RARE VINTAGE 1970's MARK CROSS BRITISH TAN BELTING LEATHER MACBOOK PRO BRIEFCASE BAG MADE IN ITALY R$3298
My bags are the antidote for the poly-lined synthetic leather run-of-the-mill bags being produced in China. Most of my bags are full-grain leather; Artisan craft, with authentic distressed character, and many with modifications unique to our line. We only use high-grade men's belts for shoulder straps. This leather is reminiscent of equestrian leather halter straps. I also use half centimeter thick mooseskin. Nothing wimpy here; quality and character that stands out and stands the test of a truly rugged lifestyle.
Invest in a bag that you'll love more and more over time. Not all leather bags are created the same. A great quality leather bag is supposed to look better with time as the leather acquires marks and age-related character.
Make sure to check out my whole store. At the time of this listing, I have 180+ items; all unique and different. Many with added Mooseskin handles; my "trademark" unique idea. Once you have tried it you will wonder how you functioned before without an inside handle. Also on many of my briefcases, I add a mooseskin handle wrap. The handle is the point of contact that the owner has with their bag and mooseskin is so pleasing to touch.
My philosophy in writing descriptions is: a picture speaks 1000 words. So please look at the pictures and email me with any questions. That said, here is my description:
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What I love about this Mark Cross briefcase is that it is made by world-renown bag and case company Mark Cross. (More about the brand below)
That should be enough for those familiar with the brand. A wonderful hand polished and buffed briefcase in a rich whiskey brown color, solid brass hardware, and it is made with such fine craftsmanship; I also like that it is 3.5-inch thickness; so it is not super heavy and fits the smaller tech we carry.
This bag has a true vintage look which is so popular today. It says without saying anything that you like quality and, are not afraid to be different. I imagine a business professional who appreciates the vintage look taking this to a meeting. It is sure to get comments and compliments. It is leather lined; this is very rare these days. It is really rare to find a bag at upscale retailers that is leather lined. In my opinion; leather lined is so much better and lasts so much longer.
A hardside case? But Why?
People are flocking back to the traditional hard-side cases because they are really easy to pack and it is easy to get access to all your gear by just putting it on your lap and popping the spring loaded locks open. There is just something completely satisfying about opening the locks on a vintage traditional hardside briefcase. The "Thwackety, Thwackety" is loud and fun. :-) The people on the subway or in the other cubicle, if they are old enough, will remember the sound and will be very curious about who has the old-school briefcase. Many conversations will begin carrying this piece of history.
As shown in the photos: This bag fits my mock-up wooden 15" MacBook Pro 2019 with the measurements of 13.75" x 9.48" x Thickness 0.61" It may fit a bit larger laptop so please contact me if you want me to measure for your specific laptop.
This bag fits my iPad Pro 12.9 very nicely in the fan file. Measurements of the 12.9 are in inches: 12.04 x 8.69 x .27 for your reference. No need to carry large rolling bags anymore. Now with our tech (tablets and small laptops) getting smaller, we can carry vintage style bags instead of the "run-of-the-mill" bags being produced in the 21st century.
The measurements, in inches, are approximately: 17.5 (not including the handle) x 13.25 (not including the feet) x 3.5
I have this bag listed as a man's bag. But to a woman who is looking for that vintage rugged look, this would be perfect.
There are two noticeable wear marks: one scatch on the bottom side, and a small sanded off mark where there was a pen mark on the inside fan file. Nothing bad, just wanted to make sure I noted them in case you did not notice them.
This beautiful bag comes from a smoke-free home in Minnetonka Minnesota. If you live local please contact me if you're interested in local pick up and saving on shipping.
Mark Cross Brand History Opened in 1845, shut down in 1997 and relaunch in 2011.
Here is the story: "In the hallway of Mark Cross's Garment District studio, a still from Alfred Hitchcock?s Rear Window hangs in the hallway, showing Grace Kelly holding a sturdy, boxy black purse. Inside a showroom, "Grace" bags are lined up in that same boxy shape, but in a rainbow of jelly bean colors and patterns.
