I would not expect great results from re-dyeing. I do know there is a "mail-away" bag spa that Chanel owners recommend, but through participation on a FB page I've read that essentially it's like painting the bags. One of the unintended consequences is that the leather actually becomes more stiff. If you're interested in the name of the spa, I can jump on FB and find it. Just let me know.

I have dyed leather shoes but never handbags. The shoes needed fairly regular touch-ups, but since they were shoes, that was okay. I would not recommend the method I used for a handbag.

BTW, I dyed some 1950s pointed toe brown shoes that I bought at a thrift store in San Francisco in 1980 with purple dye, as I was having trouble finding purple shoes at that time.

You can dye leather, but you can only go darker and the existing color will impact the new color. Not sure if that works in your case. The greyness will still be there, though somewhat modified by a new color on top of it.

Shoe dye (at least what I used) is opaque, and so you can make the shoes whatever color you want, but it is really a bit more like paint than dye, although it is more flexible than paint.

I would not use shoe dye on a handbag, unless that handbag was not going to get very much use, and it might look crafty. It's fine on shoes because people do not see them up close they way they do handbags, as a rule.

Not to mention that one isn't continually putting their hands on shoes.

I've also dyed a lot of shoes and leather, but not bags or garments - too difficult!

The type of dye that might work best for a bag, IMO and IME, is a stain type and those are generally only brown or black. When dying shoes that way, the finish on the leather needs to be completely removed and then the dye applied and then the surface needs to be waxed or otherwise treated. Doing so with a bag seems impractical, but a pro might be able to, if you can find one.

Obviously wax isn't a good choice for a bag as it can rub off on clothing.

It might be easier to just learn to like the present color - or resell it.

Thanks to all of you.

I do think that I will just re-sell it. I really can't see myself enjoying the use of this dull shade of blue. Too bad - it is hard to find a bag right now that isn't either too small, or that doesn't feel enormous to me or too deep (just annoying). I am picky, as I've said before.

I can happily keep using my 20 year old D&B, just wanted a softer leather and long strap in a pretty color. Maybe something will pop up in the new season!

Don't give up yet. There are opaque products for painting leather (https://tandyleather.com/collections/supplies/products/eco-flo-cova-color). While it's unlikely that you could find anyone who explicitly offered re-dying as a service, you can probably find a leatherworker who would be willing to do it if you bought the dyes/colors. Maybe you could find a leatherworker or Etsy and you could do the whole thing by mail (as so much is done these days).

My daughter has been taking leatherworking at summer camp for years--I think she's done that camp 5 or 6 times now--and dyed me a fabulous magenta bracelet. My impression is that the coloring step is pretty fast and easy, though I can't speak to recoloring.

It really does depend on the style of the bag. Seams and details can be problematic.

Also, if it's a very soft leather, that can be problematic as well.

It is possible to re-dye leather handbags successfully. You may not get the exact color you want, but you could get one you like better than what you have now. I have watched someone on youtube do it. He is not a professional at dying, but he worked in a shop selling high-end handbags, knows leathers, and sells bags online. The name of the dye he uses is Angelus, I believe.

I haven't been here for ages, but I have 'painted' a Coach purse. I bought one on eBay a few years ago, that was very beaten up, just to try the process. I know I paid less than $10 for it. And darn it - I don't have any 'before' pics, but here are some 'afters' below.

A link to leather paints - https://leather-toolkits.com/reviews/best-paints-for-leather/

This is a picture from the eBay post. The bottom was the best part!

Coach 7465 painted, in a darker green than it was when I bought it -

Somehow I lost track of this thread - sorry!

Wow, My3dogs ME zone 5A, that looks great! Did the paint make the leather much stiffer? (One of the things I really like about the bag I bought is its soft leather.) And how is it holding up? Do you use it frequently?

My sister dyed a pair of soft leather shoes and I helped her with them. I have a friend who paints on leather -- shoes, bags, etc. as well as canvas. I have some shoes she painted and they s=feel the same as unpainted ones. If you dye the bag, it should not make the leather stiffer. If you use a paint intended for leather and do it properly (prep, application and seal it), it should not either. If you apply the paint heavy enough to change the feel of the leather, it will likely crack and peel.