As seen in Heritage Auctions: The Intelligent Collector

World-renowned luxury handbag restorer Gerry Gallagher of Leather Surgeons shares four simple ways to extend the life, look and value of your luxury bag:

• Wrap a scarf or a twill on your bag’s handles. Otherwise, the oils from your hand, lotion and sanitizer can discolor the leather.
• Put away the sanitizer. It’s alcohol content will remove your bag’s color and leave stains.  If you must carry it, make sure its sealed inside a plastic bag.
• Buy a handbag hook.  The next time you go out, hang your bag from the edge of the table instead of placing it on the floor to keep it free from dirt, which will discolor the stitching a leather.
• Don’t let a light colored shoulder bag rub up against your jeans.  Dye from even the most expensive jeans easily transfers to most bags.

Learn more about how to best care for your handbags in this article, Caring For Your Spring Wardrobe-Handbags