Loved reading this Bag Madam, as I am also fond of vintage beauty! If you would, could we see a posted pic of your refurbished Kelly? I am guessing it is veau box...TIA
TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others
)Hi There, I need your help to determine whether a Vespa that I inherited is worth refurbishment or if Hermes will even take it. It is in a terrible state with ripped trim, dry color faded sides and a frayed strap. My closest store is San Francisco. Any advice is welcome! Thanks!!
Attachments
My advice is: if it's an appreciated inheritance (in other words, if
you see yourself loving it in an improved condition), then by all means take it in to SF. You will be given an idea then of what you can expect to receive back after spa-ing. Good luck on your decision!
Hi! Bring in to the SF boutique and get an opinion for them. How lucky for you to get a bag via inheritance! Remember, if you decide to have Hermes work on your bag, you can do a little at a time. That is what I am doing with my 50's Kelly. When you hear prices, don't be alarmed. Remember, Hermes is as high end as you can get and it takes talented craftspeople to make and restore. Let us know what you do and what they say! Enjoy the bag!
was telling my 94 your old grandmother about my purse collection/obsession and she pulled this out of her closet! My first Hermes! I love the vintage styles more than the new ones so yes, this is worth it to me for a few reasons. But looking at resale values online it looks like they go for around $600. I don't really want to put more than $400 into this bag. I spoke to Gerry Gallagher of Leather Surgeons and was quoted $285 for replace the trim and re-dye the sides. This however it did not include replacing the strap. That is an additional unknown charge. Does anyone have any experience with him? He led me to believe he is who Chanel and Hermes send their bags to in the States...
Don't know about Chanel, I am certain that Hermes does not send their bags to anyone but Hermes in the United States. Mr Gallager perhaps embellished a bit? or did he mean that people who own Hermes handbags send their bags to him for repairs?
If you love the bag, will use it knowing it has special meaning belonging to your grandmother, I would have it repaired.
If you love the bag, will use it knowing it has special meaning belonging to your grandmother, I would have it repaired.
It's awesome that you got this bag from your grandmother. However, it's true that a Vespa in good shape at resale will cost you $500-$800 and unfortunately repairing this bag to that state will likely cost more than that. It is worth asking at SF Hermès because they have a local artisan, and sometimes they go a bit gentler on price for vintage bags.
As for Leather Surgeons, I don't know about Chanel, but Hermès only works on their items in-house. In addition, if you have had the bag serviced elsewhere and they can tell, Hermès will usually refuse to do further work on the bag. Leather Surgeons should be responsible and tell you this.
Hmm, Hermes does not send their bags to anyone outside the company. In the states there are 2 locations and they are Hermes boutiques with restoration specialists - San Fran and New York. I have a hard time believing Chanel will send their high end bags out to anyone too. Call Hermes and Chanel to verify further. On that point alone, I do not believe him. Go to the boutique and let them look at the bag and price the work out for you. If you aren't going to use it right away or not as a daily bag, restore it a little at a time.
It is my understanding that Chanel does send their bags out to Leather Surgeons according the the experts on the Chanel threads. You can do a search on "Chanel Leather Surgeons" on this site and find out more about it. I actually just sent a Chanel maxi flap to them to repair because many Chanel boutiques have started not accepting bags for repair that are over 5 years old, even with a receipt. One more reason to love Hermes.
Beverly Hills also has an in-house craftsperson (two actually) and an after-care manager and separate office.
I know Leather Surgeons used to do work for Chanel as of a few years ago. I don't know about now. They did a great job on the 2 bags I had repaired.
