Hermès Date Stamps: A Guide for Luxury Resellers
When it comes to Hermès handbags, knowledge of the date stamps is of utmost importance, especially if you are a professional luxury reseller. These unique codes contain critical information regarding the authenticity and age of the handbag, thus playing a key role in determining its value in the luxury resale market.
In this comprehensive guide, we will provide all the necessary information regarding Hermès date stamps, with the objective to help luxury resellers in making informed decisions when buying and selling these highly coveted luxury items.
What are Hermès date stamps?
Hermès handbags are known for their exquisite quality and craftsmanship, which is why the fashion house has implemented specialized codes or date stamps, to mark the year the handbag was produced. These date codes serve as a control indicator for each Hermès creation launched on the market and guarantee the customer that their bag is authentic and of the highest quality.
In addition to the date stamp, each Hermès bag also shows a serial or number that identifies the craftsmen who worked on the item. The number denotes the specific section within the atelier where the craftsman was located. Through this unique system, Hermès maintains complete control over the production of their luxury products, ensuring that every piece is made to the highest standards of excellence.
Knowing the date code of a Hermès handbag is important because it can provide insight into the age of the handbag, which can impact its value. In addition, Hermès has changed the design of their stamps over the years, so being able to identify the correct code for a particular era can help authenticate a handbag.
Where are Hermès stamps located?
Hermès stamps can be found in different locations depending not only on the model of the handbag but also on the year of creation. Here are the places where you can commonly find a Hermès stamp on your handbags:
- Inside the closure strap: One common location for Hermès stamps is on the inside of the closure strap of Birkin and Kelly bags from past years, specifically on the left side. This location was used from 1945 to 2016, and the codes could easily be distinguished on the leather with a well-defined hot stamping. And although this stamp location is no longer applied to new bags, there are several vintage bags that can display the date stamps in this location in the resale luxury market, so it is important that you know where to look for it and how to identify it.
- Inside the left side of the bag: Since 2016, Hermès has implemented its hot stampings on the inside of Birkin and Kelly bags, usually on the upper area of the left side, very close to the seams. So if a bag is dated from 2016 to the present date, you can find its stamp in this location.
In the case of the Constance, in bags prior to 2015, the date stamp could be located on the strap, while in bags from 2015 to this date, the stamp can be found on the upper corner of the inner side of the bag, below the seams.
Hermès date stamps
Each Hermès handbag has a unique date stamp that indicates the year it was made. These date stamps are a combination of letters and shapes, with the letters corresponding to the year and the shape indicating the specific period of time.
The use of letters and shapes to date the bags started in 1945, with the letters being used in alphabetical order. From 1945 to 1970, no shapes were used in the date stamps. From 1971 to 1996, a circle shape was added to the date stamp. From 1997 to 2014, a square shape was used in addition to the letters. And from 2015 to the present time, no shape is used in the date stamp.
Next, we will detail the years and date stamps applied to each of them, so you can easily identify them on your Hermès handbags.
So, did you identify your Hermès handbags using the date stamps?
Knowing the Hermès date stamps is vital for professional luxury resellers to accurately authenticate and value the Hermès handbags they deal with. By understanding the year stamps and the various locations where the codes can be found, resellers can confidently assess the authenticity and age of a Hermès handbag.
By staying up-to-date with the latest information on Hermès date stamps, luxury resellers can provide their customers with the highest level of service and confidence in the authenticity and value of their Hermès handbags.
If you want to continue to expand your knowledge on Hermès to provide a better service for your clients, browse our blog for Hermès resellers and improve your trade.
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