First Chanel purchase!! Questions :)

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justdeb__

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Oct 16, 2017
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#1
Hi everyone! So....I did a thing. When I was in Paris last weekend, I decided to YOLO and bought my very first Chanel! A small classic flap caviar with SHW in black :love: Although I love her, I probably should have done more research before jumping the gun. Now that I am back home and the vacation rush is gone, I'm a little bit disappointed at how matte/dry the caviar looks. I guess for caviar, I was expecting a bit more sheen. Is there any leather conditioner I could use to "shine" it up a bit? Also, I'm sure this is information I should have asked the SA when I was there, but I was so excited and out of my head that I didn't ask when the bag was produced. How do I find out what season the bag is from, or is there even one? Pardon my naivety! Please be kind :girlsigh:

36283FE9-FF16-47C2-97A2-12D9467671E8.JPG
 
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#3
justdeb__ said:
Hi everyone! So....I did a thing. When I was in Paris last weekend, I decided to YOLO and bought my very first Chanel! A small classic flap caviar with SHW in black :love: Although I love her, I probably should have done more research before jumping the gun. Now that I am back home and the vacation rush is gone, I'm a little bit disappointed at how matte/dry the caviar looks. I guess for caviar, I was expecting a bit more sheen. Is there any leather conditioner I could use to "shine" it up a bit? Also, I'm sure this is information I should have asked the SA when I was there, but I was so excited and out of my head that I didn't ask when the bag was produced. How do I find out what season the bag is from, or is there even one? Pardon my naivety! Please be kind :girlsigh:

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Also sidenote, just looked at the picture you posted and there seems to be 2 types of caviar leather and you have the one I actually want cause it doesnt look as treated but its stamped. The other type of caviar that I believe you were probably looking for is heavily treated like basketball leather which gives it that sheen too that you're looking for. Trust me, you got the perfect one.
 
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#5
boyinterrupted said:
Also sidenote, just looked at the picture you posted and there seems to be 2 types of caviar leather and you have the one I actually want cause it doesnt look as treated but its stamped. The other type of caviar that I believe you were probably looking for is heavily treated like basketball leather which gives it that sheen too that you're looking for. Trust me, you got the perfect one.
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Awww thank you for this info! I had no idea there were different types of caviar. I just thought there were subtle differences by season because they use different skins. I appreciate the thoughtful reply ☺️
 
#7
It actually doesn’t look dry/matte to me! I saw some classic flaps late last year in person and they looked more dry/flat - not sure if it’s due to the differences by season as some TPFers have pointed out. Enjoy your beautiful new purse!
 
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#8
I was once told firmly by multiple Chanel SAs within earshot when I posed the question of how to condition my bags, that should gently rub it with the microfiber cloth that comes with the instruction booklet, nothing else. Don’t use oils/conditioners/coating agents, it may ruin the leather.

I only have one caviar CF, as I’m an overwhelmingly nongrained leather kind of girl, but have heard my SA say that caviar becomes shinier over time, not sure if it’s true.

Either way, it’s a beautiful, elegant bag, congratulations!

Edit: this thread might help you:

Caring for Chanel CAVIAR Leather

Ok, all you wonderful Chanel experts: My first Chanel is a white caviar classic flap. What do I need to do to take care of it? What can I use to clean it? Should I treat it with something? I am terrified to change the white color at all!:push:
forum.purseblog.com forum.purseblog.com
 
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#9
lala_retro said:
I was once told firmly by multiple Chanel SAs within earshot when I posed the question of how to condition my bags, that should gently rub it with the microfiber cloth that comes with the instruction booklet, nothing else. Don’t use oils/conditioners/coating agents, it may ruin the leather.

I only have one caviar CF, as I’m an overwhelmingly nongrained leather kind of girl, but have heard my SA say that caviar becomes shinier over time, not sure if it’s true.

Either way, it’s a beautiful, elegant bag, congratulations!

Edit: this thread might help you:

Caring for Chanel CAVIAR Leather

Ok, all you wonderful Chanel experts: My first Chanel is a white caviar classic flap. What do I need to do to take care of it? What can I use to clean it? Should I treat it with something? I am terrified to change the white color at all!:push:
forum.purseblog.com forum.purseblog.com
Click to expand...
Thank you for this helpful info!
 
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#11
justdeb__ said:
Hi everyone! So....I did a thing. When I was in Paris last weekend, I decided to YOLO and bought my very first Chanel! A small classic flap caviar with SHW in black :love: Although I love her, I probably should have done more research before jumping the gun. Now that I am back home and the vacation rush is gone, I'm a little bit disappointed at how matte/dry the caviar looks. I guess for caviar, I was expecting a bit more sheen. Is there any leather conditioner I could use to "shine" it up a bit? Also, I'm sure this is information I should have asked the SA when I was there, but I was so excited and out of my head that I didn't ask when the bag was produced. How do I find out what season the bag is from, or is there even one? Pardon my naivety! Please be kind :girlsigh:

View attachment 5695713
Click to expand...
It’s gorgeous and the perfect first Chanel. I almost always freak out after the initial excitement of a large purchase wears off. I did it with my first Chanel, my wedding dress, my house, on and on.
 
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#15
Your bag looks great! If it helps, my black classic isn't as shiny as I prefer, but all the shinier versions I came across were excessively plasticity looking. Hard to find the perfect one. I got over the lack of shine after the first wear. I've been told that over time it will develop a bit of a shine on its own with the transfer of natural oils from our hands.
 
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