Florence Leather Shop - Real or Rip Off ?

I would be wary of anyone that approach me and try to "butter me up" for a big sale. You probably did the right thing by not falling for it.

Among the Wise Fodorite's Rules of Travel should be the following: The quality of something is inversely proportional to energy of promotion -- or if they're hawking it, it's not as good as the others.

This seems to apply to restaurants (e.g., in Stockholm's Gamla Stan, where the worst meal was at a restaurant that employed an "inviter" to draw us in), leather stores/factories (both Florence and Spain), glass blowing studios (Murano), even rooms for the night (Hvar).

I think HKP makes an excellent point, and I agree.

although one of my most favorite Italian meals in Paris was at a place where the owner encouraged us to enter....

I think you are right to be wary-and on a side note-if you are looking for leather goods, next time you are in Florence, you might to well t check out a place that doesn't tout for business but sells excellent quality and imaginative leather goods: Gioia Chiara. It is on Via Della Scala, right near the Officina Farmacia de Santa Maria Novella (which is lovely but only buy there if you really want to be ripped off in style and elegance, the world's most expensive soaps!)

We met this Asti fellow on our first trip to Italy in 2001. He sat next to us in an outdoor cafe and struck up a conversation. He claimed to be a member of the Asti family as in Asti Spumante and he casually mentioned that he had a leather shop next to Ponte Vecchio. Naturally because he liked my wife and I soooo much he would give us a great deal - 50% off. I smelled a scam but my wife wanted to take a look. The shop was very nice but the leather very overpriced even at 50% off. I'm not sure that it was a rip-off or just a sales technique but my wife was not particularly impressed with the leather, especially at his prices.

Hi R,

Another voice cautioning to never buy anything from someone who approaches you on the street.

Even if the goods did fall off a truck.

I needed new navy leather gloves and looked for them in Florence last month. My hands are small, and the shop we were in didn't have any to fit. I asked if they knew of a shop that might have some, and they named a place about half an hour's walk away.

It was hot and I was tired so I didn't look for that shop, but I did find some gloves--in the shop next door to the first one.

If you're planning on buying something like that in Italy (and I think the bargains are long gone due to the fall of the dollar, but you may find styles or quality you have trouble getting at home) you should shop at home first to see what things cost.

Now 900 euros - $1200 or so - for a really good qaulity leather coat isn;t unreasonable (have a look at Saks or Neiman Marcus) - but not a bargain either. And if you shop the sales/discount malls you can do better. (I bought a nice quality leather jacket on sale from Bloomies by mail and it was only $500 - reduced from $750 - and saw very similar - same maker, slightly different style - in Italy for about 600 euros - so no deal at all.)

And if you haven;t comparison shopped in advance - I would never buy anything more than a token - $50 or so.

hi carolyn, do you remember the names of those leather shops? I have been looking online at a aplace called Madova gloves and thinking of going there while in Florence. Love to hear where you went!

LJ - I LOVE Gioia Chiara! In fact, the wallet I carry right now is an eggplant colored snap-close wallet from that shop. My sister got to know the owner when she was living in Florence and we go back everytime to buy some more stuff!

Dana

Yep, I am the prous owner of a red leather bag, a wonderful brown canvas and leather handled carry-all that goes on and on and some wonderful leather creatures that serve as Chritmas decorations for me and souveneirs from Italy for colleagues-great workmanship and good prices.

Once the free champagne starts flowing, I would consider me gone.

Stella marina, Could you please let me know location of Gioia Chiara? Will be in Florence soon, how are the prices? Thanks, E.

>Now 900 euros - $1200 or so - for a really good qaulity leather coat isn;t unreasonable...<

Not at all.

At the leather school behind the Santa Croce, my Lady Wife found an absolutely exquisite leather opera cape for a mere 3000 E (about $4000 at the time).

If we hadn't recently had the roof repaired, I would have urged her to buy it.

Madova is great for gloves.

I have been escorted into those leather shops too, it is almost laughable. Their act is so rehearsed and the flattery and champagne just add to the humor. Have a sip of the bubbly and if it is good finish it and then leave.

There are some high end shops that will make a coat especially for you but you will pay the price.

