# Welcome to Balenciaga! READ ME FIRST for Balenciaga Basics & FAQs!



## Addy

Welcome to the lovely smooshy world of Balenciaga! To make your visit here much more enjoyable, please take the time to read this thread as it contains details about how the Balenciaga forum is set up and great information for those new to Balenciaga.

We also have rules and guidelines for the Purse Forum as well as the Balenciaga forum so please read those right away to ensure that your stay here is trouble-free.

The PurseForum terms and rules can be found here: https://forum.purseblog.com/help/terms/

If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to PM the Balenciaga mods.

Happy reading!


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## Addy

The Balenciaga forum is set up in the following manner - only the stickies in each section are listed but there are many threads in each section:

*Main Forum* (that you are viewing this thread on) which contains stickies at the top on:

Celebrities with BBags PICS ONLY
Welcome to Balenciaga! Please read me FIRST for Balenciaga Basics and FAQs!
Identify This Balenciaga
*Balenciaga Reference Library* (link is located at the top right of the page) which contains stickies on:

Balenciaga Color Charts by Year
Balenciaga Color Information by Season
Dimensions/Serial Numbers/Prices/Years of Production for Balenciaga Styles
How to Read a Balenciaga Tag

Within the Reference Library, there are prefixed threads with information on:

Balenciaga Colors
Balenciaga Styles
Balenciaga Seasons

*Balenciaga Care and Maintenance* (link is located at the top right of the page) which contains stickies on:

BEFORE Posting in the Bal Care and Maintenance Threads
Cleaning Your Balenciaga
Rejuvenating, Repairing or Restoring Your Balenciaga
Protecting Your Balenciaga
Moisturizing Your Balenciaga
BEFORE & AFTER treatment/ restoration/ repair (pics ONLY)
*Balenciaga Shopping *(link is located at the top right of the page) which contains stickies on:

READ ME *** Rules for the Shopping Section *** READ ME
Authenticate This Balenciaga
Post Your Balenciaga Finds
REQUIRED PICS for Balenciaga Authentication
Reputable Stores Carrying Balenciaga/Buying from Overseas or Via Mail
Please help me find this Balenciaga...
*Balenciaga Clubhouse *(link is located at the top right of the page) which contains stickies on:

Your Bbag Family ***PICTURES ONLY***
Balenciaga Lovers Unite! ***PICTURES ONLY***
Balenciaga Lovers Get-togethers


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## Addy

*Do a Search*

Don't be scared of using the *Search *feature so you can find out if there is information already available BEFORE you post a new thread. You are welcome to post on threads already started.

If you cannot find what you are looking for and need to post a thread, *please make your thread title specific and descriptive*. Titles that are too general like "Help" or "New Bbag" will not assist others when they do a search.

Please note that if a new thread is created and the exact inquiry appears several times in a search, you will be asked to conduct a search and the thread will be subsequently closed.


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## Addy

*There is NO buying/selling/trading or soliciting for such allowed on tPF. If you are found to be doing so, your membership may be revoked.*Additionally, you cannot offer to buy a bag for someone else.

Please do a search of completed listings on eBay to determine how to price your bag or your own judgment to determine how much you should pay for a specific bag.

If it appears that you may be soliciting for sales, a reminder may be posted on your thread and it may be closed. If you are looking for a bag that is out of production (ie. 05's in particular), please know that a reseller or eBay are pretty much the only sources. Any threads asking for these items will be deleted.

Buying/Selling on tPF

Public selling/buying/trading is not permitted. Threads of WTS or WTB nature will be locked or deleted.
Soliciting your items for sale via Private Messages is prohibited.
Linking your own auctions is not permitted, in posts, signatures or otherwise. This includes eBay, eCrater, iOffer and other auction-type sites.
Promoting your business & listings

Store/business promotions in form of signature or profile links are only permitted for well established members with 500+ posts and 3+ months of membership.
Soliciting via Private Messages or spamming the forums with links to your business is prohibited.
For advertising opportunities, please contact an Administrator.
Breaking any of the above listed forum rules can result in the loss of posting privileges and loss of your Purse Forum account. We also reserve the right to ban any user, at any time, and for any reason. The administrators frequently review forum messages for those that are in violation of PF rules. Any messages found to be in violation will be deleted without warning or explanation. We reserve the right to edit, reprint, distribute, or delete any posting for any reason and without prior notification or explanation to the author.


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## Addy

*Balenciaga 101* (courtesy of *pluiee* )


*Q. What does the term "motorcycle bags" mean?*
It&#8217;s just the name of the line of bags - all of the ones with tassels or giant hardware.

