How to maintain a luxury bag to avoid damage and resell it later

1

Keep your handbag in its original packaging: All leather goods come with stuffing, a dust bag and sometimes a box. It is not only pretty, it helps keep your item in good condition, protects from any contact with other items

2

Protect your leather goods: Apply an anti-rain coat on any leather goods to avoid common damage to your bag. Leather gets affected by sunlight, rain or any liquid it could absorb and change its original colour

3

Keep pens away! The biggest enemy of leather goods is a pen mark that nothing can remove. If you carry pens in your bag, remind yourself to close them securely to avoid getting marks

4

Luxury pieces mean luxury care. Do not put your brand new bag on the floor at a restaurant, and avoid contact with darker coloured clothes, which could transfer colours to the bag. Always make sure to avoid food or drinks close to your bag

5

Keep the shape of your bag with stuffing and by hanging it on a pants hanger. Some shapes, especially square or flap shapes, could be damaged by keeping your bag on a flat surface

6

Do not dye a luxury bag at a third party company. If your bag is stained and you dye it using a different company like a shoe cleaner or bag servicing company, its luxury value and authenticity will be affected

7

Before reselling your bag, service it with the original brand for a quick cleaning or do the basic cleaning by yourself. Reselling companies will not clean luxury bag

8

Do not try to clean your patent leather luxury bag; it is impossible. Patent leather is like a topcoat on your nails, once there is a stain on it, you cannot remove it

9

Keep your receipt. It gives credibility in case you want to resell your luxury bag Source: Elisabeth Bohler, Head of Merchandising at The Luxury Closet