Vintage Chanel - Worth it?

I love what you have done with the bag, looks great!
Im not sure i could do the same thing though. I live in Europe where most of these resellers don’t ship to. I use Vestiaire Collective, Rebelle or Designer Vintage. Those have a bog collection but lately I feel like the reseller market is way overpriced and just better end up buying a bag in the boutique. I am visiting a Chanel boutique today so I will see what they currently have and keep my eye out for a vintage -perfect-Diana.

Thank you! Brand Off does ship to the EU via their eBay and their website. Unsure about the shipping policies for the other shops listed above. Hope you find your Diana. :heart: :heart: :heart:
 
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Awesome thanks @pursekitten I will check them out. I love vintage pieces in clothing so knowing I am getting something a little less common appeals to me.

I am wanting to start with a camera style bag I was looking at the YSL Lou and Prada Diagramme but wondered if a vintage Chanel one was a possibility. I am still learning about Chanels cross body options
 
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It depends on who our purchase from and on the quality. I purchased my vintage jumbo Chanel with the big cc that was made between 97-99 and it is still in great condition for lambskin. It hasn't flatten or wrinkled like a few others that are online. I also check to see their return/refund policy as well because I also want to authenticate it once it gets here just in case!
 
I recently purchased my first Chanel bags...both vintage. I wanted CF with reissue chain as I feel its the best of both worlds and its a special bag in terms of Chanel history as it has CC logo as introduced by Karl Lagerfield but has reissue chain as designed by Coco Chanel. I got it at a very reasonable price from Vestiaire specifically from Japanese seller Brandear. I got it authenticated after receiving it. It is in very good condition considering its age.
The next bag I got was jumbo with vertical quilt and large CC. I got it from a Japanese ebay seller eg-system. The price of this bag itself was reasonable but the customs were high. But the bag is in pristine condition With dustbag, serial code and authenticity card.

Both my bags are underrated styles and not much hyped up in social media. I guess there will be bargains and bags but it depends on the popularity of styles.
For good deals you have to stalk the websites or sellers you trust as they disappear fairly quickly.
 
Girls and guys, I need your help. I am considering buying a vintage CF or a Diana. I have a brand new 2.55 reissue and le boy but was intrigued by the older models before 2008 where they still used gold plated hardware. My question: is it worth spending a few thousands on an older bag (ca 1990-2007) and what can I expect quality wise? I hope you can tell me of you own a vintage chanel and how the experience is.

I have heard vintage lambskin is better quality as new ones. Maybe see it as you're paying for quality and an item that has been discontinued.

Personal preference, so I completely understand if people have other opinions. I sold my Diana flap, to me, it's not worth it.
  1. I prefer calfskin, goatskin, or caviar bags. I do not understand the concept of babying a bag. I want to enjoy using my handbags without constantly worrying about how I wear it, what I can wear it with, what I place it down on, ect.
  2. Most Diana's are in lambskin, they will wrinkle and lose structure. Quilts will flatten with use. They will wrinkle along the back, even when the bag is closed.
  3. Most look very used for the price you pay. Which to me, is very unappealing. I would rather spend the money on a new bag.
  4. There is only one way to wear it. Being able to carry a handbag multiple ways is a MUST for me. If Diana flaps had four grommets, then it would be a different story.

    HOWEVER, I have a vintage classic flap in caviar and I LOVE it. I've said before in other posts, one of my most used bags and still looks new. If you're set on a vintage bag, I think buying a bag that is still in production is the way to go.​
I agree with you. I like to wear my bag worry free. If I want lambskin, I think I'll start with something small. Slg or mini square. I do really want that book that comes with cf purchases where it shows how cf are made. I find it fascinating but can't seem to find one for purchase :P

This is my experience in vintage bag, feel free to skip on reading this long post :biggrin:

I recently purchased a vintage cf small in caviar (comes in full set) and paid same as retail minus the tax. I barely see any wear and tear aside from some very minimal stains inside the bag which I believe can be easily wiped off. Part of me is happy because I feel quality wise, it's much better than my new to me but old caviar woc (2013). Another part of me is a bit sad because well, it was retail price minus tax.

