frequent buyers and authenticators, what is your advice for resellers?
I've thrifted a decent sized collection of what I believe to be authentic
Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Dooney & Bourke, and other designer bags. I've done a lot of research, but I have no credentials to prove that I am correct about my authentication. Aside from an established record of selling genuine bags, which I don't have yet, what do you look for in a listing that would make you comfortable in a bag's authenticity?
Feel free to advise on anything I didn't mention, but here are some things I am wondering about:
1 - Photos - I include lots, all angles of anything that seems remotely relevant, but are there certain photos/features that I should make sure I don't leave out? Is this mostly designer specific? Like for instance I would definitely want to make sure the creed and serial are visible and readable if I were to list a Coach bag. I'd also make sure to get interior linings, tags/patches, stitching, etc.
2 - Source - should I disclose that the item was sourced from a thrift store? I wouldn't ever lie about it if asked, but I could see an argument for not trying to advertise it, I expect most buyers prefer buying from people who made the original retail purchase most of the time, but on the other hand I value transparency.
3 - Authentication - in most cases it's probably not economically feasible to get a paid authentication for every bag, and I'm skeptical of any such services to begin with. I could also post all bags on this forum and have them authenticated, but it feels like a misuse of the authenticator's time for my personal business. Is there policy/etiquette on this?
4 - Personal thoughts - I'm just someone on the internet trying to sell a bag with no documented credentials proving any expertise on these items, yet I personally feel I have a pretty good understanding of how to authenticate *some* of the features of *some* designers. Say for instance, if I have a Coach bag, and I know based on the serial the production year, production plant, production month, and style number, should I highlight all of that information to indicate that I'm knowledgeable about the product that I'm selling, or should I just shut up and let the photos do the talking?