The serial number can tell a lot about your CHANEL bag. In this post, we show how to check a CHANEL serial number online to learn what there is to know.
Can you check a CHANEL serial number online on CHANEL’s website?
4) A photo of the serial number laser etched on the right lense. (older pairs have the serial number on the arm) 5) Is the word Chanel laser etched into the top of each lense? (this may not apply to older pairs) 6) A photo of the logo on the outside of each arm.
- Chanel Authentication Guide Serial Number Sticker & Authenticity Card Authentic Chanel handbags from the mid-1980s to today come with authenticity cards embossed with a unique serial number. The serial number matches the serial number showing on a sticker placed somewhere within the handbag’s interior lining.
- A Chanel serial number is a special code showing the year when a purse was crafted. Unlike most other brands, Chanel doesn't make a heat embossing on a leather tag. It is always a white sticker containing digits and some other features (unique for different years). Here are some characteristics of real serial numbers.
Unfortunately, CHANEL does not offer a service that allows you to check serial numbers. You cannot check a CHANEL serial number number online on CHANEL’s website. You can’t walk into a CHANEL shop and have the serial number checked there either. In this post, we provide a beginner’s guide to conducting a CHANEL serial number check. If you want your bag personally examined, you have to consult a third-party expert.
Chanel Serial Number Guide Model
What you can learn from the CHANEL serial number
When people speak of CHANEL serial numbers, they are most likely referring to the small, hologram stickers present in most CHANEL bags. The house of CHANEL started introducing these tiny codes in the late 1980s. Although a seemingly small detail, the CHANEL serial numbers are useful in various ways. Firstly, they help especially secondhand shoppers to determine the age of the bag in question. More significantly, though, they provide an extremely useful means to CHANEL authenticators for determining the authenticity of the bag in which it resides.
In this post, we show how to check a CHANEL serial number online in order to:
- Determine the age of your CHANEL bag.
- Determine the authenticity of your CHANEL bag.
Furthermore, we answer some of the most common questions about the tiny, yet highly informative serial numbers.
CHANEL bag serial number check
The hologram stickers in CHANEL bags are one of the most effective indicators for authenticators to determine whether the bag is real or fake. That’s why some people refer to these as the CHANEL authentication code.
Authentic CHANEL bag serial number: Examples
The look of the serial numbers in CHANEL bags, also known as CHANEL season codes, has changed over the years. In vintage CHANEL bags, you will find that the hologram stickers look quite different from those that you find in more recent styles. However, since the early 2000s, the look of the date codes has remained pretty much the same.
Example of CHANEL hologram sticker peel off
It is not uncommon for the hologram sticker to peel off in vintage CHANEL bags. Over the years, wear and tear take a toll on the small and fragile sticker. A missing hologram sticker doesn’t necessarily mean that the bag is fake, but there are few things you need to be aware of.
As you wear the bag, belongings put in and pulled out will rub against the serial number, causing it to partially or entirely peel off. The process usually starts from the corners of the sticker, from which point it takes just a small accidental movement, by yourself or by an item that somehow grabs hold of the edge of the sticker, for it to fall off completely. In addition, once the corners of the hologram sticker start to peel off, dirt may stick to residue glue, speeding up the peeling process further.
In other words, it is entirely normal for the CHANEL hologram sticker to peel off in vintage bags. Although the hologram sticker is one of the parts of the CHANEL bag that counterfeiters for some reason struggle with the most to copy, therefore making it a strong and helpful indicator of the authenticity of a CHANEL bag, you should not jump to the conclusion that the bag in question is fake just because it doesn’t have a serial number.
If my CHANEL bag doesn’t have a serial number, does that mean it’s fake?
Although a missing hologram sticker doesn’t necessarily mean the bag is fake, you then need to be an excellent authenticator to determine the authenticity of a secondhand CHANEL bag. Especially with newer styles, such as the CHANEL Boy bag, you should be very alarmed if no serial number appears.
Over the years, the quality and endurance of the hologram stickers have been improved immensely. In fact, it is only the earliest CHANEL bags with serial numbers, produced in the late 1980s to early 1990s, where the stickers are known to occasionally peel off. Even in these vintage CHANEL bags, it is actually a rare occurrence for the serial number to peel off. In fact, it is usually because the respective owner of the bag is unaware that the sticker is left there intentionally.
Why should I be alarmed about a missing hologram sticker?
So that leads us back to why it is a clear red flag that the serial number is missing. This is especially true of newer CHANEL bags.
As mentioned earlier, counterfeiters often struggle to replicate these hologram stickers. While the details on the rest of the bag may look real, the counterfeiters may have gotten lazy with the delicate details on the inside. After all, it is the exterior that matters most and people will rarely come across the small hologram sticker, hidden in a pocket or the bottom of the bag. In other words, the serial number will often be what gives a certain bag away for being a fake.
Therefore, the counterfeiter or amoral re-seller may intentionally peel off the serial number. Note that in a CHANEL bag produced within the past 25 years or so, this will require a lot of force and is therefore a completely unnatural process. Surely, one must notice that if it is an effortful process to remove something from such an expensive fashion piece, it is probably supposed to be there. So, to summarize, CHANEL hologram stickers may peel off from vintage CHANEL bags. Nevertheless, we recommend you consult with an expert if you come across such a piece prior to purchase.
The number of fake Hermès and Chanel handbags on the market is astonishing. It is estimated that up to 90% of all designer bags sold online are in fact fakes. It should come as no surprise that counterfeiters target brands such as Hermès and Chanel, due to their popularity, the high demand for their handbags, and the high prices they sell for. Many fake handbags are made with such quality that it can be difficult to spot the difference unless you know what you are looking for.
Chanel Serial Number Guide Chart
However, there is always a difference. Even the best quality counterfeit handbags come nowhere near the genuine article in terms of craftsmanship and detail. At Baghunter, we employ a team of expert authenticators with years of experience to examine each bag that comes into our hands before we send it onto a buyer. We asked our authenticators what women should look out for when checking to see if a Hermès or Chanel bag is real or fake and created this guide to act as a reference for those who are unsure.
What Do Chanel Serial Numbers Mean
The guide is divided into two sections – Hermès Birkin and Kelly Bags and Chanel Bags. Each brand has unique details which can help you determine if it is genuine or fake. Using this guide will help you ensure you never experience the sinking feeling of holding an expensive counterfeit bag in your arms.