Why Authenticating an Hermes Bag yourself isn't easy . so dont flip out... Just saying ( Part one)

Hello everyone,
                      I was speaking with someone a month or so ago who stated they are working on learning to authenticate  Hermes bags one their own. She said she was busy counting the scales on the crocodile bags and each number of stitches.. hmm sounds pretty tough.. especially because those particulars aren't going to help you....  Not to be mean spirited at all .. its just well.. its easy to get freaked out when you notice something you never have noticed before or that you have never seen before, and lets face it when you buy an Hermes bag even a very used one it represents a substantial investment for most of us...

I've also had folks worrying their Hermes bag isn't real because of the lack of a date code  and or a craftsman's stamp, also not a red flag for being inauthentic , missing or invisible date codes and craftsman's stamps  are not a sign of inauthenticity, those Hermes date codes and craftsman's ID stamps were for Hermes' internal controls not for authenticity nor are they serial numbers.... and yes bags can have the same date code and the same makers ID stamp.

Now I've heard Hermes is hiding the date codes, moving them to unexpected locations and or leaving them absent completely. And I've seen plenty of authentic Hermes bags without date codes not fetch the same money in the secondary market than one with a date code, so maybe you'll find a bargain? The lack of a date code has nothing to do with a bag being denied servicing by Hermes.. so exhale....whew!

Also comparing authentic Hermes bags  which were made in different time periods  for instance decades for instance the 1980's, 1990's, 2000's and 2010 ... whoa, way too many changes.... 
You will see so many differences , differences in hardware, zipper pulls and zipper stops, date code stamping, gold plating color, lock identification, dust bags, fonts on hardware etc....

Additionally comparing lets say 5 Kelly 32cm retourne style bags or 5 Birkin 35cm bags and finding they all vary in size! Yes authentic Hermes bags of the same style and size can vary considerably in size, also the leather type soft or stiff can also effect the way a bag looks in size...

And colors can vary greatly from year to year and leather type to leather type and dye vat to dye vat ...
For instance the classic Hermes Rouge H color can look purple hued burgundy , to a red burgundy, to a brown under-toned wine color....

Classic Hermes orange can be found in a wide range of hues .....also... as can all of the colors...

So, my advice is that because there are super fakes which are made so well its every hard to tell what you have ; don't try to authenticate it your self use an trusted authenticity service or buy directly from Hermes boutique.

All the best, doc