A bag's identity is layered, and value lives in the layers. Two bags can share a name and look identical in a thumbnail yet be entirely different objects: the same style in a different size, a different leather, a different hardware finish, or a different production year. A Hermès Birkin is a 25, 30, 35, or 40; in Togo, Clemence, Epsom, or Box calf; with gold, palladium, or rose-gold hardware; in one of dozens of colorways - and the date stamp tells you the year it was made. A Chanel flap is a small, medium, jumbo, or maxi; in caviar or lambskin; with a date code that ties it to a production period. Miss one of those fields and you have mislabeled the bag and misstated what it is worth.
The Hoard is built to hold that full record instead of scattering it across receipts, a phone camera roll, and memory. You photograph a bag, The Hoard identifies it, and it lands in a private vault as a structured entry you own - not a marketplace listing, not a consignment intake. This guide covers exactly what to capture for every bag, how to identify a piece from a photo, how to keep a growing collection legible, and how to document authentication, condition, and provenance so the record holds up to an insurer, an authenticator, or a future buyer.
What to record for every bag
Start with identity, and be precise: brand, the specific style or model name (Birkin, Kelly, Constance, Classic Flap, 2.55, Lady Dior, Speedy, Neverfull, Boy, Galleria), and the size. Size is not optional - a Speedy 25, 30, and 35 are different bags, and a medium and jumbo Chanel flap sit at very different values. Record the measurements where the model uses numeric sizing, because resellers and insurers reason about the bag by size.
Then capture the material and the hardware, because in this category they often matter more than the silhouette. Note the leather or canvas type (Togo, Clemence, Epsom, Box, caviar, lambskin, coated canvas, exotic), the exact color or colorway name, and the hardware finish (gold, palladium/silver, ruthenium, rose gold, antiqued brass). For exotics, record the species and any CITES documentation, since that paperwork is legally required to sell or travel with the bag across borders.
Finally, log the identifiers and condition. Capture the date code, blind stamp, or heat stamp and what it decodes to - Louis Vuitton date codes encode the factory and week/year of production; Hermès uses a date or blind stamp tied to a production year; Chanel uses serial stickers and, on newer pieces, a microchip. Record the serial or authentication card details, included accessories (dust bag, box, lock and keys/clochette, rain cover, authenticity card, original receipt), and condition by zone: corners, piping, handles and handle stitching, interior lining, hardware plating wear, and any odor or structural sag. Photograph the front, back, base corners, interior, hardware close-ups, and the date stamp in good, glare-free light.
Identify bags by photo with Gideon
Typing a style name, size, leather, hardware, and colorway by hand is exactly where bag catalogs go wrong - the fields are easy to confuse and easy to leave half-filled. The Hoard's scanner, Gideon, reads a photo of the bag and matches it against a reference catalog to surface the brand, model, and likely variant for you to confirm. You point your phone at the bag and the hardware; The Hoard does the lookup and you verify the details it cannot see, like the exact size or the leather type.
This matters most for the bags that look alike at a glance. The difference between a lambskin and a caviar Chanel flap, or between Togo and Clemence on a Birkin, lives in the grain and the hand - details a photo can suggest but that you, the owner, should confirm at capture time. Confirming the exact variant the day the bag enters the vault means the record is right from the start, rather than corrected later when a mismatch surfaces during an appraisal or a sale.
Organize a growing collection
Once you pass a dozen bags, a flat list stops reflecting how you actually think about the collection. Group by what you reason about: by house (Hermès, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton), by silhouette (top-handle, flap, tote, shoulder, mini), by use (daily, occasion, vaulted/grail), or by acquisition year. The Hoard's vault gives every entry a primary category plus secondary tags, so a single bag can sit under "Hermès," "Birkin 30," and "exotic" at once without being duplicated into three records.
Keep a hard line between the bags you own and the bags you are chasing. Grail lists and waitlist spots are part of the hobby, but a wishlist that bleeds into your inventory is how a collection gets miscounted and overinsured. The vault holds what you physically have; a want list is a separate surface. That discipline is also what keeps a stated collection value honest - only the bags actually in hand should count toward it.
Authentication, condition, and provenance
In bags, authenticity is the whole game, and the record is your defense. Document everything that supports the bag's legitimacy: the date or blind stamp and its decode, the serial or microchip, the included authenticity card, the original boutique receipt, and any third-party authentication you have obtained (an Entrupy certificate or a written opinion from a recognized authenticator). For exotic-skin bags, keep the CITES permit with the entry - without it the bag effectively cannot be legally resold or carried across a border, and reconstructing it after the fact is painful.
Condition is the other value lever, and it changes over time, so it deserves an honest, dated baseline. Note corner wear, handle patina and stitching, hardware plating loss, interior staining or odor, and whether the bag holds its shape or has begun to sag or slouch. Photograph the wear zones now; a year of carry on a lambskin flap is invisible until you compare it to where it started. Provenance - where and when you bought it, prior ownership, and any restoration or spa service (Hermès and Louis Vuitton both offer factory refurbishment) - rounds out a record that an appraiser, insurer, or buyer can trust.
The Hoard is non-custodial: your bags stay in your closet and your safe. The vault is the record and the registry-confirmed identity, not storage, escrow, or a listing. A brand-co-authored registry helps confirm what a piece actually is, but the physical bag never leaves your hands.
Frequently asked
What is the best way to catalog a bag collection?
Record each bag's brand, exact style name and size, material and color, hardware finish, and its date code or stamp, along with the serial or authenticity card, included accessories, and a dated condition note covering corners, handles, hardware, and interior. Add clear photos of the front, base corners, interior, hardware, and date stamp. A structured tool like The Hoard keeps these fields consistent and identifies the bag by photo, which is far more durable than a spreadsheet or a camera roll that drifts out of date.
Is The Hoard free for bag collectors?
The Hoard has a free tier you can start cataloging with immediately. Collector Pro is available monthly, annually, or as a $179 lifetime unlock while founding seats remain. It unlocks the unlimited vault and full collector toolset.
How does The Hoard identify a bag from a photo?
The Hoard's scanner, Gideon, reads a photo of the bag and its hardware and matches it against a reference catalog to surface the brand, model, and likely variant for you to confirm. You then verify the details a photo can only suggest - the exact size, the leather type, the colorway - so the entry is correct from the moment the bag enters your vault.
Does cataloging my bags on The Hoard list them for sale?
No. The Hoard is collector-first and non-custodial. Your bags stay physically with you, and a vault entry is a private record, not a marketplace listing or a consignment. You choose what, if anything, is ever made public.
Can I store authentication and date-code details for my bags in The Hoard?
Yes. A The Hoard vault entry is built to hold a bag's date or blind stamp and its decode, the serial or microchip, the authenticity card, any third-party authentication, and exotic-skin CITES paperwork, all alongside the photos and condition notes. Keeping that documentation with the bag is exactly what an insurer, appraiser, or future buyer asks to see.