If you’re on the hunt for a coveted Birkin, Kelly or Constance for your store, it’s imperative you know what to be on the lookout for, or better yet, you should just buy from a trusted reseller who has your back. If you’re still considering making the transaction on your own, there are a few telltale signs that could tell you if your bag is a fake or the real deal. Here’s a brief overview to help you get started.

THE SILHOUETTE

The first thing you should take note of is the shape of the bag. Hermès bags are known for their clean lines, and impeccable silhouettes. The Kelly bag comes in two different versions, the Retourne and the Sellier.

SELLIER means “saddler”, and this was the first Kelly bag design. The Sellier is more structured, has sharp edges and visible stitching on the outside of the bag. Since it’s more rigid in design, it holds fewer items than the Retourne and is rendered in sturdier leathers, like the Epsom or Box.

To create the RETOURNE (which started out as the Sellier) the artisan flips the bag inside out so you will see piping instead of the stitching. The suppleness of the Retourne gives the bag a more casual vibe and therefore it’s crafted from softer leathers like the Chevre, Togo or Clemence.

As for the Birkin, it’s similar in structure and design, and due to its metal feet, it can sit upright. The handles should be rigid and stay upright on their own, and the distance between the top and bottom of the handle should be 5 inches.

THE MATERIALS

Hermès bags are crafted out of the finest and most luxurious leathers and exotic skins. From alligator, water buffalo, and ostrich, to Epsom, Togo, and Swift leathers, all the unique and exquisite leathers used by Hermès have a distinct and instantly recognizable smell, and the scent lingers no matter the age of the bag. If the scent is chemically, it’s probably a fake.

In addition to the scent, touch and examine the materials, and remember their professional leather artisans spend at least two years with their leatherworks before they’re allowed to make a bag. Real leather should be soft and supple, and the look luxurious. To learn more about the leathers, read our Ultimate Hermes Leather Guide.

THE STITCHING

Hermès uses saddle stitching which is representative of their history creating handmade equestrian leather goods. Their items are hand-stitched using two separate needles and saddle stitching creates two rows of stitches in a single row of holes, but since they’re hand-stitched, they might not be perfect. In fact, if the stitches are perfectly aligned, this is a sign it could be a fake. If you take a peek inside the bag, you’ll find the stitches are slightly angled from each other.

THE HARDWARE

The hardware is another dead giveaway. Birkins and Kelly only use gold and palladium hardware. The hardware should be laser-etched to say “HERMES PARIS” and there should be a hallmark after “PARIS” on the gold hardware.

Zippers are another place to check for authenticity, and the back zippered pocket should give you lots of clues. The starting point of the zipper should have a metal H which is in line with the slider; however, some of the older bags do not have the H and feature a square block. Of course, when you open and close the zipper it should be a smooth experience. The zippers are matte in appearance and should not be shiny, which would indicate a fake.

THE BRAND STAMP

The Hermes logo is heat-pressed on authentic bags and while counterfeiters can also heat-press the logo, the logo is pressed too deep which indents the leather. If you touch and run your fingers across the logo, you shouldn’t feel it indented into the bag. Also, the font should be visually impeccable which means it’s centered and evenly spaced.

BLIND STAMP AUTHENTICATION

The Blind Stamp is a tiny and hard-to-see stamp that can help you with the authentication process. These stamps usually contain a mixture of numbers and letters, and although it’s similar to a serial number, it’s not the serial number.

It’s an easy way to help you identify the date the bag was made and who made it—and it’s one of the biggest giveaways of an authentic Hermès bag. First, you’ve got the Date Stamp which is a record of the year the bag was manufactured, and it features an alphabetical character and a shape (such as a square, circle, or triangle). The Craftsman Stamp—which consists of shapes, symbols, letters, and numbers—identifies who created the bag and sometimes if the bag is sent back for repairs, Hermès might send the bag back to the person who originally worked on it.

LOCATE & CONFIRM THE DATE STAMP

As you might’ve guessed, the stamp is located in various places on the bag. Hermès typically hides it inside a pocket, behind a strap or in the fold of one of the interior leather walls.

UNDERSTANDING THE DATE STAMP

The date stamps have been grouped by era. The first one is from 1922 until 1944 and these bags do not have stamps at all.

The next group is from 1945 to 1970. This is when the Blind Stamp was introduced as a single letter, and this continued until you reached the end of the alphabet.

Next, is 1971 to 1996. This is when they began incorporating a letter with a circle surrounding it.

In the fourth era, which took place between 1997 and 2014, they replaced the enclosed circle with a square.

And finally, bags created starting in 2015 to the present day feature a stamp in this format: L LL NNN LL with the first letter representing the date, and the remaining letters and numbers representing the craftsman stamp. These letters do not come with a shape.

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ABOUT LEPRIX

LePrix means “the price” and “the prize” in French, which captures the spirit of the hunt for pre-owned luxury. The thrill of the hunt sparked the launch of the world’s largest marketplace enabling access to shop over 600 designer consignment boutiques online. While working with hundreds of the world’s best consignment boutiques, we discovered that our store partners were wasting a lot of time and energy sourcing inventory to grow their businesses. They needed a convenient way to source more top-selling products like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, etc. from other trusted resale businesses. And that is how LePrix Wholesale was born.

In 2018, LePrix launched LePrix Wholesale, which is the only marketplace in the U.S. unlocking access to pre-owned, pre-authenticated luxury from the world’s most trusted suppliers at deeply discounted prices. Our team of experts carefully select suppliers, curate the most desirable inventory and inspect your orders before shipment. You will be assigned a dedicated account manager to help you optimize your wholesale buying experience. We believe in empowering businesses like yours with the right tools (access to top sellers, inventory you need, or valuable resources) and support to help you grow your business.

*LePrix is not affiliated with any brands in any manner. All items are LePrix Vetted and Approved: LePrix’s team of specialists inspect every item before it’s listed and sold on LePrix Wholesale.