If it is made overseas, I think they gas those containers with pesticide as 2000 said. Those nearer the outside get more, too much, so that all the contents will get enough.

I have also smelled that on clothes in a store. Not pleasant. No sale.

Chicklet and Cult Member

I, too, had a smelly purse---not once, but twice! I was so excited to pick up a blue Stone Mountain bag, but when it arrived, it reeked of fish. Even the box smelled, making me wonder if the UPS man had lost his sense of smell. I complained to CS, who sent me another bag, but that one stunk too! I sent both back, swearing off Stone Mountain products. Airing out a toxic purse is not the solution. I was wondering if the purses were made in China of inferior materials. Two of the same bag cannot be just a coincidence. Or maybe Stone Mountain and I were not meant to be!

I bought a silver leather Soprano hobo handbag from The Shopping Channel in Canada a couple of years ago and the bag reeked of mothballs. I could not get the smell out. I ended up buying aquarium activated charcoal and wrapping the charcoal up in paper towels and then putting them in the bag including all the pockets, zipping up the bag and leaving the charcoal in there for about 6 months. Frankly, I should have sent the bag back.

I notice when I go into bricks and mortat stores that have a lot of cheap synthetic handbags and shoes though that those also give off an outgassing odor that stinks.

I have sent back 3 bags due to the smell. I read that it could be the dye. I am not sure if it is just the dark colors because one of mine was white and I sprinkled baking soda all over it and let it sit in a tub for 3 days. The smell did not come out so I vacuumed it and it went back.

bunny can't wait for Spring!

I call it...the made in China scent! If you notice, products made in China have a very distinct odor.

Someone gave me a very cheap purse once and it reeked. My husband said it was mothballs.

I read that D&B comes from China.

What about Stone Mountain? Anyone know?

"It's never too late to be who you were meant to be."

I just read through pages of USDA-APHIS Import requirements for leather/handbags/luggage, and although a potential quarantine is mentioned, and certain documents are required (most specifically, the origin of the animal that was processed and in some cases, veterinary documentation that the animal had a clean bill of health,- not so much where the bag was created...) and I could find no evidence of gassing or pesticide spraying of the leather goods.

Now the TEXTILE importation regulartions are very complex and detailed and I did read about possible fumigation of the product in SOME cases, because there was concern of certain invasive species hitching a ride on natural fibers like silk, wool (especially) and cotton. I didn't read too much into this because my head was exploding at this this point.

But I found no evidence of leather fumigation. They were much more concerned about the origins of the animal that the product was made from. Which made me think how complex our world is, and do we know where some of these leathers come from? I would think Argentina and the US would export a lot of hides to be processed in countries with flimsy regulations for toxin exposures, etc., (and is therefore cheaper) but I also hear 'italian leather'... does that mean processed or is that the source of the animal used? Many times we aren't even told what leather our product is made from! Goat is the most eaten animal in the world, and many handbags are made of goat leather, but rarely identified (Kate Spade points out goat leather in some of her trims and bags I noticed.) HSN even has that 'vague disclaimer' that 'leather can refer to a variety of skins, including, but not limited to, cowhide, pigskin and lambskin,' at the bottom of many bag descriptions.

More questions, fewer answers. :)

Whatever it is, it's nasty. I just returned the Dooney TSV for this very reason. It was literally sickening. There was no airing it out - it was in the leather to stay.

Such a shame since it was a beautiful bag. I'm sure QVC will sell it to someone else (unfortunately).

"It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice".........Gramps

On 8/20/2010 cerinthe said:

Oh no, my heart is going to be broken if the Dooney TSV smells like the recent B Makowsky TSV (which I had to send back since it reeked horribly of a metallic smell to me after airing out for weeks.)

I hope yours doesn't. But, yes, it was that same smell. I know because I also ordered that B. Makowsky TSV and returned it for the same reason. Actually, that one was worse.

Hope you have better luck with your Dooney than I did.......and, yes, it broke my heart :(

"It's nice to be important, but it's important to be nice".........Gramps

It doesn't matter if the bag is plastic or leather, it can have that obnoxious metallic smell. Last week I ordered a couple of Brahmin bags - the smell was so strong, I called the company to ask about it. They claimed that it would dissipate in a short time. After a week sitting in my office, with the window open, I decided to return both bags. While getting them ready for the box, I handled them both. Within a minute or two, I had a metallic taste on the top of my tongue which has not gone away. Both bags were mad ein China.

I have returned four bags because of this smell issue. The MAXX studio bag and B Mak from the Q and a Michael Rome and Carlos Falchi from HSN. I think the Maxx was the worst in terms of "fishiness". I put it in my closet and my husband asked me if I smelled something bad that night when we were in bed LOL!

I have NEVER experienced these brands smelling when I handling them in stores (Mac's Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's). It is gross!

~~People are entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts~~

I don't know if it's the processing/dyes used in the leather, the plastic bags, or the fumigation....or a combination of all three. I've had 3 handbags that I noticed the problem on....all 3 were shipped to me....2 directly from Dooney, and both calf leather, the third was another good leather brand. That means that all 3 handbags were sitting wrapped up in a warehouse for some unknown period of time, cooking in their chemicals. The scent went away on 2 of the bags after being aired out. But the third, a white Dooney, still has some "aroma" if you get your nose to close to it.

Interestingly, I've never noticed the smell when I am in any Dooney store. The bags on display have had a chance to air out. But even if they bring me a new bag from the back, wrapped in plastic, I've never noticed a smell.