When you purchase new leather luggage or receive it as a gift you will want to protect it with a high quality leather treatment or conditioner. When applying a protectant or waterproofer make sure not to forget the straps and the bottoms of the bags -- precipitation falls directly on your shoulders and you may need to put the luggage down on wet or snowy pavement when waiting for transport. Air the bag out to ensure it is dry before storage, and stuff with non-acid paper if you will not be using again immediately. Guard against too much moisture loss during storage by conditioning well beforehand.
