To check a Hermes bag, look for three things first: a heat stamp reading HERMES PARIS MADE IN FRANCE (with the accent on the E) in fine, even letters; a small blind stamp with a year letter and an artisan code, pressed into the leather without ink; and saddle stitching done by hand, with stitches that slant at an angle and look very slightly irregular. Then compare the leather, the hardware and the lock and key with a genuine example of the same model and year. Photos can show whether a bag is consistent or inconsistent with a genuine Hermes in each of those details. They cannot settle it. Birkin and Kelly copies are the most sophisticated in the bag market, some made with real Hermes-grade leather and hand stitching, and only an experienced authenticator handling the bag settles it.
Quick answer
- Look for: a clean HERMES PARIS MADE IN FRANCE heat stamp, a blind stamp with a year letter, angled hand saddle stitching and hardware that matches the year.
- Common resale values: approximately $2,000-4,500 for an Evelyne or Garden Party, $10,000-30,000 for a Birkin or Kelly in common leathers.
- Stamps, locks, keys and boxes are all copied; a photo never settles a Hermes.
How to check yours, step by step
- Find the heat stamp. On a Birkin or Kelly it sits on the front of the bag under the flap, below the turn lock area; on other models it is usually on the front or on an interior tab. You are looking for HERMES on top, PARIS below and MADE IN FRANCE beneath, in small, fine, evenly spaced letters with an accent over the E. The stamp is foiled in gold or silver to match the hardware, or blind (plain) on some leathers.
- Find the blind stamp. A small uninked stamp with a letter for the year, sometimes inside a circle or square, and a separate artisan or workshop code. On Birkins and Kellys it is often on the inside of a strap or under the flap; on newer bags it may sit inside near the heat stamp. Placement varies by model and year, so check several places.
- Read the year letter against the table below. The frame shape (none, circle, square) tells you the cycle; the letter tells you the year within it.
- Look closely at the stitching. Hermes uses saddle stitching, done by hand with two needles and waxed linen thread. You are looking for stitches that slant at a consistent angle and sit very slightly unevenly, the opposite of a perfectly straight machine line. Look at the handles and the sides of the bag, where stitching is most visible.
- Identify the leather. Grain pattern, sheen and how the bag holds its shape all point to a type. Togo, Clemence, Epsom and Box each have a recognizable look, set out below.
- Check the hardware, lock and keys. Birkins and Kellys come with a padlock, two keys and a leather clochette. The lock and keys share a number. The padlock reads HERMES on the front. Hardware should be finished evenly, with engraving that is crisp, not thick.
- Check the edges and corners. Hermes edge paint is smooth, even and color matched. Corners are rounded and tidy.
Hermes blind stamp year letters
The blind stamp is the most useful dating tool on a Hermes bag. Year letters run in cycles, and the frame around the letter, or its absence, tells you which cycle.
| Cycle | Frame | Letter examples | Approximate years |
|---|---|---|---|
| First cycle | No frame | A to Z | 1945-1970 |
| Second cycle | Circle | A = 1971, M = 1983, Z = 1996 | 1971-1996 |
| Third cycle | Square | A = 1997, J = 2006, R = 2014 | 1997-2014 |
| Current cycle | No frame | T = 2015, X = 2016, A = 2017, C = 2018 | 2015 onward |
The current cycle letters so far: T for 2015, X for 2016, A for 2017, C for 2018, D for 2019, Y for 2020, Z for 2021, U for 2022, B for 2023 and W for 2024. Hermes changes the letter each year, and later letters follow the same pattern. Because a letter without a frame can mean either the 1945-1970 cycle or the current one, the style of the bag, the hardware and the heat stamp settle which.
The artisan code next to the year letter identifies the workshop or craftsperson. It is not a serial number and cannot be looked up. Special order bags, with contrast colors or hardware chosen by the client, also carry a small horseshoe stamp.
A short example of how the stamps combine: a black Kelly with gold hardware has a gold-foiled HERMES PARIS MADE IN FRANCE stamp under the flap and, on the strap, a blind stamp showing the letter J inside a square with an artisan code beside it. A square J dates the bag to approximately 2006, and gold hardware with a gold-foiled stamp is the expected pairing. The stitching on the handle slants evenly and the lock and keys carry the same number. That bag is consistent with a 2006 Kelly in every detail the photos show, and that is where photos stop. At a value of $12,000 or more, the next step is an expert who handles it.