It's all pretty modern for a 171-year-old brand. "I never wanted someone to walk in and say, "This is dull. Nice, fine quality, but it's boring.? That to me to be would be the kiss of death in terms of what we're doing," Mark Cross President and CEO Neal J. Fox tells Racked.
The photo features Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart with an original "Grace" bag in Alfred Hitchcock Movie Rear Window.
Fox, whose resume includes names like Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and men's haberdashery Sulka, had admired Mark Cross from afar before relaunching the brand eight years ago. The company started as a harness and saddlery company in 1845, founded by an Irishman named Henry Cross who came to Boston and named the business after his son Mark. It evolved into America's first luxury leather goods brand, way before Hermès and Gucci got a toehold in the United States.
Mark Cross flourished in the early half of the 20th century, and there was a moment in the '70s and '80s where Mark Cross had 23 retail stores across America. But by 1997, Mark Cross's then owner of Sara Lee (the baking/frozen bread giant) shut down the brand.
"The conservative look of Cross bags has become dated," Susan Chandler wrote in the Chicago Tribune at the time, and after the closure, the Mark Cross brand lay dormant for years.
Circa 2010, Fox acquired equity in the Mark Cross trademark and set about relaunching the brand in 2011, exclusively at Barneys. Flash forward to today, and this historic American brand is sold across the globe and has a hit on its hand in that tiny, streamlined, logo-less Grace box bag that starts at nearly $2,000. "That's our "It Bag", that's the bag that people come to us for because no one else is doing it," Fox says.
These aren't the easiest of times to sell a $2,000 purse, considering the slowdown on spending in China, Brexit, fluctuating currencies, and a decline in tourism due to terrorism, yet Mark Cross says it is growing. The private company doesn't publish sales figures, but Fox says it grew 100% last year and he anticipates growing another 60% this year. A travel collection is coming out, an expanded men's collection is in the works, and Mark Cross hopes to open an NYC flagship in the future.
"The Mark Cross collection is timelessly modern and irreverent in design," Sarah Blair, Barneys senior vice president for women's accessories and shoes tells Racked. "Many Barneys customers are now collectors of the iconic Grace box. The brand is a classic American heritage story that appeals to a broad range of clients."
Classic American heritage story or not, shoppers today probably don't even know the history behind Mark Cross. But they might have seen a bag on the arm of Alexa Chung or Kate Foley or even Rihanna.
"It's not super flashy, there's no branding or logo on it. It's elegant in that way," says blogger and photographer Zanita Whittington, who wore a Mark Cross bag at fashion week. "I actually got my bag from Matches, I bought it online so I wasn't really sure, but I was really blown away by the gorgeous quality of the brand. The leather, the finishing, the zipper is quite heavy, and it slides in a beautiful way. They've really invested in fantastic hardware."
Fox claims that the brand has had no involvement with celebs wearing the brand. "People don't believe me, but we don't pay. I'm cheap. We're not giving bags away, we're not paying anyone to wear them. Rihanna's walked into Barneys and bought two or three handbags," he says.
Exceptions are made, however, with regards to Taylor Swift. The pop star asked to purchase a sample bag from a Glamour cover shoot in 2012 and was photographed with it all over the world."I will admit that I never charged her," Fox says. "She beat it to death, so within a year, she had a problem with a piece of the hardware, and she sent it back because she wanted it repaired. And I replaced it with another bag because she didn't want to be without it." Now Swift owns a Mark Cross purse for each of her fashion personas, from girly to Met Gala goth.
Like Swift, the average age of customers is much lower than Fox anticipated.
"When we [relaunched in 2011], we had a brand that's been around since 1845, it's been dormant for close to 15 years when we began the process, so I assumed that baby boomers, younger baby boomers, might remember the brand. But the fascinating thing to me is that we're selling millennials and women in their 20s through 40s, that's the sweet spot," Fox said."
You will not be disappointed. While I do not usually take returns. As long as the buyer pays the shipping both ways; I will accept a return including insurance.
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My name is Reederang and I am a curator of vintage leather and canvas dry goods. To many, I have added unique functional modifications and made repairs giving each bag that coveted well-loved look. Our company, 725BeautifulBags, reconditions and breaths new life into vintage distressed high-quality leather goods. Ask me about my custom-made Mooseskin Briefcases and Backpack/Rucksacks.
