Codes in Vintage Bags!

[C_24]

I`m officially crazy, because it´s 03:39 a.m. here, I just got back from a night out with friends, but I simply had to share my excitement.

I talked to a friend of a good friend of mine and turns out she used to work at Bottega, when there still was a store here in Vienna (in the mid-90s!)!

I asked her if she could still decipher old Authentication Codes and she told me how to do it!

I took this example to explain it better:

http://cgi.ebay.com/AUTH-BOTTEGA-VEN...QQcmdZViewItem

So, in bags, the code always starts with "100" or "105", because 1 stands for the category of bags.

Second comes the material (in this case "001" for Intrecciato, "005" is something called Kent, a material that they used back then, usually "009" for fabrics)

Then, a 5-digit code for the product. Bags are starting with 0, "05390" stands for the Veneta and she told me that it`s like the bigger the bag, the bigger the number ("01..." for small clutches, "07..." for big totes). Small Leather Goods start with a 2 ("25..." for card holders, "27..." for key cases and so on)

And last but not least a code of 2 or 3 letters for the color (TER standing for Terre, NE for Nero and so on).

I hope this will help with authenticating older BVs!

[blugenie]

That's very cool info. Thanks for going out and staying up to write it down! It will be fun sleuthing the old bags knowing what it all means.

[hovercraftier]

Thanks Claus, this is very interesting. My satchel is from a little later, it starts with 108, then the 001 for woven, the model number starts with 08 and then the color code.

[Nymph]

Haha. Yup! Definately crazy!

But very sweet to share your new found information with us!

[Eugin]

Thank you so much for this information! It'll be very handy for ebay authentications.

[boxermom]

Wow! I'm writing all this down and saving it. This obviously applies to the bags after the really old ones like I have. Mine have only the metal nameplate, no tags or numbers inside at all.

Thanks so much!!!

[rox_rocks]

This is great info C_24, and so thoughtful of you to pass this on to us in the wee hours of the morning! Many thanks!

[ms piggy]

This is excellent info! Thanks a bunch, Claus.

[annie9999]

does anyone know what the different parts of the current code mean? especially color and material. that would be great to know. thanks.

[C_24]

^I`m not 100% sure, but I think you can explain it like that:

The first 6 digits are the product code, in the case of a Medium Veneta it`s 115653. The numbers do not give any information about the size or design of the material, but you can vaguely determine the season. Currently the bags begin with 16 or 17, even 18 is used in the FW 2007 collection, I guess.

Then comes the V plus 4 digits- material code, Nappa begins with V001, V0013 in the case of the Medium Veneta and Nappa Umbria begins with V77..

Colors are the last 4 digit group, Neto is usually 1000 (though not completely consistent, sometimes there are black bags that have a different color code), Noce is 2510, 2040 is Ebano, 2640 is Camel (brown shades beginning with 2...), reds begin with 6..., I think 7... and 8... for metallics

[java_addict]

Thank you for the detailed information, C_24! This is a great reference thread!