Authentication

Every piece is authenticated

Before any bag is listed on Now&Then., it is individually inspected and verified by a vintage luxury authentication expert. We do not list, sell, or ship anything we cannot fully authenticate. If we are not certain a piece is genuine, it does not make it onto the site.

What we check

Each piece is examined against the maker’s known specifications for that model, era, and material. The checks vary by brand, but typically include:

• Hardware: stamp depth, alignment, weight, plating wear consistent with age, screw and rivet placement.
• Date codes & serial numbers: Louis Vuitton date codes verified against the factory and date format used in the bag’s production year. Chanel hologram serial cross-referenced with the corresponding serial range and authenticity card.
• Stitching: stitch count per inch, thread color, tension, and waxed-thread finish where the maker uses one.
• Materials: canvas weave, leather grain, edge paint, lining fabric, and vachetta or natural leather aging consistent with the piece’s declared age.
• Logos & monogram: pattern alignment at seams, repeat spacing, and font detail on heat stamps.
• Interior tags & codes: position, stitching, font, and material against the brand’s known interior reference for that model.

Third-party verification

For pieces where we want additional certainty, or where requested by the buyer, we will commission a paid authentication report from an established third-party service such as Entrupy, CheckCheck, or Real Authentication. The cost of buyer-requested third-party authentication is at the buyer’s expense; the cost of our own internal third-party verification is at ours.

Documentation

Every piece is photographed in detail before it ships, including hardware stamps, date codes, interior tags, and any condition notes. We retain these records so that, if a piece is ever called into question, we can compare the bag in the buyer’s possession to the documented state at the time of dispatch.

One-year authenticity guarantee

Every bag sold by Now&Then. carries a one-year authenticity guarantee. If a piece is found to be inauthentic by a reputable third-party authentication service within one year of purchase, we will accept a return and issue a full refund of the item price including original and return shipping. Claims must be accompanied by a written authentication report from the third party. Full details are in our Returns Policy.

Questions

If you have a question about the authentication of a specific piece, including the documentation behind it, contact us at hello@ntvintage.com. We respond within one business day.