*Q. How often are colors released?*
There are two seasons, Spring/Summer (SS) and Fall/Winter (FW). For each season, there is a pre-collection (which is released earlier) and a collection (usually only 3 colors are released). SS pre-collection colors are usually released around December and SS collection colors are released in February. FW pre-collection starts arriving in stores are around June and collection colors around August. 

*Q. What colors are produced every season?*
Only black and white are produced every season. All other colors are seasonal, meaning they're only produced for that season once. The only exception to the rule is the limited edition Magenta release in 2007 for BalNY stores only. Even then, many would argue Magenta 05 and LE Magenta 07 are very different.

*Q. Where can I find discontinued colors or styles?*
Sometimes stores have old stock but generally, eBay or consignment stores are the only places.

*Q. What is a good size for a first Bbag?*
The most popular sizes are the First and the City. The First is the smallest Bbag, while the City is considered medium-sized. The First is perfect for quick errands or going out at night &#8211; it holds only the essentials. The City is ~1.5 times the size of the First - it holds a lot more.

*Q. Please give me a quick rundown of all the common sizes!*
Apart from the First and City, the more common styles are the Part-Time, Work, Day, Twiggy, and Weekender. The Work is considered a size up from the City, its proportions are similar to that of the City. The Part-Time is an in-between size - it has the width of the Work but half its length. Of all the bags listed, the Day is the only one that has one shoulder strap. It is barrel-shaped, has a much longer length compared to its width, and is very deep. The Twiggy is more log-shaped - it has a longer width compared to its length. As suggested by its name, the Weekender is a very large bag - much larger than all the other bags listed. Some tPFers carry this as an everyday bag but is generally a little too large for most people.

*Q. Are there other styles? Are some styles discontinued?*
Yes. With the introduction of the giant hardware, a lot more styles have popped up. Every season, Bal introduces new styles and retires some too. Some retired styles include the Flat Brass First, Flat Brass Hobo, Purse, Shopping, and Box.

*Q. What&#8217;s a Giant City versus a regular City?*
Giant refers to the hardware, not the size of the City.

*Q. Which bags have straps? Which bags don&#8217;t?*
The First, City and Part-Time all have removable shoulder straps. The Work, Weekender and Day don&#8217;t.

*Q. What is a FBF?*
FBF is short form for Flat Brass First. These bags with flat brass hardware were produced in 2001 and 2002 for 3 seasons only. Each season had distinctive leather (3rd season is more distressed while 2nd season is more buttery). These bags had longer removeable shoulder straps than current bags - 3rd season bags had the longest strap. The first season had a gold &#8220;le dix&#8221; tag.

*Q. What is the best kind of leather?*
Tricky question... it all boils down to personal preference. Some common terms are squishy, buttery, veiny, distressed, dry, smooshy, slouchy, and chewy. The way I see it, it really comes down to the touch &#8211; when you touch the bag, does it make you happy? 

Most Bbags are either made of chevre or agneau. Agneau has been used consistently since 2008. For a lengthy discussion of the two leathers, please see http://forum.purseblog.com/balenciaga/chevre-goatskin-vs-agneau-lambskin-406585.html.


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## Addy

*Commonly used Balenciaga acronyms:*

Bbag = Balenciaga bag
CH = covered hardware
CP = Coin Purse (accessory)
F/W = fall/winter
FBF = flat brass First
FBH = flat brass Hobo 
GCH = giant covered hardware
GGH = giant gold hardware
GH = giant hardware
GSH = giant silver hardware
HG = holy grail (dream bag)
MMCP = Mini-Mini Coin Purse (accessory)
MU = Makeup (bag style)
PH = pewter hardware
PT = Part Time (bag style)
RGGH = rose gold giant hardware
RH = regular hardware
S/S = spring/summer
SLG = small leather goods


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## Addy

*Posting Auctions (eg. eBay) or Private Sale  Ads (eg. Bonanzle)*

- The ONLY place that you can post links to authentic auctions or private sale ads is in the Balenciaga Finds thread.

- You are NOT permitted to post links to your own item nor are you  permitted to mention your selling ID.

- If you are having problems with a seller or transaction, please post in the eBay forum for assistance.


*The Shopping Section*

- This section is for members to authenticate bags, and post inventory and sales at authorized Balenciaga retailers and online stores, and finds.

- Any questions regarding authenticity of an auction or private sale item, retailers, and websites must be posted in the Authenticate This Balenciaga thread.

- The ONLY place that you can post that you are seeking a particular item is in the "Please help me find this Balenciaga..." thread. Any posts stating that an item someone is seeking is on an auction or private sale site will be deleted. Please assist members by posting the availability of items at authorized retailers and online stores.


*The Balenciaga Finds Sticky*
- Post the link to the item
- Authenticate the item BEFORE posting
- No drama     


Thanks for taking the time to read the rules - they make for less drama and more fun around here. 

Any questions, please feel free to contact a Mod.


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