EXPERTISE - WHAT IS THE VALUE OF MY LOUIS VUITTON TRUNK?

We receive many emails from people wanting to know the value of their Louis vuitton, Goyard or Moynat trunk . This article is intended to help you do that. It is common to confuse expertise, estimate, certificate of authenticity, revelations on an abuse of language. 

The certificate of authenticity is not subject  to any regulations . No law therefore gives it any value. Just like the estimate, anyone can deliver it. The value of the certificate is based above all on the credibility of its author (competence, good repute, notoriety, link he possibly has with the author, etc.). Only a Louis Vuitton certificate would be of value. Except Louis Vuitton does not produce any certificate for its bags, trunks, small leather goods ...

So if a seller offers you a certificate of authenticity or worse beware of it, they will not guarantee that the item is not a  Louis Vuitton counterfeit.

There is no fixed price , we are not in a general public market where prices can be referenced as in real estate (estimate price m²) and used cars ( argus ). There is no established rating for old trunks. And finally the price of an old trunk or second-hand item has no connection with  the price of new at Louis Vuitton. The price of second hand is a function of many factors that we will try to list.

We regularly receive offers of trunk or  suitcase  for an amount much higher than our selling price in store from individuals misled by an advertisement issued by a "joker" offering a trunk 10 times more expensive than the prices we charge It is therefore important  not to confuse the displayed selling price with the sold price , because any seller is free to display the price he  dreams  of obtaining . Besides, the  fair price of your trunk  is what you imagine AND that a buyer is able to accept. Keep in mind that a good sale must satisfy both seller and buyer. If you are a seller and your  price is fair, we can buy your trunk as is at the best prices.

Only the  Louis Vuitton, Goyard, Hermès and Moynat brands have collection value. The absence of a marking on the trunk indicates that your property does not belong to one of these 4 brands.  

Typical anonymous trunks: 

• At the beginning
• In the United States
• Poultry
• Walkers 
• Pigot 
• Other brands
• Domed chests

While they may nonetheless be perfect for home  decorating,  they  do not have any collector's value . Their price is very low and rarely exceeds  500 euros  for the most beautiful models because of the low reputation of their manufacturer and their lower quality. These brands, which are strongly inspired by the design of luxury trunks, are of particular interest to those who dream of owning an old Louis Vuitton trunk without having the means to do so.

Example of the sale of June 13, 2015 to Saint Maur des faussés (94) of an anonymous trunk with a set of doll accessories.

Estimated 120 - 250 euros.

Result of the sale: 120 euros

Example of the sale of Friday September 7, 2018 in Paris of an old anonymous arched trunk.

Estimated 40 - 60 euros. 

Result of the sale: 40 euros

Example of the sale of  October 18, 2019 in Paris  of a Pigot trunk (anonymous), of good size resembling a Louis Vuitton checkered collection trunk.

Estimated 300 - 500 euros.

Result of the sale: 300 euros

This is one of the key factors, the more the restoration work necessary to  find the original state  , the lower the price will be:

• Damaged leather
• Torn canvas 
• Bad smell
• Stained capiton
• Broken lock
• ... 

For this reason, the same Louis Vuitton trunk can be worth between € 1,000 and € 5,000 depending on its condition. Only trunks in perfect condition have valuebecause a restoration costs from 3,500 euros for a simple cleaning to more than 15,000 euros for a major restoration as in the case of this partially destroyed wardrobe trunk restored in our malle2luxe workshops.

When it is perfectly executed, respecting the expertise of the trunk maker and the original condition of the luggage, a restoration is a  real added value  for a trunk. Unfortunately in 95% of cases this is poorly conducted and requires a second intervention, causing a greater workload and therefore an additional cost for an aesthetic result which will remain lower than that of a first restoration carried out according to the rules of the 'art. In some cases the trunk loses all value , such as a trunk whose canvas has been repainted. To avoid discounts check the following points  :

• Brushed brasses 
• Partially repainted canvas 
• Replacement parts 
• Decorative stable bands 
• ...

Apart from a few special cases such as the flower trunk , the rule is rather simple and logical:  The larger the trunk the more expensive it is. A mail trunk therefore costs less than a wardrobe trunk but more than a cabin trunk. 

Note:

Raw finish concerns chests designed without canvas not to be confused with trunks which have been denatured by removing the original canvas  to leave the wood visible, due to this modification the trunk loses all value.

As written in the previous paragraph, the nature  of the finishes  has a strong impact on the value of the luggage. The covering of the canvas has even more advantages. The rarest and most sought after coverings are those of aluminum explorer trunks , but these are very rare exceptional pieces. Regarding the coated canvas the most popular are those emblazoned with the famous monogram Louis Vuitton and canvas ancient checkerboard. The production processes of the fabrics and the modes having evolved over the centuries the specialists are able from characteristics such as the typography or the materials employed to estimate the year of production. Each visible evolution makes it possible to identify editions that we qualify as  Mark .

Some are more sought after than others but this parameter has a rather low impact on the selling price of the trunk. Many collectors like to own a trunk of each Mark in order to have a complete collection representative of the Louis Vuitton range:

•  A canvas - Mark 5  duller is less valuable than a canvas - Mark 1
• An LV stencil canvas   is more popular and is worth three times more than a trunk with an LV PVC canvas  .

Everything is a matter of personal taste. The Chinese market demands trunks with PVC canvas while the Western market is crazy about canvas steeped in history and patinated with a stencil.
 

The trend we are currently seeing is as follows:

In the attached table we compare canvases that are in perfect condition

Value is a function of demand, which itself depends on scarcity. But a very rare trunk is not necessarily very expensive, as the collection and financial values can be decorrelated. But there are as many special cases as there are trunks to study, for example:

• In general, a special order is more desirable than a standard trunk.

• Even a very rare black trunk will be less valuable than a standard trunk with a monogram canvas.  

• The more drawers and interior fittings it has, the higher its price will be. 

• A luxury mail trunk with a  domed lid  will be of no value.

Even signed models of domed trunks have a very low value because of their archaic design.

Example of the sale of  April 28, 2017 in Paris  of a convex Moynat trunk. Estimated 300 - 500 euros.

Result of the sale: 300 euros 

The  date of manufacture  has only a very small impact on the value of a Louis Vuitton trunk. The age of the trunk does not necessarily increase its value, it is even the opposite:

• A gray Trianon trunk   from 1870 will have an archaic construction and therefore less value than a trunk from 1920 more accomplished and respecting the standards and the image of the brand.

• On the other hand, a trunk from 1920 is more valuable than a modern trunk in  PVC canvas  of today.

Expert advice in Louis Vuitton trunks. Our clients benefit from an  exclusive consulting service FREE of charge. Our customers have the possibility to send us photos of the trunks they wish to acquire (seen at colleagues, in the auction room, etc.) in order to benefit from a responsive consulting service to allow them to build a prestigious collection of quality. We are in the best position to offer you collector's trunks at the best price and quality.

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