Vintage Chanel lambskin - how does it really feel?

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I recently purchased a 22 year old Diana that is in wonderful condition but I have a suspicion it may have been dyed or touched up.

I know it’s really hard to know but everyone always talks about how soft and buttery and supple vintage lambskin is. I wouldn’t say the lambskin on mine is super buttery. It’s soft and smooth but because it’s a diana bag and the quilts aren’t as puffy as they might have been once upon a time - and the bag has very good structure - I wouldn’t say it’s blow me away soft. For example my saint laurent puffy Lou is much softer. Unfortunately I’ve never felt a new Chanel lambskin bag so I can’t compare.

My other concern is the chain is a bit squeaky. Not the metal but the leather part. Then again, I’ve heard this isn’t unusual.

So experts - how do you know? I’ve attached some photos

 

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Oh and I failed to mention that when I went to condition the bag with collonil cream, when I buffed with a cloth some colour came off. But again, some say this happens to their undyed vintage bags

 

[spiderlily89]

Hmm I wouldn't say my vintage Chanel flap which is also about 20 years old (from 2002-2003) is "super buttery" either. It looks kind of like yours and the quilts are similarly puffi-ness. I've seen a lot of newer vintage bags which much more deflated quilts so I'd say yours is in pretty good nick. I don't think its as "soft" as the super puffy quilts of the newer Chanel bags, then again I don't own any for comparison so I'm just trying to recall from touching my friends' ones.

If you take it to a bag spa they might be able to tell you if it has been redyed.

 

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Hmm I wouldn't say my vintage Chanel flap which is also about 20 years old (from 2002-2003) is "super buttery" either. It looks kind of like yours and the quilts are similarly puffi-ness. I've seen a lot of newer vintage bags which much more deflated quilts so I'd say yours is in pretty good nick. I don't think its as "soft" as the super puffy quilts of the newer Chanel bags, then again I don't own any for comparison so I'm just trying to recall from touching my friends' ones.

If you take it to a bag spa they might be able to tell you if it has been redyed.

Thank you! Yours looks in beautiful shape and yes the lambskin looks similar to mine. It’s just hard to know because people really do gush about vintage lambskin. And it’s lovely but not melt in your hand like I’ve been led to believe ‍♀️

 

[pinkrose398]

Wow your bag is beautiful and the quilts are SO PUFFY!

My one and only vintage Chanel piece is a Diana in beige lambskin but because it's a beige bag, it was redyed and the texture feels more like calfskin now. I don't mind it so much because it definitely feels more durable and scratch-resistant. I have a "modern" lambskin Chanel bag and the leather is so friggin soft and plushy, with super puffy quilting. The quilting on my beige Diana has deflated quite a bit (a lot more than yours).

I believe Chase Amie said the lambskin on her Loulou puffer is the softest leather she's ever touched on a bag, and she's owned "modern" Chanel bags in lambskin, so I think the Loulou puffer is just an anomaly for how soft it is.

 

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Wow your bag is beautiful and the quilts are SO PUFFY!

My one and only vintage Chanel piece is a Diana in beige lambskin but because it's a beige bag, it was redyed and the texture feels more like calfskin now. I don't mind it so much because it definitely feels more durable and scratch-resistant. I have a "modern" lambskin Chanel bag and the leather is so friggin soft and plushy, with super puffy quilting. The quilting on my beige Diana has deflated quite a bit (a lot more than yours).

I believe Chase Amie said the lambskin on her Loulou puffer is the softest leather she's ever touched on a bag, and she's owned "modern" Chanel bags in lambskin, so I think the Loulou puffer is just an anomaly for how soft it is.

Thank you!! I do love it and ultimately probably wouldn’t mind if it was touched up because I doubt I will ever sell it but I wouldn’t want to spend as much money as I did on this (~3200 ) had it been redyed.
But yes I also think the saint laurent puffer lambskin is just insanely soft.
the problem with vintage Chanel bags is that they’re so addictive. I’m now eyeing off a classic flap

 

[pinkrose398]

Thank you!! I do love it and ultimately probably wouldn’t mind if it was touched up because I doubt I will ever sell it but I wouldn’t want to spend as much money as I did on this (~3200 ) had it been redyed.
But yes I also think the saint laurent puffer lambskin is just insanely soft.
the problem with vintage Chanel bags is that they’re so addictive. I’m now eyeing off a classic flap

Oh I see! That makes sense. I only paid US$2400 for my beige one. It came with the dust bag and authenticity card so I was okay with it being redyed.