The only plus I can see of buying a leather coat there is the idea of buying it in Florence. The euro is no bargain for Americans any more.

If he's a member of the "Asti" family "as in Asti Spumante", what the heck was he doing serving champagne? But then, Asti Spumante is named after the town, isn't it?

No harm, no foul. In NYC we have always had electronics and linen shops in the heavy tourism areas, shops perennially "Going Out of Business" ... they had to change that scam a few years ago, as the consumer affairs dept declared that if you didn't go out of business with 6 months or something, you had to take down the signs. Don't recall what the status is on that now ... but these shops sell "Irish" linen rock bottom markdown 53 weeks a year ; many of the electronics shops have fantastic bargains - in the window. Once inside it's the old bait and switch. Or the one you end up buying is "grey market", which may mean not the US version, or not passed through customs, or aqny number of other things.

Down in the east Village where you'll find a block or two of Indian restaurants in a row, there are "greeters" encouraging you to come in at every one. In that case, you can't take it as a mark of quality - or lack thereof. It's just stiff competition. On Lincoln Road in Miami many of the restaurants do the same - sometimes it's just the maitre d', sometimes waiters or pretty girls. It's competition, they want you to sit down before you cross the street, or you'll end up somewhere else!

eshore, Gioia Chiara is on Via della Scala, almost across the street from Oficina Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. Via della Scala runs off of Piazza Santa Maria Novella. The prices were pretty reasonable although the last time I was there was about 3 years ago. I think the wallets were maybe 12 euros? They have great colors!

Dana

Tomasso said: "Down in the east Village where you'll find a block or two of Indian restaurants in a row, there are "greeters" encouraging you to come in at every one. In that case, you can't take it as a mark of quality - or lack thereof. It's just stiff competition. On Lincoln Road in Miami many of the restaurants do the same - sometimes it's just the maitre d', sometimes waiters or pretty girls. It's competition, they want you to sit down before you cross the street, or you'll end up somewhere else!"

I agree. When I read what RTGirl wrote, I thought of Gianni in Florence. He and his cousin have a leather shop and they will go out and get customers. He didn't speak of how much the customer spent but how many jackets were sold. Three days with no jacket sold is tough on business. The problem is that there is a tremendous amount of competition, and when you have a store tucked down a side street you have to be creative to get the customers in your store, or you won't be in business long. I hung out in his store and sometimes they'd offer champagne, but usually not.

I know they aren't shysters, they just want to earn a living, working for themselves, selling jackets. They weren't in the business of trying to rip off the tourists. They were more interested in making friends in order to get referrals. But they absolutely would go out to the busy piazzas to try to drum up business by bringing people into their store.

I guess I'm just saying that things aren't always as they seem.

stellamarina, Thanks so much I will pay them a visit e.

ira -

Sorry. That's what a top quality leather coat costs.

The questions are:

Did she go to Italy intending to buy such?

Had she shopped here to see her options?

Was she being shown the same quality?

I'm not suggesting that everyone run out and buy a $1200 leather coat. I certainly wouldn;t. But if that's what you want - at least understand the market before you go.

Hi NYT,

I think that you responded to the wrong person.

Tropicalkerry, I don't know the names of the leather shops. They offered a discount for paying cash so I did that and didn't keep the receipts. I bought the gloves in one and a belt for my husband next door. That shop had a counter in the back where they monogram with gold leaf.

I can tell you that they are located on the left side of the square as you face the church, or, more important, as you come back into the square from having gelato at Vivoli's.

RagtopGirl

1. yes, I am familar with this shop. My experience goes back to 9/11/2001.

2. I have purchased coats from this shop and so have my children. I have directed friends to this shop and we all have had a good experience.

3. We paid by credit card and all merchandise came and was of highest quality. The leather was like butter.

4. The shop is run by two families, one being the Asti family. Fillipo was trained in Paris as a designer, had a U.S. girlfriend, fiancee, for years and knows the states backwards and forwards. He has a eye for clothes and will size the jacket property and pick a suitable design for your height and weight. The other brother is Gerardo.

