If you are one of those who do not appreciate and maintain your possessions, a visit to the market and shops will cause you to change your attitude.
Of a truth the prices of virtually everything has skyrocketed. The hyper inflation cuts across every sector of the economy however for imported luxury goods like leather shoes, bags etcetera, the story is an entirely different thing because of the foreign exchange.
Every challenge has a down side and good side. The challenging situation in most parts of the world now and Nigeria, though very painful, equally has good lessons it is teaching us.
Prices of virtually everything have increased by over 300percent. I do not know how many of you have ventured into purchasing imported leather goods. For the benefit of this write-up, let’s restrict it to just leather bags.
Also, we shall be as practical as possible in this write-up. There are many people even despite the harsh economy who can afford very expensive leather bags, nevertheless we shall not talk of designer bags like GUCCI, Louis Vuitton, Michael Knorr’s etcetera. We are talking about your every day brands like Gilda, BGU, carried by the fashionable middle class and average Nigerians.
Before the year 2015, these bags were selling for between N10,000-N13,000 in the open markets like Balogun, Lagos. By the end of that year and early 2016, the price had gone up to N17,000. However, as at last week, the price in the open market was between N150,000-N250,000. For a set of Italian leather shoe/bag, the price is now between N250,000-N350,000. The price, just like other imported items, responds to the rate of foreign exchange.
A fashionable average lady will need more than 10 bags in different colours to complement her outfit. A survey of key fashion markets, like the Gbajumo Shopping Plaza, Balogun Market, reveals a slump in the demand of these bags. A further research reveals that most ladies are now taking out time to maintain their old bags instead of buying new ones. Building a maintenance culture is one good side of recession.
When genuine leather is properly taken care of, it comes out almost as good as new.
All products made from natural leathers, like bags, will age with time. Just like our own skin, it will need moisturizing and caring if they are to be kept in tip-top condition throughout the years. Even with excellent care, they will still age. There’s no avoiding this; a well looked after and aged bag is just beautiful as a new one, if not even more so.
This ageing effect is called the bags ‘Patina’.
All leather loses moisture and oils over time and with handling. As a hide dries out, it’s more likely that the fibres that make up the surface of the skin will break rather than stretch. Every animal hide is unique and some will have less natural oils than others. The more we handle a product made from leather, the quicker it will lose its natural flexibility due to its oils and moisture being transferred to our hands, etc.
To keep any leather bag in tip top condition, then we need to ensure the leather fibres stay supple and to accomplish this they will require natural oils or regular moisturizing. It’s always best to regularly use a leather care product to replace those oils and keep the leather supple. It’s either you get from shops or you use homemade ones.
Scratches cannot be prevented, so if you don’t like the antique effect that scratches will give to your bag then it’s advised that you keep it away from sharp or metallic objects and generally give it careful consideration when handling and placing it down on the ground, etc.
Another way to protect your bag is to apply a boot polish, vaseline or saddle soap. This will coat the leather with a protective finish that will make it more durable. Please note that applying any form of polish, even a clear or natural colour, will almost always change the colour of your leather. So test a small area of leather first (such as the tag/key-ring we supply with your bag) and then check if you are happy with the final colour before applying to the remainder of the bag.
If there’re small dirt marks on the finished side of the leather then usually a little warm water, mild facial soap and a little elbow grease or olive oil will do the trick of getting rid of them. Properly allow to air dry before applying oil.
The key to removing dirt and other such marks is not to use too much pressure, it’s much better to lightly rub a mark 100 times with low pressure than 10 times with a lot of pressure. The high pressure maybe likely to remove the finish and damage the leather.
Leather bags should not be allowed to get wet but if they do, they should be wiped with a dry cloth and allowed to dry naturally.
If your bag gets wet, then never force-dry the leather by using heat. Do not place on radiators or use hair dryers, simply leave it in a place that is normal room temperature until it dries naturally.
If you are going to continuously experience bad weather, then we would suggest that you obtain some leather water-proofing products to help keep your satchel dry.
Keep your leather bags stored in places that are dry and clean when you are not using them, ideally in the specially designed dust bags that came with your bags to help protect them.
Keep them out of hot temperatures, especially extreme heat. Heat exposure can cause the pigmented finish to bubble and to peel away.
Freezing temperatures can really damage your satchel and the natural structure of its fibres, that give it strength, and make them brittle. Cold temperatures can also cause the pigmented coating to crack excessively, so if you don’t like that effect, then it’s prudent not to let it get too cold.
Try to keep leather out of direct sunlight for long periods, because this can fade your leather.
If you’re applying a water-proofing product, then it’s strongly recommended that you first apply a care product to help lock in moisture and to keep the fibres of the skin supple before making it waterproof. Only apply the waterproof to areas that will be exposed to moisture. This will result in you still being able to treat the inner of the bag with care products so it can remain supple and wont crease, crack or peel, due to drying out.
To remove stains from leather, lemon juice mixed with a cream of tartar is excellent.
To keep leather supple, a mixture of one part white vinegar to two parts linseed oil can be applied with a soft towel. Let it rest for 12 hours and then buff the leather.
Well looked after aged bag is just beautiful as a new one, if not even more so.
