If you've shopped vintage from Japan, you've seen the letters: A, AB, B, C. Japan's secondhand market runs on one of the strictest and most honest grading cultures in the world — and understanding it is the key to buying vintage with realistic expectations. Here's exactly how we grade at our shop in Fukuoka, and what each grade means for the bag that arrives at your door.
Why Japanese Grading Is Different
Japan's secondhand trade operates under the Kobutsusho secondhand dealer law, which licenses every dealer and enforces accountability at every stage — from the auctions where we source to the shops that sell. Within that system, a culture of almost severe honesty developed: Japanese graders describe flaws a Western seller might not even mention. A bag graded "B" in Japan often looks better than something sold as "excellent" elsewhere. We grade in that tradition, and we'd rather under-promise than disappoint.
What Each Grade Means
- Grade A — Excellent. Very lightly used with only minor signs of wear you have to look for: a faint scratch on hardware, slight softening of structure. No odors, no significant marks. These are the bags that make people say "this is vintage?"
- Grade AB — Very Good. Between A and B: overall clean and attractive, with a couple of specific, identifiable flaws — light corner wear, minor marks on the lining — each one noted and photographed.
- Grade B — Good. Honest visible wear consistent with regular use: patina on vachetta, surface scratches, some corner rub, perhaps light interior marks. Structurally sound and fully usable. This is the sweet spot for value — real character at a friendlier price.
- Grade C — Fair. Heavy wear: significant scuffing, stains, stretched straps, or interior wear. We stock C-grade pieces selectively — usually rare designs or great restoration candidates — and price them accordingly.
Flaws Are Always Photographed
A letter grade is a summary, not the whole story, so every listing includes photos of every flaw we find: each corner, each scratch, each mark on the lining. If a bag has a scent, a sticky interior, or repaired stitching, it's in the description. You should never discover something about your bag that we didn't tell you first. That standard is also why we photograph wear even on our best A-grade pieces — "minor" should be something you can see for yourself, not take on faith.
Grading Is Not Authentication
One important distinction: condition and authenticity are separate questions. Every bag, at every grade, passes our in-house 7-point authentication before it's listed — you can see how that works in our guide to how we authenticate vintage Louis Vuitton — and every purchase is protected by our full-refund authenticity guarantee. A C-grade bag is just as authentic as an A-grade one; it has simply lived more.
Which Grade Should You Buy?
For gifts or first designer pieces, we suggest A or AB. For everyday bags you'll actually use, B grades offer outstanding value — the first scratch has already happened, so you can relax and enjoy it. You can read more about our family and how we work on our story page, and everything ships from Fukuoka to the US in about 2-5 days. Whatever grade you choose, what's in the photos is what arrives. That's the whole promise.