I met Gerardo's older brother on 9/11/01 when my wife and arrived in Florence from Cinqua Terra. We were out of touch with the news and did not even know of the catastrophe. My wife intially thought it was a hussle until the guy- told me he as not interested in selling me anything. The family owns a leather factory and 5 shops. We came to his shop - everyone snapped to attention when he walked in - he let me view things on the Internet, offered me his phone and cell phone ( nothing was getting thru to the states), and let me send email to our kids back in the states. We did not intend to stay that night in Florence -we had been there many times before. The guy helped us find a room - everything was booked as there was a medical conference. The next day we received email from our kids. Anyway, we bought nothing. This is just the way most folks are in Italy.

Five years later, we returned with friends and bought stuff. Again, everything was top quality. Did I overpay? Not for the custom-designed stuff of the quality received. I compared prices in the U.S. from top stores and they were considerably higher for the grade of stuff we received. Could I have saved money shopping around all over Italy? Perhaps, but when I am on vacation my time is more valuable. Fillipo likes to "smooze". That's his nature. But I recommend them highly.
No, I am not a member of the Asti family.

When we went to Italy, my friend in NY (who is Italian and travels back and forth all the time) recommended Sermonetta for leather gloves. They have stores in Rome, Milan, Venice and NY. Here's their website:

http://www.sermonetagloves.com/en/aboutus.php

The gloves there were lovely and they had a very wide price, style and colour range. I brought home several pairs as gifts for my sisters and friends. Unfortunately, I neglected to get a pair for myself! Guess I'll just have to go back to Italy -- or at least to NY.

IRA, I can absolutely see your LW in a leather opera cape! She's probably the only woman I know who could actually carry it off. The roof could have waited -- where are your priorities? (Say hello to her for me, please.)

Interesting...

This totally unsolicited "revival" of a negative thread about a somewhat dubious establishment in Florence is dinodad's first and only post!

Buyer, beware!

I just returned from Florence and guess who I ran into at a cafe near their boutique? Yes -- the chairman & CEO of Ponte Vecchio Florence, and his nephew, who I think is the designer mentioned in another post. They were extremely friendly and wanted me to come to their shop to see their work. I have to say Mr. Asti was very polite and interested in having a conversation, which I appreciated.
There was no time for me to stop by and based on what I've read in these reports, it's just as well I missed out on the visit.

While I'll admit being served snacks and Champagne might not be the way to shop in Florence, but be aware that that is the way things are often done in Morocco, Turkey and Egypt. And probably true in other Arabic countries.

The bargaining "game" can go on for hours so the refreshments are a necessary part of the whole process. The merchants are trying to sucker you into a big sale and the booze and hospitality just might help them squeeze a few more bucks out of the sucker, I mean "customer". The best part is listening to their little tales of why their product is better than the guy next door's and how they had to ride on the back of a donkey for three days into the most remote region to find these rugs, fabrics or jewelry. The whole experience is worth the pain of hauling that silly over-priced rug all over the Mediterranean for the next week. We still laugh about how much work the rug merchants and his helpers had to perform rolling out item after item after item just to sell us a $300 rug. Well worth the admission price!

Felipe Asti strikes again! My husband, son and I just got back from Florence. We struggled to get past this very sleek well dressed man lounging on his bike near a pay phone. He apologized for taking over the sidewalk, then engaged us in conversation. He very quickly told us he was a fashion designer, and invited us to see his shop "right around the corner." Very nice indeed. He was full of compliments and very touchy feeling, but only gave us water, not champagne! (hey!?) Oh yes, he said he would "give me a jacket as a gift" if I loved one. Well, of course his gift was just a discount to bring the price down to around 800 euros. We said our goodbyes, and my husband said he was suspicious from the start...what kind of a fashion designer uses a payphone!? Anyway, it was an interesting experience to say the least.

1) Don't go into shops or restaurants with shills in the street
2) Don;t "order" clothing or similar that you cannot tke with you - you have no idea of what the quality of what you get will be (and 900 euros for a top quaity designer leather coat is not unreasonable)

Well, at least you were buying leather. Lou and I bought vinyl, at about 30 Euro a piece!

