Raspberry Medium Florentine Satchel....Help!

YankeeDooney

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Apr 1, 2015
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Okay ladies, I have been wanting this color for a long time and I agonized over buying this bag when I saw it pop up on ILD. Well, I thought too long about it and missed it there. The price was a bit higher than I typically want to spend on a bag. After seeing Meilssa Purse's video on YouTube of her stunningly smooth Raspberry Florentine Satchel, I knew I had to have it. Then surprisingly, it popped up on ILD Amazon so I finally went for it.

Upon opening the box, I was disappointed. I had a feeling that I would not get one like Melissa's. I suspect that when I missed it on ILD, then it appeared on ILD Amazon, that it might be a returned bag due to the pebbling. So I am asking for some opinions again. Am I being too fussy about how this bag looks? Would you keep it or send it back? The bag has uneven pebbling. One side more than the other. Pebbling on handles and bottom. I just don't know if I will regret sending it back or if I would grow to love it. The poor thing is also in dire need of conditioning.

If it looked like Melissa's bag (if you see her video, you may understand my disappointment more)....no question it would be a keeper. Please take a look at the photos and tell me what you think. Thanks!

RaspberryFlo_front.jpg RaspberryFlo_front2.jpg RaspberryFlo_back.jpg RaspberryFlo_side 1.jpg RaspberryFlo_side 2.jpg RaspberryFlo_handle.jpg RaspberryFlo_bottom.jpg
 
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I liken leather bags to having children......we may have expectations but that's all they are. When your "child/bag" arrives you look at it and have your impressions.
Leather, like people, is a natural material. There is no 'perfect' out there. I love variations in leather just like I love variations in children.
They are all originals.
I think your bag is BEYOND beautiful and can assure you that you are probably the only one who can see any flaws....that being said, if they bother you enough then maybe you should just return it. We all have our own limitations on what we can handle.
 
YD: I agree with alansgail too. But only you can decide if the natural characteristics of the leather fail to meet your standards. It's a personal thing. The pebbling on the handle, bottom, and even the side doesn't bother me at all. And the front and back look pretty smooth from your picture.... if there is any pebbling there it is very minor. I would keep this handbag. The color is beautiful and it looks like it doesn't have scratches.
 
Personally it drives me nuts that one bag's grain can vary...LV doesn't sell monogram items where half the bag is missing the LV, so why a brand trying to be luxury would not ensure each bag's leather matched is a mystery to me. I understand florentine is a process not a standard look, but it shouldn't vary with in one bag. Dooney buys enough hides they can match them better so that a bag is all pebbled or all smooth.

Again, this is just me, but I would return it. But then I have a threshhold for what I expect florentine to looks like (sorry Dooney but if you are going to call something saddlery leather it should be smooth like a saddle) that not everyone else does. If it were up to me the pebbled florentine would be its own product line, "florentine touch" or something like that, so buyers knew what they were getting.

If it isn't 100% what you want, send it back because you will still crave one that meets your expectations and then you end up putting money out for two bags. I learned to just buy what I want rather than settle because I would wind up spending way more than if I just got what I wanted in the first place.
 
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YD, I think the bag is beautiful! Now, I will say, I'm one of the few who isn't drawn to florentine leather. I just find it to be heavy is all. Back to the bag, I think the color is amazing and I think the leather itself is beautiful. But if you don't LOVE it then send it back and wait for the one who does make your heart sing to come along. Good luck deciding honey!
 
Personally it drives me nuts that one bag's grain can vary...LV doesn't sell monogram items where half the bag is missing the LV, so why a brand trying to be luxury would not ensure each bag's leather matched is a mystery to me.
Well that's quite obviously not the same comparison, leather to coated monogram (if in fact you were talking about the canvas LV's). I've seen quite a few complaints about the LV empriente leather not being evenly stamped so I guess that can also affect luxury brands. Of course we're all different but to me, leather is a natural material so I embrace all it's quirks......makes each bag unique.
 
It really is a personal choice. I just traded in a florentine. When I purchased it I was giddy and excited. When I pulled it out to use it a year later (yeah, I admit I am a Dooney hoarder and probably have more than I will ever be able to use) I was so disappointed. Not only was the leather smooth on the sides and pebbled on the front/ back but the colors were different, too! I used it for a month and boxed it right up for a trade. The good news is I have become a little more selective and attentive to the details. Personally I can overlook a small scratch...after all I will scratch it myself with my fingernails eventually, but two leathers that are completely different I cannot accept no matter how much the bag cost. Just my personal choice. I know how those "ones that got away" can be heart breaking. Picture how you would feel if you sent it back. Do that for a whole day. If you find that you would miss it too much, it's a keeper. It's a little mind trick I play. Good luck!
 
