuticle nippers to loosen it enough to get a hold with my fingernails to pull off the next bit. It worked for me but took a while.
I hope this helps you.
I haven't been doing this very long yet, and I think my results are part inexperience, part materials. I don't have a variety of conditioners and finishes yet, so I think for me that may be why my bags aren't yet reaching their full potential...In my case the unexpected outcomes that exceed my expectations are such a tease! One of the reasons I can be cheap about buying bags online (besides the obvious, I would like to pay as little as possible) is that how they will rehab is a complete unknown! I had such high hopes for a camel Bleeker Basket tote, because there was no wear on the handles, but the leather just was not the same as the leather on the blue and two black bags I had in the same style, interestingly. It’s a dud.
And then I look at the fabulous outcomes others have here and I think am I doing something wrong??
I was fortunate to score a Maggie in periwinkle and an Abbie in cornflower blue for cheap, in good condition. They confirmed my instincts to pass on these colors with any significant wear.
If you have worked with yarn, or even thread, you know that they come in dye lots. I think of leather used in these bags in the same way. While I notice general tendencies with certain colors or shades Coach used over the years, I could expect different colors, even from the same season, to clean up differently.
Whenever I post pics of my Patti in taupe, it gets the likes. Yet under that gorgeous flap and on the bottom it is all Wrinkle McWrinkly