Ooh the plot thickens! It's not an "A" date stamp if the bag is post-1953, maybe it's a V that now shows after re-polishing?
Dating a vintage Kelly
- Thread starter Tonimichelle
- Start date
Stunning bag - great repair work!A quick update! My Kelly is finally backShe has a new handle, new hardware, new clochette and has had her corners touched up. I think the colour match for the handle and clochette is pretty much spot on and I was concerned my padlock would no longer match the now shiny new hardware, I don't know if they polished it or plated it but it looks shiny and new too (it is the original though). Overall I'm really pleased. I even found a twilly that looked great with it, but decided I'd spent enough for one day! Sad I know but I'm also really chuffed I got both dustbags!!View attachment 3674244 View attachment 3674245
Being such a newbie I have absolutely no idea if that is even a date stamp, makers mark, or just nothing! I'm googling like mad though as I would really love to know just a little about her history. i hunted down an old pic from before I purchased her and one I took from before I sent her back to Paris. They've even cleaned her feet up!
Here is the strap end before and corners before and after.
I'm calling that a V stamp for 66 given the rest of the bag, but no way to know for sure.View attachment 3675623 View attachment 3675624 View attachment 3675625
Being such a newbie I have absolutely no idea if that is even a date stamp, makers mark, or just nothing! I'm googling like mad though as I would really love to know just a little about her history. i hunted down an old pic from before I purchased her and one I took from before I sent her back to Paris. They've even cleaned her feet up!
Here is the strap end before and corners before and after.
Thank you ladies, I'm currently having somewhat of a meltdown though! I was playing with her yesterday (she hasn't even been out of the house yet) and a couple of small cracks appeared at one edge of her top flap. I'm scared stiff I have made a huge mistake. She had a little area of colour loss on the back of the area and I don't expect the colour repair in this area to last for that long but I don't know if this could be the start of something catastrophic!Gorgeous bag! Ivintage boxcalf H bags.
I'm currently talking to Docride who has been wonderful but I'm so worried.
Unfortunately as I only had the bag for about 3 days before I sent her to Paris maybe I didn't examine her closely enough before telling them to go ahead with all repairs necessary, but the leather is clearly very dry in this area and the cracks are not where the colour loss was, also a new crack that definitely wasn't visible before on one of the straps is now apparent.
She's my first Hermes and a Kelly! My dream bag, a beautiful colour and the main body of the bag is lovely. I'm so sad. I know it's ridiculous getting this upset over a bag, but it's really worrying me. I love her and want to use her!
Thank you ladies, I'm currently having somewhat of a meltdown though! I was playing with her yesterday (she hasn't even been out of the house yet) and a couple of small cracks appeared at one edge of her top flap. I'm scared stiff I have made a huge mistake. She had a little area of colour loss on the back of the area and I don't expect the colour repair in this area to last for that long but I don't know if this could be the start of something catastrophic!
I'm currently talking to Docride who has been wonderful but I'm so worried.
Unfortunately as I only had the bag for about 3 days before I sent her to Paris maybe I didn't examine her closely enough before telling them to go ahead with all repairs necessary, but the leather is clearly very dry in this area and the cracks are not where the colour loss was, also a new crack that definitely wasn't visible before on one of the straps is now apparent.
She's my first Hermes and a Kelly! My dream bag, a beautiful colour and the main body of the bag is lovely. I'm so sad. I know it's ridiculous getting this upset over a bag, but it's really worrying me. I love her and want to use her!
Hello, I hope it all went ok, OP. Would love to hear an update on your experience.
BTW I came across this thread trying to research "tips and traps" & common things to check, when buying a vintage Kelly. Birkel and Rouge H, your insights on the 50s, 60s, 70s bags were really interesting! Does anyone know if there is a thread/article where more of this kind of amazing info can be found? thanks (and apologies if this is a bit off topic)
Ah, it makes me kind of sad to see this post again! I’m afraid that even after using a docride treatment I felt that the cracks that I could see in the flap and also the sides of the bag left me afraid to really use it so I sold it on (with full disclosure about the condition, that I’d used non Hermes products etc). I purchased my barenia Kelly instead and love it to bits as I don’t have to worry about it being fragile. However my rouge H then popped up for sale again a couple of months ago on another site (I recognised it as it had my repair receipt in the listing and could tell from the stamps) for far far more than I sold it for and sold at the price too. I hope whoever has her now enjoys her as she really is beautiful. Just too worrisome for me!
If I ever buy another properly vintage bag (my barenia is 20 so young in comparison!) I will know what to look for and I will look a lot more closely
This is my first Vintage Kelly. The year might be 1970. I bought it from Docride. She is the most wonderful, reassuring, patient woman I know. I do not do a thing about bag maintenance until I ask her. I just bought another one from her & love equally. There is something special about a Vintage Kelly
Ah, it makes me kind of sad to see this post again! I’m afraid that even after using a docride treatment I felt that the cracks that I could see in the flap and also the sides of the bag left me afraid to really use it so I sold it on (with full disclosure about the condition, that I’d used non Hermes products etc). I purchased my barenia Kelly instead and love it to bits as I don’t have to worry about it being fragile. However my rouge H then popped up for sale again a couple of months ago on another site (I recognised it as it had my repair receipt in the listing and could tell from the stamps) for far far more than I sold it for and sold at the price too. I hope whoever has her now enjoys her as she really is beautiful. Just too worrisome for me!
If I ever buy another properly vintage bag (my barenia is 20 so young in comparison!) I will know what to look for and I will look a lot more closely
Aww @Tonimichelle, sorry to bring it all back [emoji22]. And thank you for sharing. Congratulations on the Barenia Kelly. They seem so rare and hard to get in comparison to the box leather. Cracking seems a thing with vintage shiny box leather, at least based on what I’m reading so far! I wonder if Chamonix (apparently a matte box leather) maybe less prone to cracks after many years..... clearly I’m going to need to read every docride thread ever!
I might be able to help with that. I have a (what I and several others, including the Hermes store I frequent) think to be vache natural. Mine dates from 1964. She has signs of age, and some cracking of the leather, but only the very surface. She recently came back from spa, there are pics posted in a couple of spots, but I’ll share one here.