It really is a personal choice. I just traded in a florentine. When I purchased it I was giddy and excited. When I pulled it out to use it a year later (yeah, I admit I am a Dooney hoarder and probably have more than I will ever be able to use) I was so disappointed. Not only was the leather smooth on the sides and pebbled on the front/ back but the colors were different, too! I used it for a month and boxed it right up for a trade. The good news is I have become a little more selective and attentive to the details. Personally I can overlook a small scratch...after all I will scratch it myself with my fingernails eventually, but two leathers that are completely different I cannot accept no matter how much the bag cost. Just my personal choice. I know how those "ones that got away" can be heart breaking. Picture how you would feel if you sent it back. Do that for a whole day. If you find that you would miss it too much, it's a keeper. It's a little mind trick I play. Good luck!

I'm so confused by your post. Are you saying that the bag was uneven when you got it but you just didn't notice it? And also that you didn't notice the difference in color?
Or are you saying that the bag somehow 'morphed' in your closet into different textures of leather and also colors?
I'm thinking the answer is the former rather than the latter.
 
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Okay ladies, I have been wanting this color for a long time and I agonized over buying this bag when I saw it pop up on ILD. Well, I thought too long about it and missed it there. The price was a bit higher than I typically want to spend on a bag. After seeing Meilssa Purse's video on YouTube of her stunningly smooth Raspberry Florentine Satchel, I knew I had to have it. Then surprisingly, it popped up on ILD Amazon so I finally went for it.

Upon opening the box, I was disappointed. I had a feeling that I would not get one like Melissa's. I suspect that when I missed it on ILD, then it appeared on ILD Amazon, that it might be a returned bag due to the pebbling. So I am asking for some opinions again. Am I being too fussy about how this bag looks? Would you keep it or send it back? The bag has uneven pebbling. One side more than the other. Pebbling on handles and bottom. I just don't know if I will regret sending it back or if I would grow to love it. The poor thing is also in dire need of conditioning.

If it looked like Melissa's bag (if you see her video, you may understand my disappointment more)....no question it would be a keeper. Please take a look at the photos and tell me what you think. Thanks!

View attachment 3397482 View attachment 3397483 View attachment 3397484 View attachment 3397486 View attachment 3397487 View attachment 3397488 View attachment 3397489

I think it's gorgeous, YD. I would probably keep....but you need to be happy with it.
 
Okay ladies, I have been wanting this color for a long time and I agonized over buying this bag when I saw it pop up on ILD. Well, I thought too long about it and missed it there. The price was a bit higher than I typically want to spend on a bag. After seeing Meilssa Purse's video on YouTube of her stunningly smooth Raspberry Florentine Satchel, I knew I had to have it. Then surprisingly, it popped up on ILD Amazon so I finally went for it.

Upon opening the box, I was disappointed. I had a feeling that I would not get one like Melissa's. I suspect that when I missed it on ILD, then it appeared on ILD Amazon, that it might be a returned bag due to the pebbling. So I am asking for some opinions again. Am I being too fussy about how this bag looks? Would you keep it or send it back? The bag has uneven pebbling. One side more than the other. Pebbling on handles and bottom. I just don't know if I will regret sending it back or if I would grow to love it. The poor thing is also in dire need of conditioning.

If it looked like Melissa's bag (if you see her video, you may understand my disappointment more)....no question it would be a keeper. Please take a look at the photos and tell me what you think. Thanks!

View attachment 3397482 View attachment 3397483 View attachment 3397484 View attachment 3397486 View attachment 3397487 View attachment 3397488 View attachment 3397489
The tone of your post is saying, "talk me into this." It's obvious that you are not happy with this bag, so send it back. If it irritates you now, it will always irritate you. The bag is stunning but obviously you aren't feeling it.
 
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Florentine leather in raspberry is beautiful! I have been looking at the small florentine satchel in raspberry myself! I would say keep it. It is a gorgeous bag! Maybe you could love it simply for what it is, in spite of the pebbling?
 
I'm in the minority here, but I'd send it back. The difference in the panels would bug me. If it was pebbled evenly, I'd be more inclined to keep it, but it looks unevenly pebbled to me.
Yes, it's a gorgeous color, but if it isn't exactly what you wanted, it's fine to return. I once returned a Coach Phoebe because it was just crazily unevenly pebbled and would have irked me and kept me from carrying it.
 
I think if you wanted a smooth leather bag, then this wouldn't fit the bill. It's definitely pebbled. I love smooth leather myself and sometimes any other leather is just not the same! That said, some of my favorite bags are pebbled leather too, so it's up to you. If your heart is set on smooth leather, then return it.