The LV Rescue Club

[haruki2008]

The Rescue of a Speedy DA:

The canvas which was covered with a layer of grime, needed much more than just baby wipes. I used a soft toothbrush and diluted handsoap, and brushed each area carefully. Section by section and I wiped off with a damp cloth. When I brushed, I could see the toothbrush and soap foam turning brown.
Here's a photo showing the difference in the rows that have been brushed and wiped clean, vs the bottom rows (starting from the row with the Louis Vuitton Paris squares and below) which I have not cleaned.


After the canvas has been cleaned (twice), I worked on the brass and lock areas with a silver polish.
Before:

After:


Then finally, cleaning and conditioning the leather parts using a leather cream. I didn't like the idea of a magic eraser so I didn't use it. I wiped the handles many, many times and the cleaning cloths turned brown. But I could only even out the patina color somewhat. Then I used a Q-tip to condition the piping with leather cream too.
This is probably the best I could do and I'm quite happy.

Before:


After:


Before:


After:


Before:


After:


Here she is, ready for another adventure with a new owner!

 

[Cocoabean]

The Rescue of a Speedy DA:

The canvas which was covered with a layer of grime, needed much more than just baby wipes. I used a soft toothbrush and diluted handsoap, and brushed each area carefully. Section by section and I wiped off with a damp cloth. When I brushed, I could see the toothbrush and soap foam turning brown.
Here's a photo showing the difference in the rows that have been brushed and wiped clean, vs the bottom rows (starting from the row with the Louis Vuitton Paris squares and below) which I have not cleaned.
View attachment 3788214

After the canvas has been cleaned (twice), I worked on the brass and lock areas with a silver polish.
Before:
View attachment 3788215
After:
View attachment 3788216

Then finally, cleaning and conditioning the leather parts using a leather cream. I didn't like the idea of a magic eraser so I didn't use it. I wiped the handles many, many times and the cleaning cloths turned brown. But I could only even out the patina color somewhat. Then I used a Q-tip to condition the piping with leather cream too.
This is probably the best I could do and I'm quite happy.

Before:
View attachment 3788217

After:
View attachment 3788220

Before:
View attachment 3788224

After:
View attachment 3788225

Before:
View attachment 3788226

After:
View attachment 3788227

Here she is, ready for another adventure with a new owner!
View attachment 3788228

What a difference, really well done!

 

[haruki2008]

Fellow Rescuers,
Would you buy this bag and try to rescue? The owner said she dropped it once and the poor vernis bag suffered all these scuff marks on 1 side. The rest of it is good.

 

[katieny]

Fellow Rescuers,
Would you buy this bag and try to rescue? The owner said she dropped it once and the poor vernis bag suffered all these scuff marks on 1 side. The rest of it is good.
View attachment 3792230

I don't know. Once the Vernis is worn off, it's not as shiny in those spots. I have a wallet with areas that look very dull. What did you decide to do?

 

[onlyk]

The Rescue of a Speedy DA:

Here she is, ready for another adventure with a new owner!
View attachment 3788228

Looks 100times better! What cream did you use?

 

[haruki2008]

I don't know. Once the Vernis is worn off, it's not as shiny in those spots. I have a wallet with areas that look very dull. What did you decide to do?

Hi Katie, I would probably give this a pass. The reason it came up on my radar was that it was selling at a lower price than other similar year bags. However it's still a lot to pay for a damaged bag. I was thinking to tie a big scarf on this handle side and hide most of it. I've read that nothing can be done on the scratches and dents.

 

[haruki2008]

Looks 100times better! What cream did you use?

Thanks! These are the 2 things I used on leather and brass.

 

[onlyk]

View attachment 3794845
Thanks! These are the 2 things I used on leather and brass.

Thanks! Will try these products too! You really give the bag a new life, awesome job!

 

[Sandra.AT]

The Rescue of a Speedy DA:

The canvas which was covered with a layer of grime, needed much more than just baby wipes. I used a soft toothbrush and diluted handsoap, and brushed each area carefully. Section by section and I wiped off with a damp cloth. When I brushed, I could see the toothbrush and soap foam turning brown.
Here's a photo showing the difference in the rows that have been brushed and wiped clean, vs the bottom rows (starting from the row with the Louis Vuitton Paris squares and below) which I have not cleaned.
View attachment 3788214

After the canvas has been cleaned (twice), I worked on the brass and lock areas with a silver polish.
Before:
View attachment 3788215
After:
View attachment 3788216

Then finally, cleaning and conditioning the leather parts using a leather cream. I didn't like the idea of a magic eraser so I didn't use it. I wiped the handles many, many times and the cleaning cloths turned brown. But I could only even out the patina color somewhat. Then I used a Q-tip to condition the piping with leather cream too.
This is probably the best I could do and I'm quite happy.

Before:
View attachment 3788217

After:
View attachment 3788220

Before:
View attachment 3788224

After:
View attachment 3788225

Before:
View attachment 3788226

After:
View attachment 3788227

Here she is, ready for another adventure with a new owner!
View attachment 3788228

WOW you did a GREAT job on rescuring this speedy.. It looks soo lovely after you did this.. I would be afraid to put anything on the leather parts.. I wish there would be really a Repair Service which do the same like you did as LV would only replace the leather parts combined with a high price .. I think
I wouldn´t be able to do such a great job ..

