How to Collect Designer Fashion, Handbags and Sneakers
Vintage and designer clothing, handbags, sneakers and accessories.
Fashion collecting covers vintage couture, designer handbags, limited sneakers and accessories. In a
market full of copies, the value of a piece depends on proof: date codes, serial numbers, receipts
and authentication. Recording them from the start protects both your collection and its resale value.
Accessories: scarves, belts, sunglasses and small leather goods.
Collectors usually follow a house, a designer, a model line, a decade or a sneaker silhouette.
What to Record
Brand, model and season or collection.
Size in the system the piece uses, and the measurements for vintage clothing.
Materials: leather type, fabric, hardware finish.
Authenticity proof: date codes, serial numbers, authenticity cards, receipts and the result of
an authentication service.
For handbags: the model and size, the leather and hardware, and the accessories (dust bag,
box, lock and keys, strap).
For sneakers: the style code (printed on the box and size tag), the colourway, and whether they
are deadstock - new and never worn - with the original box.
For vintage clothing: the garment type, the era and the label, which helps to date it.
Condition
The resale market uses terms such as new with tags, excellent, very good, good and fair. Note wear
on corners and handles, stains, odours, sole yellowing on sneakers and any repairs. Photograph the
details that prove authenticity.
Care and Storage
Store handbags stuffed with acid-free paper in their dust bags, upright and out of sunlight.
Keep sneakers in their boxes in a cool, dry room; foam soles age even unworn. Hang clothes on padded
hangers in breathable covers, and protect wool and silk from moths.
Mistakes to Avoid
Throwing away boxes, dust bags, cards and receipts.
Buying from unverified sellers without an authentication.
The 25 fields worth recording for fashion & accessories, grouped as in the
ordicio app.
Identification
Brand / designer Text
Brand, fashion house or designer, e.g. Hermès, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Nike.
Model Text
Model or product name given by the manufacturer.
Collection / season Text
Collection or season, e.g. Fall/Winter 1997, Cruise 2015.
Date / period Text
When the object was made, as precise as known, e.g. 1876, c. 1890, 1920s, 2nd century AD.
Size Text
Size with the system, e.g. FR 38, US 8, EU 42, M.
Colour Text
Colour or colours as seen in daylight, main colour first.
Materials Text
Materials the object is made of, main material first.
Country Text
Country of origin or issue, by its usual English name (historic states as named at the time, e.g. Kingdom of Bavaria).
Authenticity
Authenticity proof Text
Serial or date code, receipt, card, authentication service and number.
Label Text
Text of the label(s), which helps dating, e.g. union label, couture label with number.
Certification number Text
Number on the grading holder (slab) or authentication certificate, to look it up in the service's database.
Condition
Condition (resale) Choice
Condition in the terms of the fashion resale market.
New with tags
New without tags
Like new
Excellent
Very good
Good
Fair
Condition notes Text
Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Restoration & repairs Text
Restorations, repairs, replaced parts and cleaning, with who did them and when if known.
Acquisition
How and when the object came into the collection.
Acquisition date Date
Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own
How the object came into the collection.
Purchase
Auction
Gift
Inheritance
Exchange / trade
Self-collected / found
Commission
Acquired from Text
Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount
Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text
Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).
Value
Estimated and insured value.
Estimated value Amount
Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date
Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice
What the estimated value is based on.
Own estimate
Recent sales / auction results
Dealer offer
Catalogue value
Professional appraisal
Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount
Sum the object is insured for.
Collection record
Your own inventory data.
Inventory number Text
Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text
Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.
Standards and References
The data sheets follow the standards collectors, dealers and museums use:
Resale market condition terms (new with tags, like new, excellent, very good, good, fair)
Brand date codes and serial systems (e.g. Louis Vuitton date codes, Hermès blind stamps, Chanel serial stickers)
Sneaker identification by style code / SKU (manufacturer product codes)
Costume and textile museum terminology (Getty AAT) for vintage clothing
Updated October 24, 2026
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