Refurbishing MJ bags

[MPJ]

So there's this black Stella on ebay that I'm looking at, and I'm not sure if it's authentic yet (I asked the seller for more photos), but if it is and the price is right, I may consider buying it. The problem is that it's a bit of a mess. I don't know how people can treat their bags this way, but the bag is a bit worn and one of the zippers is broken.

Is it ever worth it to buy a bag like that and have it refurbished? I'm on a major budget, so if this bag is indeed authentic, it may be one of my only chances to buy a real Stella.

I would need to have the bag brought up to snuff...do MJ boutiques do this? Does anyone in Maryland or the DC area know of place that will do this?

I'm still in the beginning stages of even looking at the listing, but I wanted to ask here first before I even bother wasting my time (if it's not worth it).

Thanks so much, guys!!

Oh, and here are the photos of the bag in question (so sad):

 

[vagabag]

I don't think the MJ boutique will do it because there's that X at the bottom but you could take it a handbag repair shop. Don't know how much it would cost though.

 

[MPJ]

I don't think the MJ boutique will do it because there's that X at the bottom but you could take it a handbag repair shop. Don't know how much it would cost though.

You mean the "X" on the inside of the bag? I thought that was just to prevent returns. Does that mean that they also won't do any repair work on it?

 

[shoppingsmycard]

IIRC, the MJ boutiques will only refurb items actually purchased at the boutique. bag.lover will know for sure, but that's my recollection.

 

[Bags4Bubbles]

My thinking is that you could take it to a local leather repair/ shoe repair shop and they could help you out with any leather issues or zipper repairs.

I'm not exactly sure on how much something like that would cost, partly because it depends on how inflated the area you live in is... I know it's not "cheap", but depending on how much you would save on the intial price of this bag, it definately could be worth it....

I would suggest calling around to shoe repair or leather places in your area.

 

[Luna]

It depends on how good of a price this bag actually is. If it's like 100-ish.. I'd buy it and spend the money to have it repaired.. if it's 200-300 or up... Hell no. Not worth it.

 

[MPJ]

Thanks, guys! Luna -- I completely agree. I was telling my husband that if it's authentic and I can get a great price, I'll think about it, but if people start bidding over $150, I'll pass.

I have a recommendation for a leather/cobbler/tailor/dry cleaner in Chevy Chase, MD; I went to the Jimmy Choo boutique to get a rec for repair on a pair of Choos Jags I have (I wore them at my wedding and I nicked the satin on the heel), and they recommended this guy in Chevy Chase. Apparently all of Bethesda/Chevy Chase/DC takes their high-end stuff to him...so I'll definitely check him out.

Eeek!

 

[thithi]

I've heard that Lovinmybags.com does a full restoration for bags, price varies depending on the condition, up to $250 for bags in extremely poor condition. This one is more in the middle range so hopefully it won't be too much. You could also take it to a trusted cobbler. If there's a high end dept store in your area, call and ask an SA where they recommend.

You could try putting some TLC yourself, by using a suede brush and brushing the suede out with a suede cleaner. I've heard some PFers had a lot of success doing this.

The leather looks fine to me, no scuffs visable; maybe use some baby wipes to clean her up and she should be ok!

I won't be surprised if the bag sells for over $150, Stellas in general are very popular and usually sell for over $200, if not $250 for a used bag like this...

 

[MPJ]

thithi -- As always, THANK YOU for all of your help and detailed info.

That link for Lovinmybags.com is indispensable! My LV Speedy could use some love. :shame: And I don't really trust anyone around here...I had the most amazing cobbler/leather worker back in SB, but I have to drive into the city here to get comparable service, and I haven't priced it out yet.

That stinks that this bag may go for so much...the zipper is broken, so I'd need to have someone replace/repair that; also, if you look closely at the bottom left-hand corner of the bag, in the photo you can see that the leather appears to have rubbed away on the edge. I don't mind a nice "loved" look, but I'd like it to look presentable, and I'd want to get someone professional to touch her up.

 

[thithi]

^ Oh, I didn't notice that before! Lovinmybags should def be able to repair that. And a broken zipper? wow, that's a lot of damage. Maybe it will go for $200 then! Good luck, let us know what you decide. By SB, you mean SoBe?

 

[MPJ]

^ Oh, I didn't notice that before! Lovinmybags should def be able to repair that. And a broken zipper? wow, that's a lot of damage. Maybe it will go for $200 then! Good luck, let us know what you decide. By SB, you mean SoBe?

Yeah, it makes me sad that someone treats their bag that way.

SB = Santa Barbara, CA. I miss it. We just moved to the east coast this fall.