We specialize in Vintage Leather Bags that are meticulously crafted in the United States of America, France, Italy, Holland, Poland, Paraguay, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Uraguay, Greece...
Our Bags, Briefcases, Backpacks, Rucksacks, Duffle Bags, Garment Bags, Carry-on's, are made of the following materials: Belting Leather, Saddle Leather, Harness Leather, Baseball Glove Leather, Battenkill Canvas, Salt & Pepper Canvas, Ballistic Nylon, and other rugged materials...
We focus on providing vintage bags from the 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's & 1980's to our customers worldwide.
Some of the Brands that we carry are: Tophams Washington DC, Jdeha Germany, Gustin, Cartujano Spain, Mark Cross, Kendall & Hyde, Le Tanner Paris France, Textier France, Humawaca Argentina, Goertzen Montana, Barrow / Hepburn England, Colonel Littleton, Aldo Raffa Italy, Sadhaus, Travelteq, Loewe Spain, Marlondo, Bick Brothers Makers, Mendel, Oshgosh, Skyway, White Star, Montblanc, Lederer France, John Badshaw &Sons, Frank Clegg, Korchmar, AH Brookings, Globetrotter, Wehrmanns Wisconsin, Brooks Brothers, Byron Bridlehide, London Harness Company, Tosca, Rialto, Bellevue, Mendel, Etro Italy, Norris England, Edelman Leather, Tivoli, Stylite, Bohemian Traders, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Kenwood, LL BEAN, Cleghorns Edinburgh, Dunhill, Sergio's Leather Creations, Wilt Roos Brothers, Herff Christiansen, El Cobollo Spain, Goyard, Orskov Copenhagen, Riley, Joseph Hanna, Brahmin, Swaine Adeney, Papworth, Valigia Borsone, Dionigi Italy, John Varvatos, Johnny Farah, Conker Trunks, Lotuff, Uber Bags, Tom Bihn, Albennipon, Brunswick, Maxwell Scott, Ernest Alexander, Buffalo Jackson, Tumi, Filson, El Cobollo, Hartmann, Lieberman Leather, Holland Sport Saddle Leather, D'Brozzi Miami, Crouch & Fitzgerald, Orvis, Gokey, MCM, Bill Amberg, Norway, Stash Texas, GUELPH, JW Hulme, Force Ten, BREE, Timberland, PTT French Postal, Norm Thompson, Banana Republic, Aktenkoffer, Aktentasche, Alfred Dunhill, Frye, Tusting, Schlesinger, Eddie Bauer, Rawlings, Ghurka, Dopp, Coach USA, Bally, J.Fold, Eddie Bauer, Goldpfeil, Georgetown Leather, Briggs & Riley, Woolrich, Duluth Pack, Geoffrey Beene, Ralph Lauren, RRL, Double RL, LL Bean, Tramontano, Bellino, Saddleback, MCGUIRE NICHOLAS, Ruitertassen, Cooperstown, Village Tannery Designs, Condor Leather, LAND Leather, Carlson Leather, Outback Canyon, Joseph Daniel, JC HIGGINS, Belber Luggage, Kenneth Cole, Cole Haan, Military Dead Stock, Ventiquattrore Italy, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Leder Aktentasche, Bucheimer, Tangaroa, Terrida, M. London, Phillip Corbin, Renwick, Lions Leather Products, Finnigan LTD, Insall & Son, Wheary, Branchers, Barret & Son, K. KAUFMANN, GEO LAWRENCE COMPANY, Maraolo Italy, Seeger Germany, CUERO, Go Forth Goods, Bottega Veneta, Korchmar, LA MAS, Linjer, Brady of Halesowen, Barrow & Gale, Glaser Designs...
Luggage For classic cars: MG TC TD TF MGA MGB Austin Healey Porsche Triumph & Others
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We ship really fast; usually the very next day and always USPS Priority Mail. We use eBay's Global Shipping program and ship to Kentucky, USA all of the orders from outside the United States of America. Then eBay determines the price that they will charge to ship you the items.
We do not accept returns unless for some strange reason we have made a definite error in the listing.
Fairwinds and Godspeed,
Reederang