Hermès in the Designer Collection

By Sophie Higgs, Designer Collection Specialist at Fellows Auctioneers

The Designer Collection auction often includes a variety of Hermès handbags and accessories. Often described as elegance in motion, Hermès is known for its artisanal models. The company have remained faithful with their quality and craftsmanship that were used to craft their saddles over two centuries ago! These traditional techniques are still seen today in the Hermès Birkin and Kelly handbags that are still stitched by hand.

Hermès was established in 1837 and was renowned for their handcrafted harness and bridles for carriages, catering mainly for European Royalty at that time. The business later expanded into saddles and the first handbag wasn’t made until 1922 and the first scarf until 1937.

Something really interesting to know about the iconic items designed by Hermès, besides the fact they come with great history, you can easily find how old your purchase is by identifying the date stamp on all leather items made by Hermès after 1945. All of their leather items should have a blind stamp. Hermès uses letters in alphabetical order to date the bags surrounded by a shape. From 1945 to 1970, no shapes were used. From 1971 to 1996, a circle shape is used

Hermès is known for hiring the best artisans who are specially trained in leathers. Whilst crafting each item, there are many processes that must be followed that make each item a ‘Hermès’. It is these authentication facts that make up the overall uniqueness of a Hermès item. The stamps are a final seal of approval by an official inspector in passing the quality of the items made for sale. The stamp will contain the date code which is a way of identifying the artisan and the workshop in which the item was made. If an item is not passed by the inspector it is actually discarded!

For example, if you came across a stamp that had an hourglass, AR & a P inside a square, the hourglass is the mark of a master artisan, AR would identify which factory the item was made in and the square will have an alphabet within it which identifies the year it was made. Another reason to include the stamps is for the purpose of a repair if ever it is needed as the stamp would be able to identify which artisan crafted the bag and it would go directly to the person / factory.

Below is a little brief on some of the other stamp that you may come across:

• An ‘S’ Stamp: The S stands for sale and at Hermès it happens twice a year since 1938, bags stamped with S have a lower resale value, not that much lower though!
• A Shooting Star Stamp: Handcrafted for an employee of Hermès or for the Artisan them self, these handbags can never be sent to the Hermès Spa. Some see the shooting star as being a collectible.
• Horse Shoe Stamp: These handbags are special ordered and are only acquired by clients that have bought their way in. Special ordered bags can include a coloured interior or even your initials blind-stamped in the bag.
• Exotic Skin Stamps: These stamps will be found on the front of the bag to the left of the Hermés made in Paris stamp and will be in either the same silver or gold as the brand stamp or plain. Alligator, crocodile, lizard, ostrich handbags and look like, •• (Crococdile Niloticus), ^ (Crocodile Porosus), – (Varanus Niloticus Lizard), = (Varanus Salvator Lizard), or a square (Alligator Mississippiensis).

These date stamps and symbols are important to all Hermès bags as they validate their authenticity. It is important to look for them, although the fake bags also try to replicate these stamps, it is so important when buying a second hand Hermès from a reliable and trusted seller like Fellows Auctioneers.

There are some really amazing Hermès handbags and accessories in The Designer Collection November sale on the 23rd 2020 , from a selection of Porosus crocodile dog collars and leads with ‘special order’ horseshoe stamps, a matte Niloticus crocodile Birkin 30 handbag, as well as a number of incredibly sought after Kelly and Birkin handbags in a variety of Autumnal colours and exotic skins.