 

[Sandra.AT]

Hi Katie, I would probably give this a pass. The reason it came up on my radar was that it was selling at a lower price than other similar year bags. However it's still a lot to pay for a damaged bag. I was thinking to tie a big scarf on this handle side and hide most of it. I've read that nothing can be done on the scratches and dents.

hmm that looks pretty bad... It´s good that you haven´t bought it.. I have seen many alma vernis bags often for a lower price as the vernis ones aren´t selling well on the preloved market in Austria... It appears that leather is not that popular and you loose a lot when you sell a leather bag...
she might have dropped it a couple of times.. because I had the alma bb amarante and I dropped it only 3 times and I even went to an amusement park and drive with a bumper car and nothing happened and at this time it was 4 year old in total (I bought it preloved and had it 1 year)vernis is normally pretty durable (darker colour) I had no scratches on the leather and I wasn´t really careful with it

 

[haruki2008]

WOW you did a GREAT job on rescuring this speedy.. It looks soo lovely after you did this.. I would be afraid to put anything on the leather parts.. I wish there would be really a Repair Service which do the same like you did as LV would only replace the leather parts combined with a high price .. I think
I wouldn´t be able to do such a great job .. [emoji2]

Thanks Sandra! There's nothing for it but be brave since the leather was already so dirty. The old owner obviously couldn't care less about it. If it had clean leather parts with minor spots I would also be scared to put anything in case of ruining it instead of making it better.

 

[haruki2008]

hmm that looks pretty bad... It´s good that you haven´t bought it.. I have seen many alma vernis bags often for a lower price as the vernis ones aren´t selling well on the preloved market in Austria... It appears that leather is not that popular and you loose a lot when you sell a leather bag...
she might have dropped it a couple of times.. because I had the alma bb amarante and I dropped it only 3 times and I even went to an amusement park and drive with a bumper car and nothing happened and at this time it was 4 year old in total (I bought it preloved and had it 1 year)vernis is normally pretty durable (darker colour) I had no scratches on the leather and I wasn´t really careful with it

It sounds like your Alma BB had a lot of fun! [emoji23]

 

[onlyk]

hmm that looks pretty bad... It´s good that you haven´t bought it.. I have seen many alma vernis bags often for a lower price as the vernis ones aren´t selling well on the preloved market in Austria... It appears that leather is not that popular and you loose a lot when you sell a leather bag...
she might have dropped it a couple of times.. because I had the alma bb amarante and I dropped it only 3 times and I even went to an amusement park and drive with a bumper car and nothing happened and at this time it was 4 year old in total (I bought it preloved and had it 1 year)vernis is normally pretty durable (darker colour) I had no scratches on the leather and I wasn´t really careful with it

That is good information! I don't have LV Vernis bags, had a Coach one, same shape like Alam PM, loved it but sold it shortly after, so I don't know how's the leather holds up.

An interesting thing is LV leather bags are all sold 2 or 3 times more expensive than their canvas bags but resell value often loose half or even 2/3. Wondering why. They are very pretty in the store when brand new though?

 

[Sandra.AT]

That is good information! I don't have LV Vernis bags, had a Coach one, same shape like Alam PM, loved it but sold it shortly after, so I don't know how's the leather holds up.

An interesting thing is LV leather bags are all sold 2 or 3 times more expensive than their canvas bags but resell value often loose half or even 2/3. Wondering why. They are very pretty in the store when brand new though?

I think most people buy preloved because they don´t have the money for brand new (and want maybe only one LV bag) or want to save some money as the price is really good or don´t want to have trouble regarding patina and those people tend to buy canvas bags as these are the most known bags. Often they buy only one lv bag (neverfull or speedy..) and then they never buy anthing again so I can understand why canvas is then so popular.. If I had to choose only one lv bag it would be also a canvas bag not leather.. leather is not so well known..-... Before I got to know LV better I thought the canvas bags were leather bags and that there are only the monogram handbags and that there is only the neverfull speedy and some other popular ones which you have seen on the street.. I didn´t know that they had so many leather bags and that the canvas is not leather haha
so I think most people who are not into designer fashion think the same and have no idea or are not intersted to know and are maybe "afraid" of walking into the LV Store or any other high expensive store (if they want to buy only one handbag)
I was also nervous the first time I went there.. I thought they will look at me like I can´t afford it but I was wrong haha they treated me so well so I got LV addicted haha...

That´s why I would like to buy leather bags especially vernis bags preloved as the price is sooo goood and you save a lot.. I bought my alma bb amaranta for 750 EUR instead of 1320 EUR (3 years old) and it looked almost brand new.. Many people think vernis is too delicate and that´s why it is not so popular on the preloved market but I know it´s not delicate at all I sold this bag then for 850 euro but I tried to sell it for more but there was no demand for it.. only 1 girl contacted me and I sold it to her..

Same like chanel.. the most popular ones will hold the value and the other chanel bags won´t hold it´s value as they are not well known or just seasonal and the demand for that is very low... everybody who wants to have only 1-2 chanel bag wants the classic ones or boy or other popular bags (preloved or new)

 

[Pupuds_30]

Happy to share my LV Wileshire PM Vernis.. It's my first full bag recolor.. Color is dark navy blue.. [emoji7][emoji4]