 

[Roz2019]

Your Diana is in excellent condition and the quilts very puffy. Can you see any scratches and scruff marks on corners and any odor inside the bag? I would like to buy a vintage Chanel for the first time and not sure to go for a medium cf or Diana. Would you care to share where you have obtained you Diana from? Thanks

 

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Your Diana is in excellent condition and the quilts very puffy. Can you see any scratches and scruff marks on corners and any odor inside the bag? I would like to buy a vintage Chanel for the first time and not sure to go for a medium cf or Diana. Would you care to share where you have obtained you Diana from? Thanks

i can’t see any scratches or scuffs, it’s been kept in really nice condition. One corner has a slight sheen to it indicating a bit of wear not no scuffing or peeling. No odour either other than standard leather smell and just the tiniest hint of perfume (or maybe moth repellant). But it’s just an hint. My husband can’t smell it.
I got it from a Japanese reseller on eBay. Brand_jfa. They offer returns and are very reputable. But you can’t go past @mygrandfathersthings on Instagram for pristine Dianas. She’s the queen.

 

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Oh I see! That makes sense. I only paid US$2400 for my beige one. It came with the dust bag and authenticity card so I was okay with it being redyed.

That’s a great deal for the beige! Is it a small or medium? Excellent find.

 

[pinkrose398]

That’s a great deal for the beige! Is it a small or medium? Excellent find.

I got my bag from brand_jfa too! Mine is in the medium size. The only thing I wasn’t too happy about my transaction with them was that they didn’t know if the bag had been repainted (I asked before I bought it). I only saw that it had been repainted after I received the bag. Otherwise I’m very happy with it and how much I paid for it. It really makes my heart sing!!

 

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I got my bag from brand_jfa too! Mine is in the medium size. The only thing I wasn’t too happy about my transaction with them was that they didn’t know if the bag had been repainted. I only saw that it had been repainted after I received the bag. Otherwise I’m very happy with it and how much I paid for it. It really makes my heart sing!!
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Ufffff she’s beautiful. I also asked them if it had been repainted and they said they didn’t know. I guess it really is hard to tell with vintage pieces. I also found them terrible in terms of communication. Very slow to respond, if at all

 

[spiderlily89]

Ufffff she’s beautiful. I also asked them if it had been repainted and they said they didn’t know. I guess it really is hard to tell with vintage pieces. I also found them terrible in terms of communication. Very slow to respond, if at all

I think it’s because Brand JFA might be listing it’s on behalf of other Japanese sellers. I bought my cf from Amore Vintage (also a Japanese site). Later on when googling the serial number I saw it had been listed in Brand JFA too and they had simply ended the listing. I was following a Kelly there which they also ended without it being sold so I’m guessing it got sold elsewhere.

Everybody is a vintage bag lover here. Awesome!

 

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I think it’s because Brand JFA might be listing it’s on behalf of other Japanese sellers. I bought my cf from Amore Vintage (also a Japanese site). Later on when googling the serial number I saw it had been listed in Brand JFA too and they had simply ended the listing. I was following a Kelly there which they also ended without it being sold so I’m guessing it got sold elsewhere.

Everybody is a vintage bag lover here. Awesome!

That’s so interesting because I saw some photos on Amore that looked like brand_jfa photos and I wondered.
I’m eyeing a few of their small lambskin and caviar flaps now but golly the caviars have gone up in price! But then again I always think “now Is probably the cheapest these bags will be!”

I saw heyyy_june managed to get a beautiful small caviar flap for around 3400 recently and was amazed! She finds the best deals.
And I wish there was a vintage sub thread here! I love eyeing off everyone’s vintage beauties.

 

[spiderlily89]

Yeah you can get deals from Brand JFA! I think it has to do with how they grade the bags. So if the bag gets graded like a lower rating (A, B, AB, C, you know their system) then they will lower the price. I feel like they have some algorithm to determine the price. But sometimes I feel like bags get graded "lower" than what they actually are, like maybe the person doing it that day was feeling especially strict. So perhaps it has some defects that really aren't a big deal but the person will grade it a "B" or something, and the price will reduce a lot! So gotta keep an eye out.

Prior to global rakuten getting shut down, if you looked carefully through there then you could also find some bargains based on how the person graded the bag.

For example if I compare the vintage bags on Brand JFA and other Japanese sellers to Vesitaire Collective, the prices of the Japanese sellers are much lower! Because for the same type of scratches and defects the Japanese seller probably thinks its only "okay quality" and will lower the price whereas the individual seller on Vesitaire still thinks they can get a pretty penny for it. I think this especially applies to Chanel, LV and Hermes bags because it seems they have a lot of them in Japan so they're not really rare.