H&M leather photo - aged or distressed?

I'm looking for some comments on a couple of pictures I swiped from ebay. I know nothing about this chair beyond what the seller posted (Ended Item #330301821910). At first glance I assumed that this was an old worn out chair, but the seller uses phrases like 'luscious,' 'fantastic leather,' and 'almost new condition.' :eek:

So was this chair made to look like this (distressed), and really 'like new'?

Or if it is just worn, is this the result of poor maintenance? Is this the kind of patina one would expect from an unprotected aniline over the years? If my H&M piece starting looking like that, is there any hope of restoration?

I'm particularly looking at the green patches on the front of the arms near the top, and the dark/discolored patch near the top of the back cushion. Any thought would be appreciated.

Know how I'm always preaching to clean your leather furniture? That piece has never been cleaned. That's the classic sign of oil and dirt buildup from use (hair and hand oils). The hide is already discolored, I'd not expect that to be brought back to the original color.

I suspected as much. I couldn't really image having on built like that. But who knows? I've seen some pretty crazy things. From the condition of the carpet, it looks like this piece had a hard life, right in that very spot.

So after seeing damage like that, do you think this was a completely unprotected hide like a Lambskin Celery or Quintessence Celery? Or could this happen to a protected leather too if it were not properly cared for?

Any chance this isn't even an H&M chair?

Wow. I didn't even notice the filthy carpet around the chair. That's kind of gross even considering buying a chair out of that environment. Who knows what little critters might be living in the chair? I'd certainly be checking the interior for flea eggs.....

That does not appear to be a high end leather, but I can't say for sure. Any leather can be trashed like that, no matter what category of hide they all need to be wiped downed and cleaned or they all end up like that. The next step in the deterioration of that chair is for the darkened area to begin cracking.

I don't recognize that model, it may or may not be an H&M.

People are people. I've seen some totally destroy and use up a recliner or leather chair in under 6 years by basically living in it and using it as a dining room. I've seen other ones that are over 20 years old and could pass as a new 'floor model' in my store. It's really dependent on the folks using the product as to how it holds up and performs.

Much like that person that buys a new Mercedes and drives it hard, never washes it or maintains it, keeps it outside and when its 5 years old it looks beat. Another person buys the same car, keeps it garaged, washed, waxed and it looks showroom at five years of age. Just depends on the owner.