Leather types
| Leather | Look | Typical models |
|---|---|---|
| Togo | Pebbled grain with visible veining, matte, slightly slouchy | Birkin, Kelly Retourne, Evelyne |
| Clemence | Larger, flatter grain than Togo, softer, heavier, slouches more | Birkin, Evelyne, Picotin, Lindy |
| Epsom | Embossed, uniform fine grain, light and rigid, holds sharp shape | Kelly Sellier, Constance, Birkin |
| Box calf | Smooth and glossy, shows scratches, develops patina | Vintage Kelly, Constance, older Birkins |
| Swift | Smooth, soft, takes color richly, scratches easily | Kelly, Constance, small leather goods |
| Toile with leather trim | Canvas body with leather handles and trim | Garden Party, Herbag, Evelyne TPM |
Leather type is one of the places copies slip. A grain that looks like Togo on a bag stamped as an Epsom style, or a shape that does not match the stiffness of the leather, is worth noting. But leather is also exactly what photos struggle to show: sheen changes with light, and grain at a distance looks alike across several types.
Why Birkins and Kellys are the hardest
Most luxury copies are made to look right at a glance. Birkin and Kelly copies are made to pass close inspection, because a genuine bag sells for tens of thousands of dollars. The best ones use high-grade leather, real saddle stitching by hand, accurate stamps and year letters, and hardware with correct engraving. Some even come with matching locks, keys, clochettes, dust bags, boxes and receipts.
Experienced authenticators look at combinations of details that only show in hand: the weight and finish of the hardware, the feel of the leather, the precise shape of the heat stamp letters under magnification, the stitch count per inch, the edge work inside the gussets, the alignment of the turn lock plate, the way the bag sits when empty. No photo set carries all of that. That is why even a Birkin that looks right in every photo is described only as consistent, and why buyers of Birkins and Kellys almost always require authentication.
What Hermes bags are worth
These are typical approximate resale ranges for genuine bags in good to very good condition, in common leathers and colors. Exotic skins, rare colors, special orders and pristine condition can multiply them.
| Bag | Typical resale |
|---|---|
| Evelyne PM or GM | $2,000-4,500 |
| Garden Party 30 or 36 | $2,000-4,000 |
| Herbag | $1,500-3,500 |
| Picotin Lock 18 or 22 | $2,500-5,500 |
| Lindy 26 or 30 | $5,000-10,000 |
| Constance 18 or 24 | $8,000-20,000 |
| Kelly 25 or 28, Togo or Epsom | $12,000-30,000 |
| Kelly 32 or 35, vintage Box calf | $5,000-15,000 |
| Birkin 25 or 30, Togo or Epsom | $12,000-30,000 |
| Birkin 35, Togo or Clemence | $9,000-18,000 |
| Birkin or Kelly in exotic leather | $30,000 to well over $100,000 |
Completeness matters on Hermes more than on most brands: the lock, keys, clochette, dust bag, rain cover, box and receipt all support value. Corner wear, handle darkening and scratched hardware pull a bag down, and so does a refurbished or recolored finish. A quick sale to a luxury buyer brings 20 to 40 percent below these ranges. Smaller Birkins and Kellys often sell above their retail price because supply in boutiques is limited, while larger and vintage sizes sit closer to or below retail.
Common mistakes
- Treating the blind stamp as proof. Year letters and artisan codes are copied, often correctly.
- Expecting a serial number. Hermes uses blind stamps, not serials, and there is no online lookup.
- Treating the lock and key number as a bag serial. The number pairs the lock with its keys; it is not linked to the bag.
- Reading irregular stitching as a flaw. Hand saddle stitching is meant to show a slight variation and a slant.
- Judging leather type from one photo. Light and angle change how grain looks.
- Assuming a box, receipt or dust bag settles it. All are copied, and genuine bags are often sold without them.
- Valuing a bag before identifying the leather and size. A Birkin 35 in Clemence and a Birkin 25 in Epsom are different markets.
What to photograph
- The full front, square to the camera, in daylight.
- The heat stamp, straight on and sharp.
- The blind stamp, with side light so the impression shows.
- Close-ups of the stitching on a handle and a side seam.
- The hardware: turn lock, plate, sangles or straps, feet.
- The lock and keys, front and underside, with the numbers readable.
- Corners, base, handles and the interior.
- Any box, dust bag, receipt or rain cover.
Those photos let an authenticator judge whether a closer look is worth arranging and date the bag by its stamp.
When to get it looked at in person
Hermes does not authenticate bags for the public. The route buyers trust is an independent Hermes specialist, or a luxury reseller with in-house experts that authenticates as part of buying or consigning. Photo-based opinions from established services typically cost roughly $30-100 per bag. In-person review by a Hermes specialist usually costs roughly $100-500, depending on the bag and the city.
For an Evelyne or Garden Party, a reseller's check as part of consignment is usually enough. For any Birkin, Kelly or Constance, in-person authentication is worth paying for before a sale, insurance or an estate division, because the value at stake is in the tens of thousands and buyers will require it. If the bag is part of a wider collection, inherited designer bag worth covers how to sort the rest, and the same consistency method for other houses is in how to tell if a Chanel bag is real and how to tell if Louis Vuitton is real.