For my birthday, my sister got me a Vaja case for my Apple iPod Mini (2nd generation, 6GB). Vaja cases take about 30 days to be delivered because they are handmade to order in Argentina. We ordered mine online over Easter and it just arrived today.

Vaja makes cases for cell phones, digital cameras, mp3 players, notebook computers, pdas, and a variety of accessories. Reviews of Vaja cases are always extremely complimentary and now I can see why. I simply cannot imagine a higher quality case or leather good in general. It looks, feels, fits and even smells great.

The first thing you notice when you open the package is the incredible leather smell. It was like opening a box of brand new leather shoes.

Click to see a half-dozen more close up photos of the Vaja iPod Mini case.

The Vaja case color I chose is "Caterina Dark Blue" and my iPod Mini is officially "Blue" but is really more of a teal. While Apple is currently only offering the iPod Mini in four colors, the Vaja iPod Mini case comes in twenty-five different colors. The color and texture of the leather of my case is perfectly consistent and has just the right suppleness you would expect of fine leather. There is no mistaking it for some kind of vinyl or leatherette.

The iPod Mini fits perfectly snug inside the case. There is no chance of it accidentally sliding out. I suspect this will remain so since the iPod required just about the maximum force I was comfortable using to get it into the case--exactly what you want the first time.

The Vaja case has a clear plastic/vinyl window which protects iPod Mini's screen. It is completely unnoticeable when the iPod is in the case, whether the power is on or off. There is no cover over the click-wheel. However, the Vaja case for the larger non-mini iPods does have a click-wheel cover.

You can see how nicely the case wraps around the bottom edges and extends above the top edges of the iPod while leaving all the connectors fully accessible. Note, however, that you cannot use the cradle while using the iPod is in the case. Also, because the iPod passively cools itself through its aluminum skin, it should not be charged while it is in the case which could result in overheating.

Note the quality of the edging and stitching. I have never seen finer. [I don't know why the color is distorted on the close-up.]

The Vaja case without a belt clip ($4), without personalization ($10), without an embossed logo ($30) was $60 plus $17 shipping for a total of $77.00. I've got to say...it was worth every penny.

Thanks Donelda!