I've been hunting for a vintage cf caviar since 2019, but all the ones I see listed were as much as retail.

I've only ever owned preloved Chanels and finally decided I'll purchase the cf new from boutique. But weeks after being on waitlist and the price increase happened again, I cant stomach paying 7200 + tax on a bag that I kept seeing others having quality problems with. So I decided to purchase vintage before the price goes up again.

First picture is of my bag, dating from 2002-2003.

Last 2 picture is from a fb group where two members posted of their new cf having loose stitching and gold paint already wearing off. Granted, there's a 5 year warranty. But I don't know what will those bags look like 5 years from now if it's already having problems when it hasn't been a month or a year from owning it.
 

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I think vintage is worth it. I saw a vintage CF with reissue chain go on eBay last week for $3000 CAD (2400 USD!) at auction. It was in fantastic shape but maybe a less sought after combo as indicated in the above post. Compare that to almost $10 000 CAD for a new piece.

I have heard numerous times that vintage lambskin is harder wearing than new, and I believe vintage luxury can be higher quality in some cases than new. My profile pic is a 1996 LV Alma, still like new. I seriously expect it to last forever :smile:
 
At the beginning of this year, I decided I wanted to purchase a CF. With that decision, I knew that I was in no way going to spend $6800+tax on one.

Especially after handling friend’s CF that we’re new (they didn’t feel lux to me…almost plastic-y) and knowing how I handle and use my bags - I don’t baby bags and I can’t consciously be very precious with them. I feel a lot more comfortable with vintage/preloved because they are already lived in (a lot of the time). I also do not care about full sets; box, tissue paper, dust bags etc. All this extra adds to the cost on the preloved market unfortunately.

I stalked Japanese resellers and found one that I felt comfortable with price and condition and if necessary, I could always restore/pay to do so. I also requested more photos from the seller and they gladly did so. When I received it, it was way better than I expected. It felt so lux and worth more than money I spent.

I did have the bag authenticated after receiving it. Although, I trusted the seller already from previously purchasing from them but it was nice having additional peace of mind.

The bag is a 6 series and honestly so perfect, to me, I wouldn’t trade it for brand new. The lambskin was a little dry but after moisturizing it was brought back to life. The structure was a little off but I was able to correct that on my own.
 
I think it all depends if you fell in love with a vintage model and are set on getting this one only. I personally have a vintage Maxi from the 90s with the big CC and yellow gold because I think it looks better than the newer models. Also have a Medallion. They were bought a few years ago so they were more affordable than now. I am from Belgium and follow a few resellers but their prices have really increased.
 
In general vintage lambskin is more durable than modern lambskin.
I keep hearing that, but my vintage lambskin is quite delicate. I think it depends on the bag, and perhaps the fact that mine is very vintage (almost 40 years old) makes it a bit more delicate than a younger vintage bag.

But still, its age is one of my favourite things about it and it's in fantastic shape.
 
I keep hearing that, but my vintage lambskin is quite delicate. I think it depends on the bag, and perhaps the fact that mine is very vintage (almost 40 years old) makes it a bit more delicate than a younger vintage bag.

But still, its age is one of my favourite things about it and it's in fantastic shape.


Most mine are pretty durable and they're 40+ years. Only one is kinda delicate. They get scratches but I can rub them out.
 
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Most mine are pretty durable and they're 40+ years. Only one is kinda delicate. They get scratches but I can rub them out.
Perhaps because I had nothing to compare it to (it's my only Chanel and only lambskin), and kept hearing how much more durable vintage lambskin is, I may have taken it for granted that it's still lambskin ha ha, and still my most delicate bag. I think different batches have different levels of durability as well. Maybe mine is like your one slightly more delicate piece ;)

I did get a new lambskin SLG from the boutique recently and the lambskin feels like it's from a more durable batch than the other SLGs that I was looking at, thicker and less buttery soft. I'm curious to see how both the vintage and new lambskin wear compared to each other.