Tourists are fair game for scams in Rome. We are tourists, so naturally fair game. We were stung in the most memorable fashion a couple of years ago, when we managed to purchase a pair of leather jackets (“I’m on my way home from the Milan fashion shows, where are you from?, my sister lives in Adelaide, I’ve lost half my map of Rome (shows half map), can you direct me to the bank, my Visa card is broken (shows Visa card with broken corner), here take these two leather jackets – they are just samples, I don’t need them, could you spot me 50 Euro, I’m about out of petrol (points to petrol gauge)”. 50 Euro for two leather jackets – unbelievable, and they had an Italian label – pasted over the other label that said “Made in Beijing”. A few polyvinyl chlorides were killed and their skins tanned to make those jackets. And he was right when he thanked us for our help – “you’ll never forget me”, he said.

We haven’t.

So we were chuffed this time when a guy pulled up, asking to be directed to the Tiber – all of 50 metres away, bridge in full view, jackets in plastic bags on the back seat. Anticipation of sweet revenge. Same dialogue, up to the point when we were advised that his sister lived in Perth. And then he drove off – he must have spotted Lou’s grin as she poked me in the ribs. Damn. Hate that.

>So we were chuffed this time when a guy pulled up, asking to be directed to the Tiber – all of 50 metres away, bridge in full view, jackets in plastic bags on the back seat. Anticipation of sweet revenge. Same dialogue, up to the point when we were advised that his sister lived in Perth. And then he drove off – he must have spotted Lou’s grin as she poked me in the ribs. Damn. Hate that<

This happend to me too, right near the Colosseum. Man asked me if I knew where tht Colosseum Metro stop was. When I pointed the direction, he told me he was a salesman from Dusseldorf. I saw the boxes in the trunk of his hatchback car and knew it was a scam to try and sell me something.

As I was pointing and talking he took one look at my Patek Philippe watch and heard my best Philadelphia Main Line accent and just knew I wasn't going to be buying a coat from the back of a car. And he drove off.

Thin

By the way, I have a great photo of Felipe Asti--I wish I knew how to post it!

We had a great experience at PVflorence.com and are very happy with the quality of the beautiful leather goods we purchased.
So what if they try to market their great products by meeting people!
My only problem has been that the flight attendant on the way home wanted to keep my new coat!
We are in the West coast USA and Fillipo and his wife are welcome here anytime.

tamblynne, welcome to Fodor's...

@Jean,
Thank you. It is kind of interesting and I like to at least give an honest opinion. I have been to Italy many times and perhaps it was good that we met Asti on the latest trip so that I knew what was available and the quality of the leather.
t

@dinodad, I loved your comment.

I spelled his name incorrectly,,, it is Filippo! and his wife is Nicoletta.

Well hello shoppers have i got a story for you. in 1998 i was a nanny in florence walking the street when a handsome welclad man in head to toe versace $$$$$$ asking me and my girlfriend to come and look at the coats. so bummed i didnt get the spumanti but did in the end get a lovely coat with an indecent price of 3500 lire. oh and there were 6 cousins all up that were sooooo cute especially the one that wore the Hermes belt, but after i boughgt the jacket they never spoke to me again for the whole year , made my life les mis in tuscany, had me chased home one nite, and then i recall seeing MR. Asti arguing will his so called girlfriend that broke up . Not sure what exactly these lads get up to but they are italian. i find it soo funny they are still working the street. No hard Feelings Astis!!!!! Congrates on the wedding.

Yes I know Ponte Vecchio Florence shop, I bought a lot of coats from them, and i must say that they have the best quality, and they are very friendly people. I suggested that shop to my friends who have visited Florence and they also had a good experience.

Anyone here know what "bonded leather" is? Look it up.

These guys, or some of their ilk, are operating in NYC now, too.

Lost on the way from Manhattan to JFK airport. Coming home from a fashion trade show.
Just happens to have a load of "leather" jacket samples in his car.
Look..they even have a pressed-on metal tag announcing "Armani!"

Wait..can he have your size? (fingers crossed!)

YES!!! You are in luck! the jackets sell for more than $1000 each (!!!) but you can have one for $600 cause he does not want to schlep them home to Italy.

Don't want to pay that much?

Ok...he is running late..take the jacket for $300!

Strange that this thread seems to attract first time posters who praise the shop, never to post again on Fodor's.

If you cant tell whether its worth the price or not, don't buy it. Simple.
In Morocco they sell you polished cardboard.