Vintage Chanel Date Reference

“Which year is this bag from?” If we had a dollar for every time we got this question, we would be RICH!

In a perfect world, every shop or person you’re buying a vintage bag from will tell you exactly when it was produced. But we don’t live in a perfect world, so that information is sometimes obscured, either deliberately or out of ignorance. 

Here’s where we come in, your resident vintage expert. In this guide, you’ll learn: 

  1. Where to find your bag’s holographic sticker that reveals its production information

  2. How to interpret the numbers on the sticker to identify your bag’s series

  3. How to match your bag’s series to a range of production years

  4. How to use a bag’s serial sticker as a way to verify its authenticity  

We will also provide a visual reference to sticker placements and variations over the years so you make an informed decision on your hunt for your dream vintage bag.

Visual Guide to Vintage Stickers

Since we only deal with vintage bags here at MGFT, we've selected some of the stickers that we've seen throughout our years. You'll be able to see the slight changes in patterns and typography throughout the years. 

Missing stickers?

Chanel’s holographic stickers are mostly adhered to the leather using glue. As a result, it is not uncommon to find bags without stickers, especially on pre-1990 models where materials used just did not last through the years. 

No sticker = inauthentic? Not quite.

It is important to note that many older models may not have their serial sticker intact. This does not mean the bag is not authentic. The serial stickers are generally not long wearing so when inspecting the bag it is important to note that a sticker forms only part of the opinion, not all. 

How to read a serial sticker

Chanel’s holographic stickers can contain 6, 7, or 8 digits. Here is an easy way to understand:

  • 6 digits or no serial: 1985 and older 

  • 7 digits: 1986 - 2005

  • 8 digits: 2005 and newer

The term vintage refers to a bag 20 years or older. This makes the 8 digit serial number a nice cutoff. A simple way of understanding this is:

Every Chanel bag with fewer than 8 digits in its serial can be considered a vintage bag. 

How to use the serial number

The main difference in vintage in Chanel and Hermès is that unlike Hermes, it is impossible to determine the exact age of your bag from purely the serial sticker. 

Most experts will agree that the series is only a suggested rough age estimate of the age of your bag as the exact cut off age from your full serial number is unknown. 

The serial sticker is unique to your bag and as a result should always be kept private. The best practice in safe transacting with vintage Chanel is to refer to only the first digit of your serial number (i.e. 2987098 is called “2 series”). Since it is not possible to determine the exact cut off age from the serial number, it is not necessary to share the entire serial number with anyone other than yourself and the confirmed next owner. 

It is important to also note that the “0” series can actually be two types of serials. As mentioned above, the typical serial number in the vintage world is 7-8 digits. Where you find 6 digit serial numbers, it is common for these bags to be referred to as still, 0 series (i.e. you add your own 7th digit in front in the form of a zero). This is to prevent confusion as a 6 digit 3 series and a 7 digit 3 series can be a difference of 20 years!

Sticker Placement

Depending on the model, the serial sticker can be inside a pocket, on a leather tab hidden or inside the zipper component. They can be quite difficult to read due to wear or fading but if you shine a light on it, the digits are usually visible.

Chanel’s placement for their holographic stickers are standardized regardless of model through vintage and contemporary styles.

Shoulder flap bags usually all have their stickers in the bottom right corner of the front lining. 

ORLI System

This is the internal SKU system used by Chanel to record the year of manufacturing of their bags. It is a private database of all the bags (including specific style, color size etc…) and their matching serial numbers on the stickers that is expansive and will cover even the vintage eras of serials. 

While useful, it is unfortunately a private system which cannot be accessed by third parties or the end customer.  It is accurate but it is not determinative of authenticity as stickers can easily be switched or removed and re-stuck on to the corners of the bag. We typically call bags which have switched around parts “Frankenstein” bags and we’ve previously written a blog post about this topic.

This is also why it is important to make sure that all the digits of the serial number of your bag remain confidential and are never shared with anyone. For the purposes of authentication and general dating of any bag, sharing the first digit, at most the first two digits, should be more than enough to ascertain if your vintage bag is period-correct.

While many customers understandably wish for their purchased bag with corresponding serial to be correct in the system, it is unfortunately impossible in vintage bags due to the multiple untraceable changes in ownership in these items.